Volkswagen Vento: Features explained

Do you know why the Volkswagen Vento was created? In India, the Vento is a derivative of the Polo hatchback. There, it was conceived to be a German alternative to the Yaris and Honda City. The very fact that it was a success there prompted Volkswagen to export the car to other countries like ours and Brazil. Needless to say, the Vento has been well received here as well. Volkswagen Malaysia does give it a fair share of updates each year. So, what is this Polo sedan all about and what are the excellent features that it offers. Let’s take a look at the 2018 Volkswagen Vento.

Design features

There are two variants of Volkswagen Vento to choose from thein Malaysia. These include the Vento Comfortline as well as Vento Highline. As you may be aware, there is also the Join trim that brings in a bit more equipment over the Comfortline and Highline. The Volkswagen Vento colors options include Carbon Steel Grey, Candy White, Deep Black, and Reflex Black. The Join trims also come in a fetching red color as well.

The Volkswagen Vento specs sheet tells that both the variants measure 4,390 mm in length, 1,699 mm in width, and 1,467 mm in height. In terms of exterior equipment, the 2018 Volkswagen Vento Highline offers LED headlights with DRLs, chrome finish on the fog lights and grille, internally adjustable wing mirrors, remote opening and closing of windows, heat insulating glass at the side and rear, shark-fin antenna, as well as 16-inch Syenit alloy wheels.

For the Volkswagen Vento Comfortline, there are halogen headlights, Riverside 15-inch alloys, and rear fog lights.

Inside elements

The cabin of the Volkswagen Vento Comfortline and Highline trims differs slightly in terms of equipment. The Comfortline gets auto up and down windows, fabric seat upholstery, storage space on front seat backs, boot illumination, split folding rear seats, air conditioning, height adjustable driver’s seat, and a multi-function display.

For the Highline trim, there is a different upholstery, automatic AC, cruise control, leather gear shift and knob, touch screen music system with radio, USB, Bluetooth, and AUX input, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and MirrorLink. The centre armrest along with the box beneath it is three-way adjustable too.

Boot space for both the trims stands at 454-litres while the wheelbase is 2,553 mm.

Under the hood configuration

Engine options and transmission vary according to the trim. The Comfortline, for example, gets a naturally aspirated but bigger 1.6-litre petrol 4-cylinder engine. This one produces 105 PS of power and 153 Nm of peak torque. A 6-speed automatic with Tiptronic function is mated to this engine. On the other hand, the Highline gets a smaller 1.2-litre turbocharged TSI unit that is good for 105 PS of power and a significantly higher 175 Nm of torque. The engine is mated to a faster shifting 7-speed DSG box. In terms of mileage, the NA engine will provide around 15 kmpl while the turbo petrol does better at 17 kmpl.

Safety-aids

There is a difference here in equipment too. Dual front airbags, ABS with Brake Assist, anti-pinch for all four windows, intelligent crash response system, and safety optimised head restraints are the key safety aids in the Comfortline. The Highline improves upon this by providing two additional airbags, electronic stability control, hill hold control, and ISOFIX child seat restraints.

Reverse parking sensors are standard with both the trims.

Price and final words

If you are inclined towards buying the Volkswagen Vento, keep in mind that German engineering via Peking comes at a price. The Volkswagen Vento Comfortline price is RM 84,690. At the same time, the Volkswagen Vento Highline price is RM 91,490. Both the cars are expensive than the competition which includes the Toyota Vios, Honda City as well as the Mazda 3. In terms of equipment, the Vento is at par with the Toyota Vios. However, for a significantly lower price, both the City and Mazda offer more safety, as well as creature comforts. The more costly Join trims will also bring in a connected car experience and additional goodies. But the price too shoots up in the process.