KUALA LUMPUR, May 28 ― It has been a couple of years since I tested the Polo Sedan. At that time, I did write that it is a good car as it had all the basics that one would need in a B-segment sedan ― a robust, almost bullet-proof 1.6 litre MPI (Multi-point Injection) engine, a solid body built with German engineering, a six-speed automatic transmission (which puts it on top of many other available alternatives), and excellent handling to boot. What we had then was a reliable, economical and affordable Continental car.
Fast forwarding to present day, we have the Volkswagen Vento, launched just last week, sharing the same base platform, but now up-graded with a re-designed front end, new taillights, and a new interior. In addition to two variants featuring the bullet-proof 1.6 litre MPI and 6-speed automatic transmission, Volkswagen offers an additional variant with a down-sized 1.2 litre TSI engine with a turbo-charger.
Just a couple of days ago, we went on a well-organised test drive session courtesy of Volkswagen Group Malaysia ― we used the top-of- the-range Vento Highline that features the 1.2 TSI engine and a 7-speed DSG transmission, and based my own impressions and on exchanges amongst the motoring media, I must say that the Vento Highline really presents big surprises, all of them good.
On a bang-per- buck basis, the Vento Highline retails at RM93,888.00 ― this package includes, amongst other good stuff, a turbo-charged engine, a 7-speed DSG (direct Shift Gearbox), ESC (Electronic Stability Control), Cruise Control, Multi-function Steering Wheel, Climatic Control Air-conditioning, 16-inch Alloy wheels, Front driver and passenger airbags and Thorax airbags, plus ICRS (Intelligent Crash Response System). (ICRS cuts off the fuel to the engine and automatically unlocks all doors in the event of a crash). For families with kids, ISOFIX anchors are standard fixtures across the variants. Another piece of good news is the Asean NCAP rating of Five Star for safety.
The turbo-charged TSI engine makes the Vento a whole new ballgame ― although the horsepower rating is the same as the 1.6 litre MPI at 105PS, the big difference comes from the 175Nm maximum torque, which is available in full from 1,550 rpm through to 4,000 rpm. Translated to the road, and verified on the test drive, is that it allows me to drive in top gear (7 th ) at 70 km/h at around 1,500 rpm, with the engine barely ticking over, smoothly, and totally without any “lugging”. (Lugging refers to the “labouring” of the engine when travelling at low speeds). For city driving, the Vento promises to be a very smooth and “light” to drive car.
The same high torque also means quick acceleration to reduce TED (Time Exposed to Danger, a term I have adopted from my rally veteran friend, Philip Leong, which refers to the time we are exposed to danger while on the outer lane on a trunk road). A shorter TED makes overtaking much safer ― an example of an instance where speed is used for safety. Along the way, I am also sure many other drivers were quite surprised by the way the Vento just scoots past them.
On the drive, where it was safe to do so, I did stretch the Vento’s legs a little, and we were really surprised at the top speed, which I will not disclose for the reason of not wanting to incriminate myself, but believe me, it is very respectable, really impressive actually. The 7-speed DSG helped too, by virtue of the fact that it shifts in 2 milliseconds, and having seven forward ratios makes the gaps between gears close to being almost seamless.
The handling of the Vento is yet another pleasant surprise ― it corners really “flat” and is very stable at high speeds. Unlike other “B” segment cars, the Vento is very planted, be it on the straights or around bends. My sweet-looking driving partner from another well-known publication will attest to this, as she was with me throughout our driving adventure.
The overall ride comfort is yet another surprise. It is a result of the combination of the new seat materials and the seat construction, plus the springing of the car that makes the Vento very pleasant to be in, be it at high or low speeds. I would describe the Vento as being on the firm side of comfortable, and the good handling would be the combination of the suspension set-up and the stiff chassis.
The best surprise of all is probably the excellent fuel consumption ― the car we received showed an average of 7.3 litres per 100 kilometres. On the way back, my drive partner driving at a pretty fast clip, hitting up to 16o km/h on some open stretches, handed over the Vento to me at the Tapah rest area with an average consumption of 7.1 litres per 100 kilometres after resetting the onboard readout on the Penang bridge. This would be the typical fuel consumption that the average user would easily achieve ― with a light-footed driver, the result could be at least another litre per 100 kilometres better, considering our hot climate, with air-conditioning on. As for me, being more heavy-footed, I made the numbers worse, and by the time we got back to base in Kuala Lumpur, it was 8.4 litres per 100 kilometres, but that was after some really hard pedal-to- the-metal driving.
As I said in the beginning of this article, the new Vento is a little car with lots of surprises. The exterior renderings certainly make it look much better now, neither too main-stream nor too flashy, and the overall performance of the car is nothing short of spectacular. It definitely delivers more than what it looks capable of ― and if you are looking for something that is more than ordinary, do yourself a favour by taking it for a test drive at least, before you make any commitment to any other car ― the Vento deserves at least that much. Believe me; you will be impressed, as I and many of my fellow colleagues in the motoring media are.
