Volkswagen Vento : Test Drive & Review

AutoIndian · 27th September 2010, 13:57

Hi MSD & Flash777,

Hearty congratulations to both of you. Let the euphoria of the new arrival sink in. Enjoy the moment. We can just imagine your delight. We would also like to be a part of the celebrations, so pl spare some time to take some good snaps & post your initial ownership reports. Eagerly awaiting for the same.

Das Auto

oxyzen · 27th September 2010, 18:34

2 out of 2 Vento Diesel Highline.
I am betting a 70% share for this diesel highline alone.

msd63 · 27th September 2010, 22:23

Posting some pictures of my Vento. Haven't driven enough to comment yet on the driving experience.

v.anand · 27th September 2010, 23:09

Congradulations msd63 on the new car. The pictures are amazing, keep it coming and also post your ownership review. Wish you many happy miles with your new car.

motorhead5 · 27th September 2010, 23:22

Congrats msd63. Btw, did they say any thing about improving the waiting period, expanding/improving the count and quality of service network, any other future plans?

Looking forward to see your new babes in Bangalore streets

sinhsha · 28th September 2010, 03:42

Can anybody see the service manual and check what is the timing belt replacement interval for the diesel?

drpullockaran · 28th September 2010, 07:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Speed Pujari

Sorry for an unfair comparison, the small sized palio 1.6 stile gives far better punch as well as handling. I dont know why people are going ga-ga behind Vento (and the overpriced Polo 1.6 for that matter).

On a lighter note I told him if at all someday he is planning to get 80L car from VW then drive to the showroom on a scooter wearing pyjamas and throw a cheque right on their face LOL!...

Comparing the Palio GTX/S10 would be more unfair. Even when compared to my present car(Cruze) the GTX I had was more of a drivers car. True the Cruze accelerates and brakes better than the GTX but in all other parameters the Cruze loses out. Heck even the companies new breed of Punto and Lineas cannot beat the yester year car. One serious disadvantage the present FIAT cars have is the service at TATA service centers and the second class treatment dolled out to FIAT cars. The GTX was far ahead of its time and still is compared to the present breed of cars but the myth about its poor fuel efficiency bought its downfall. I was getting 9.8kmpl in the city and was very happy about it. E=MCsquared holds true even for the GTX. You cannot make seamless power from 1000rpm to 6500rpm out of nothing. The nearest competition for the GTX costs 23lakhs and upwards. No replacement as yet has been released in the Indian market as yet and as far as the crystal ball says there never will be unless they put in the 1.4tjet in a resurrected Palio which is wishful thinking.

I have a cousin here in Cochin and a friend in Andhrapradesh who do exactly that. All the huge cars that they have bought was after a test drive they took that had them reaching the showroom either in a autorickshaw or in a bajaj scooter. But the sales staff in Cochin/Hyderbad at least can see through the ploy and have been courteous regardless of the attire.

AutoIndian · 28th September 2010, 08:47

Hi msd63,

Wonderful pictures. The car looks very composed & stands out in the lush green background (guess it is your garden). The engine bay looks very neat & well arranged. Wonder what is the wire mesh for towards the wiper end of the bay, any idea?

I am very eager to read about you driving experience, waiting with bated breath for your ownership thread.

sbhasin · 28th September 2010, 09:54

msd63 - Great pictures. Lovely choice of color - guessing it is Silver

Sahil · 28th September 2010, 11:11

Got the car last night after much delay, it was to be here during the first week of September itself but the automatic's got delayed from VW's end.
Car came in on Wednesday and was home last night.

Initial impression:
-Looks great from the front-end, have always been a fan of the Polo front-end and this looks even better thanks to the lower air dams etc

-Steering is nice and light, perfect for city driving

-Suspension very good..not firm, surprisingly since most Germans are

-Interior plastics are of better quality and feel than the ANHC

-Dash & center console is nice but not quite as exciting as the ANHC. If you find it unappealing in the pics, chances are you will find it even more unappealing in real.

-Engine has an unappealing grunt in the lower rpms. I haven't driven it much nor revved it much since its a 100km virgin, so hoping it sounds better at higher rpms.

-The automatic shifts seamlessly, very smooth.

-The downshift delay is hyped, I did not find it a problem. Maybe a highway run or more driving would change my opinion but I doubt it's a deal breaker.

-Horn is loud ! Very audible in the car. Glad it's the german sounding horn rather than the cheap shrill ones the japs give.

-Delivery experience was not upto the mark by KSM VW Navi Mumbai. The interiors were not cleaned well enough, I found dust accumilated in several places. The seat plastic was removed before hand and there is a light stain on the back seat.
Although I am thankful that they gave me the first Vento A/T they got. But this was only because I was in touch with one of the showroom partners constantly and we had 5 cars booked before launch amongst my friends and I. No other automatics have come in from the factory as yet, don't know why VW has delayed it so much.

noopster · 28th September 2010, 11:23

Sahil, she looks lovely. Some more pics and a more detailed write-up please! You have no idea how eagerly awaited your review is- I caught this post almost "real-time"!

Sahil · 28th September 2010, 11:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by noopster

Sahil, she looks lovely. Some more pics and a more detailed write-up please! You have no idea how eagerly awaited your review is- I caught this post almost "real-time"!

noopster- this car is not going to be used by me much, infact I will be sending it to Pune next week. Hence I probably won't put up a full review thread. So please go ahead and ask your queries, I will be happy to answer them.

I will update this thread with more pics and some more inputs over the week once I have driven the car some more.

*I missed this out- The rear AC vent has good cooling but the blower speed is a 3rd of the front's.

Sahil · 28th September 2010, 12:10

Pardon the multiple posts, I wish the 20min edit rule wasn't there as once again I forgot to mention a big disappointment I had with the car. It has come with JK Vectra tyres

So I called up Saifee and asked about a swap deal but seems no brand besides Appolo and JK make this size nor does any other car comes with this size. Hence was offered a low resale of Rs.1200 per tyre, guess I am going to have to stick it out with these. They seem fine, comfort-wise.

noopster · 28th September 2010, 12:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sahil

It has come with JK Vectra tyres

So I called up Saifee and asked about a swap deal but seems no brand besides Appolo and JK make this size nor does any other car comes with this size.

How is that possible? Aren't they 195/60R15s?

srishiva · 28th September 2010, 12:19

@msd63, congrats on your car. Looks beautiful. Can you tell if sitting in the rear seats, you wished they could have been a little higher?

27th September 2010, 13:57	#751
AutoIndian Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: PCMC, Pune-MH14 Posts: 3,566 Thanked: 4,964 Times	Hi MSD & Flash777, Hearty congratulations to both of you. Let the euphoria of the new arrival sink in. Enjoy the moment. We can just imagine your delight. We would also like to be a part of the celebrations, so pl spare some time to take some good snaps & post your initial ownership reports. Eagerly awaiting for the same. Das Auto
	() Thanks

27th September 2010, 18:34	#752
oxyzen Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Pune Posts: 1,051 Thanked: 395 Times	2 out of 2 Vento Diesel Highline. I am betting a 70% share for this diesel highline alone.
	() Thanks

27th September 2010, 22:23	#753
msd63 BHPian Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 96 Thanked: 2 Times	Posting some pictures of my Vento. Haven't driven enough to comment yet on the driving experience. Attached Thumbnails
	() Thanks

27th September 2010, 23:09	#754
v.anand BHPian Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 329 Thanked: 44 Times	Congradulations msd63 on the new car. The pictures are amazing, keep it coming and also post your ownership review. Wish you many happy miles with your new car.
	() Thanks

27th September 2010, 23:22	#755
motorhead5 BHPian Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Bangalore Posts: 347 Thanked: 203 Times	Congrats msd63. Btw, did they say any thing about improving the waiting period, expanding/improving the count and quality of service network, any other future plans? Looking forward to see your new babes in Bangalore streets
	() Thanks

28th September 2010, 03:42	#756
sinhsha BHPian Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Kolkata Posts: 170 Thanked: 79 Times View My Garage	Can anybody see the service manual and check what is the timing belt replacement interval for the diesel?
	() Thanks

28th September 2010, 08:47	#758
AutoIndian Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: PCMC, Pune-MH14 Posts: 3,566 Thanked: 4,964 Times	Hi msd63, Wonderful pictures. The car looks very composed & stands out in the lush green background (guess it is your garden). The engine bay looks very neat & well arranged. Wonder what is the wire mesh for towards the wiper end of the bay, any idea? I am very eager to read about you driving experience, waiting with bated breath for your ownership thread.
	() Thanks

28th September 2010, 09:54	#759
sbhasin BHPian Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 89 Thanked: 6 Times	msd63 - Great pictures. Lovely choice of color - guessing it is Silver
	() Thanks

28th September 2010, 11:11	#760
Sahil Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: May 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 6,292 Thanked: 7,607 Times	Vento A/T Delivered ! Got the car last night after much delay, it was to be here during the first week of September itself but the automatic's got delayed from VW's end. Car came in on Wednesday and was home last night. Initial impression: -Looks great from the front-end, have always been a fan of the Polo front-end and this looks even better thanks to the lower air dams etc -Steering is nice and light, perfect for city driving -Suspension very good..not firm, surprisingly since most Germans are -Interior plastics are of better quality and feel than the ANHC -Dash & center console is nice but not quite as exciting as the ANHC. If you find it unappealing in the pics, chances are you will find it even more unappealing in real. -Engine has an unappealing grunt in the lower rpms. I haven't driven it much nor revved it much since its a 100km virgin, so hoping it sounds better at higher rpms. -The automatic shifts seamlessly, very smooth. -The downshift delay is hyped, I did not find it a problem. Maybe a highway run or more driving would change my opinion but I doubt it's a deal breaker. -Horn is loud ! Very audible in the car. Glad it's the german sounding horn rather than the cheap shrill ones the japs give. -Delivery experience was not upto the mark by KSM VW Navi Mumbai. The interiors were not cleaned well enough, I found dust accumilated in several places. The seat plastic was removed before hand and there is a light stain on the back seat. Although I am thankful that they gave me the first Vento A/T they got. But this was only because I was in touch with one of the showroom partners constantly and we had 5 cars booked before launch amongst my friends and I. No other automatics have come in from the factory as yet, don't know why VW has delayed it so much. Attached Thumbnails Last edited by Sahil : 28th September 2010 at 11:15.
	(1) Thanks

28th September 2010, 11:23	#761
noopster Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Pune Posts: 9,238 Thanked: 12,904 Times View My Garage	Sahil, she looks lovely. Some more pics and a more detailed write-up please! You have no idea how eagerly awaited your review is- I caught this post almost "real-time"!
	() Thanks

28th September 2010, 12:10	#763
Sahil Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: May 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 6,292 Thanked: 7,607 Times	Pardon the multiple posts, I wish the 20min edit rule wasn't there as once again I forgot to mention a big disappointment I had with the car. It has come with JK Vectra tyres So I called up Saifee and asked about a swap deal but seems no brand besides Appolo and JK make this size nor does any other car comes with this size. Hence was offered a low resale of Rs.1200 per tyre, guess I am going to have to stick it out with these. They seem fine, comfort-wise. Last edited by Sahil : 28th September 2010 at 12:12.
	() Thanks

28th September 2010, 12:19	#765
srishiva Senior - BHPian Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Bengaluru Posts: 4,375 Thanked: 2,256 Times	@msd63, congrats on your car. Looks beautiful. Can you tell if sitting in the rear seats, you wished they could have been a little higher?
	() Thanks