[architect]

Originally Posted by StarrySky

As I mentioned in my earlier post, nobody talks of Linea as "Punto with boot".

The front-end treatment is different in both cars, thanks to the distinct shapes of the headlamps and the double-barrel on the Linea.

That apart, the hatchback association did not prevent the Dzire or the Indigo from becoming a success, nor did the 'sedan' association (the reverse) help the Corsa Sail!

A sensibly priced, good-quality product with great after sales support works. Companies like VW and Nissan have to look for other USPs in order to compensate for their (lack of) after sales support, and thus heavy dependence on "premium" badging and Das Auto (whatever that means!).

[nowwhat?]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

I wish people would stop grumbling about the Vento being a Polo with a Boot.

It's supposed to be a Polo with a boot. Of course it looks like a Polo from the front

Sorry for shouting, but, as a criticism, or "negative point," this is just so silly.

Would anybody list no hatchback version as being a positive aspect of, just for instance, a Honda?

.

Hi Thad,

As much as I hate to write this, I have to. It so happened that I saw the Vento when I went to my dealer to get my (wife's) Polo car seats done yesterday. My observations even though I am hooked on VW and love the Polo are as below. Please also note that I was/am also seriously considering booking the Vento Diesel and I never liked the Jetta, Passat or new Beetle in the US though I do like the Tuareg.

The Vento feels like a poorer cousin to the Polo. I was put off by a few things: 1) the grey dashboard compared to the rich black on the Polo, 2) the boot release which came off with its wire, et al when I tugged at it to pull the boot open and 3) the rear seat light switch which has a rotary mechanism and looks as if it came off a Xylo (No offence to Xylo owners. Its just that it was a vehicle I evaluated).

The boot also felt flimsier than the hatch on my Maruti 800. I also felt more claustrophobic on the Vento even though it has a longer wheelbase than the Polo. I thought the adjustable front passenger seat was worth nothing. I also actually felt the Polo was also more striking than the Vento -- I agree its a Polo with a boot rightly said, but I felt the boot makes the Vento less distinctive.

The one thought that entered my mind after evaluating two Ventos was: Thank God, Indians think that hatchbacks are deficient! I can definitely see that the Vento is the gravy train for VW while the Polo is a losing proposition until they can somehow turn it into their bread and butter. With a net income of 5.5 lakhs for VW for the Polo 1.6, I think it is a loss for VW.

All I can say to Honda right now is: I hope you have your heads in the right place because while I can see VW doing a Honda in India in the years it has taken Honda to be where it is right now, I think Honda needs to get its pricing spot-on to be able to compete with VW. If I am not wrong, even the Vento diesel Highline is at a discount to the Honda City. For Honda, the conundrum would be how to lower its prices without antagonizing its existing customer base.

[Thad E Ginathom]

I think your comments are fair comment, and I read them with interest, as I'm still a possible customer for one of these cars, even though the new-car event has now been postponed indefinitely (sob).

I would expect these cars to be identical in quality, and you are telling me that they are not. I certainly wouldn't expect to find any fitting inferior to the Polo, but you are finding them. Makes me wonder what VW is playing at, and makes me glad I did not rush to any dealer with a deposit.

Comparison is valid. On the other hand, anyone who just wants to say that the Vento is only a Polo with a boot really should realise that VW have already told us that!

[lonecrusader]

Not everyone does the kms to justify investing 1L+ for the diesel which seems to be the car of choice when it comes to vento.

I sense that the vento petrol HL may go the verna way, wherein, the diesel just outshines the petrol sibling so dominantly that the petrol variant becomes just a portfolio filler. Volkswagen did try their bit at keeping interest in the petrol variant by only releasing the AT in petrol. But if the diesel variant is as good as reviews and test drives suggest, then vento petrol is a losing proposition.

So, folks interested in petrol variant should take a long hard look at the ANHC when Honda is dead scared of the impending competition (possibly from vento diesel) and is giving offers like never before. If Honda sees the competition is only from within (ad pun intended) , they will go back to their high handed ways and the consumer will be back to paying more than they should for the same ANHC.

IMHO for someone looking at a petrol sedan in this class, ANHC is a safer and saner bet and at this time also a VFM bet (atleast the EMT or SMT variants)

-lc
p.s: I dont own an ANHC and neither do I intend to get a vento, just my 2 paise.

[crackingride]

Originally Posted by nowwhat?

The Vento feels like a poorer cousin to the Polo. ...

The boot also felt flimsier than the hatch on my Maruti 800. I also felt more claustrophobic on the Vento even though it has a longer wheelbase than the Polo. I thought the adjustable front passenger seat was worth nothing. I also actually felt the Polo was also more striking than the Vento -- I agree its a Polo with a boot rightly said, but I felt the boot makes the Vento less distinctive.

I evaluated the boot and doors as part of my direct comparison with a Jetta Comfortline TDi, and I agree that the made in India VW's are built to a price and cheapened beyond and below the core brand value. The boot in particular also struck me as fly-weight, as mentioned. The doors do not thud, but thunk.

The insides were Spartan. In the Polo, you are too enclosed to possibly notice, but in the Vento you do see acres of brey.

The front is striking enough, but the family look is indistinguishable, and, even worse, is set to afflict even the Jetta. So by next year this time we might possibly be mistaking an oncoming Jetta for a Polo!

Sitting in a fourth floor restaurant with a full-height glass wall giving a clear view of the road going around the corner to the Downtown VW facility, I saw Polos, Ventos, Jettas and Passats go past, in various states of pre-delivery, delivered but not registered, registered,etc.

I could never make out a Vento until it came past enough to see the boot attached.

Sit in the current Golf-derived Jetta though, and even though its only mid-level trim at best, you get a feel of what they mean by "affordable" German quality.

The affordable for the masses German quality made in India is a joke as far as I'm concerned, and I worry this is going to blight the new Jetta as well.

[carfanatic007]

I had also checked out the Vento 2 weeks back and frankly speaking it wasn't as awe inspiring as the Polo. IMO Polo looks and feels much better than Vento but what we should all note is that VW has been highly successful in creating a huge flutter in the market.

It has set the cat among the pigeons and almost all sedans in that range are really wary of Vento given the premium feel of the brand among most buyers (owing to Jetta/Passat etc.). Before Vento, ANHC the segment leader wasn't giving offers but now it is so atleast the manufacturers are aware of the potential of Vento.

Even on this thread there have been 40+ pages of debates happening so I think VW definitely has hit the bulls eye with the positioning & pricing. If it has priced it too high then definitely the argument of Polo with the boot would have hurt it badly but in this price range it can successfully counter such arguments and if after 6 months when more people had owned Ventos and it still performs as we expect then Polo with boot etc. won't matter much.

At the same time VW would not be just silent and happy with Vento it would plan some upgrades for people who are image conscious to differentiate the front a bit from Polo. So let's wait and watch for the story to unfold and give VW some time.

[rangaraj]

This conversation of the front ends being similar/shared between the Polo and the Vento is being carried on for too long. If you look at BMW or Mercedes, then a S series or a 7 series guy will share the feelings of you guys saying the snob value is being decreased as the front end looks similar to a 3 series or a C series. Platforms do share a certain brand image, look and feel and the front end is not the end of the conversation it is what else is offered in the car. I wish the focus is more towards a comprehensive set of feature comparision, if at all between a hatch and a sedan version, irrespective of the manufacturer.

[mxx]

There was a comparo between diesel sedans in Autocar on Bloomberg UTV. Saw it today, dunno when the repeat is(sunday i think).
As expected vento's engine was the favorite-better than verna which has a turbo lag, although they rated linea/Fiesta better in handling-pity these 2 does not have engines to match.
Final verdict : Vento is the best overall package, and well worth the extra price.

Do check out the episode.

BTW, guys who have booked the vento please scan and upload the accessories brochure here if you got it.

Originally Posted by mxx

There was a comparo between diesel sedans in Autocar on Bloomberg UTV. Saw it today, dunno when the repeat is(sunday i think).

There was a shootout between Vento and Honda City also on ZigWeels, they noted the super light steering "Same was also noticed by Autocar and me and i wrote about it earlier on this thread"

The second thing Autocar noted was the nose droop and behavior in higher speed "I noticed the same instability and slight wobbles around 120-130kph" but ZigWeels on the other hand say that the car is rock solid at higher speeds "Since its German " now there are 2 different views on high speed drive with the Vento.

[motorhead5]

Originally Posted by nowwhat?

The Vento feels like a poorer cousin to the Polo. I was put off by a few things: 1) the grey dashboard compared to the rich black on the Polo.

brey dashboard - Agree. Personally, I don't like these beige interiors. Even with Beige, Polo's black is better than Vento's brey.

The boot also felt flimsier than the hatch on my Maruti 800. I also felt more claustrophobic on the Vento even though it has a longer wheelbase than the Polo.

I sat back to back on polo and vento. I did not feel any of these, esp the 2nd point. Polo really lacks space and I think vento is roomy enough. Btw, M800 is too much of a comparison

I thought the adjustable front passenger seat was worth nothing.

I felt the same as we don't use back seats frequently. But couple of my friends liked this. They use back seat a lot. I think VW got it right here. Its either good or worth nothing; never bad.

Honda to be where it is right now, I think Honda needs to get its pricing spot-on to be able to compete with VW.

Yes, I think they will realize this soon, esp with increasing competition in 2011.

Originally Posted by rangaraj

This conversation of the front ends being similar/shared between the Polo and the Vento is being carried on for too long. If you look at BMW or Mercedes, then a S series or a 7 series guy will share the feelings of you guys saying the snob value is being decreased as the front end looks similar to a 3 series or a C series. Platforms do share a certain brand image, look and feel and the front end is not the end of the conversation it is what else is offered in the car. I wish the focus is more towards a comprehensive set of feature comparision, if at all between a hatch and a sedan version, irrespective of the manufacturer.

. Very well said. Looking forward to see discussions on features, quality, performance, cost of ownership etc.

Originally Posted by ajai_dev

The second thing Autocar noted was the nose droop and behavior in higher speed "I noticed the same instability and slight wobbles around 120-130kph" but ZigWeels on the other hand say that the car is rock solid at higher speeds "Since its German " now there are 2 different views on high speed drive with the Vento.

Interesting. I think we need to wait for more owner reviews. Guess GTO didn't see this issue in the initial review.

[msd63]

Test drove the diesel highline today after having booked the car in July itself. The sales person had asked me to pay the balance amount and the car should get delivered a few days after the payment is realised
At the outset the looks appear to be bland, not eye catching. Driving is easy and easy to manouvre in traffic. Gear changes were minimum thanks to the torque. Did not stall the car the way I had done with the test drive of Jetta. Overall satisfying experience except for a couple of things. Firstly the footwell is not wide enough even compared to my Getz and the lack of the dead pedal may make driving uncomfortable. Secondly not impressed with the head room, may make tall people feel a little claustrophobic. The rear seats are comfortable, enough space, decent build and excellent engine. Still a small doubt in my mind whether Honda City would be better value.

[lawyer]

At the outset, no offence to anybody please, as these are my personal views.

I test drove Vento Highline Diesel today. I am thoroughly disappointed not only because of the cheap plasticky feeling the interior gave me but the drive was also disappointing. Rear seat is more of a pain for long drives because of its low stance. The central mound is like a dividing wall. The lever attached to the front passenger’s seat (adjustable from behind) has been given much more importance than was due. Rear view mirror is absolutely useless. Now the drive, the turbo lag was too much, in fact I would say it is more than my Fiesta Diesel, wherein, it is non-existent. The suspension is too soft making the drive very uncomfortable. Engine is noisy (Grunt is too loud). It is beyond comprehension as to why the spare wheel should not be of the same size/specifications. Even the steering wheel makes you feel as if you are driving something downmarket. The music system certainly does not match the price of the car. Over all, keeping in view the over all cost cutting, it gave me a feeling as if somebody is telling me to ‘be content’ that you are getting a VW Badge for this price.

[nowwhat?]

Originally Posted by motorhead5

I sat back to back on polo and vento. I did not feel any of these, esp the 2nd point. Polo really lacks space and I think vento is roomy enough. Btw, M800 is too much of a comparison

motorhead5, Thanks for bringing this up.

I take my words back about the rear seat comfort. After further deliberation I came to the realization that I feel claustrophobic in all sedans for some unexplainable reason.

No I wasn't really comparing the Vento to the M800. I only brought up the M800 because it is my car and one that I am proud of.

As someone else said, the boot closes with a *klang* instead of a *thud* unlike the rest of the Vento. That really says it all. The boot is flyweight and feels incongruous in build quality to the rest of the car.

As a part-Polo owner, I wish VW had some trick (mechanism) on the Vento akin to the hatch on the Polo that I think is fantabulous.

[motorhead5]

Originally Posted by khoj

You guys are confusing the 'Auto lock' with Child lock feature.

Auto Lock = Car will auto lock all doors at a set speed usually 15~20KmpH. Here you can still open each door from inside individually.

Child lock = Lock latch position set manually so that the rear door(s) cannot be opened from inside at any time irrespective of the fact whether the car is moving or not. To open you unlock from central locking, get out of the car and them open the rear door(s) from outside.

The lever to set the lock latch is usually positioned on the door's side profile. Refer to the owner's manual there will be a diagram.

My point is slightly different from both auto lock and child lock. Kids have this habit of pulling the door open lid (along with other car controls) and that can happen while in motion as well. In most of other cars, it doesn't matter as the door wouldn't open unless the door is unlocked first. But in vento, since there is no unlock button, the door would open. Correct me if I got this wrong.

Auto lock - Yes, I will miss that. But guess will get used to that in some time.

[Palio_2005]

Took a test drive of Vento, Petrol today. The highline feels good from inside. The trendline is too spartan. Engine at the start up sounds like a diesel. As the drive was through crowded areas, couldn't go beyond 3rd gear, so can't really comment on that. Steering was too light for my comfort (am used to heavier steering of my Palio) though it's good for the city. Felt a little vague though with no feedback. The interior should have been black like the Polo. This brey doesn;t feel upmarket.
The biggest irritant was the driver's armrest. 1) It kept hitting my arm while changing the gears (even when I put it at upright position) and also interfered in the handbrake operation. 2) It's impossible to use the handbrake with the armrest at the lowermost position.

I wonder how could VW not notice this. Is it possible to remove the arm rest?

The boot opener is definitely downmarket. I wonder why they couldn't have the same arrangement as the Polo or atleast provide a button for opening the boot.

The rear seat is for 2 pax only. The 3rd can only seat a child. I wonder why they have such a big hump for a front wheel drive?

Overall I think it's a ok ok car. City in my opinion looks better and has the premium feel which Vento doesn't.