[Sen]

Background

This'll be my first initial ownership report on this forum, and although I'm not much of a photographer, I can definitely get a chuckle or two out of y'all, I'm sure! Please read (thank you for doing so!) with merciful eyes.
Onwards!

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I've never owned my own car. Driving around in my dad's '99 MS Zen LX and '16 WagonR, the itch to own a fun-to-drive steed was reaching it's peak.

2017.

24 years old, I considered a second-hand beater to satisfy myself, but no-go. Either the finances didn't line up, or I wouldn't feel sated with the way the car was treated by it's previous owner(s). Reliability concerns. Local social stigma. All of that didn't really add to the feel-good factor of owning a car, and I couldn't bring myself to do it despite all the information available to me here that made a 2nd hand car such a great deal.

I considered too many options to list, but somehow was never able to strike a chord with any particular car I found.



I'd just like to pause here to mention that I'm a big fan of the VAG group cars. Always had been..

The Octavia RS (2-litre petrol variant before the current RS245) was quite a favorite of mine, even if it was a FWD. Explosive engine, giving cars north of the 30L mark a run for their money in terms of performance and handling characteristics, always punching above its weight.

So was the Polo GTI, that sold out fully before I could ever hope to own one from a financial perspective. Another beast from the SAVWIPL stable, 189 horses on tap, 250 nm torque, 4 discs, it was a 3-door wet dream come to life, and even if it was a 2-seater (I mean, come on, try fitting 5 in there, I dare you), it was a blast to drive I'm sure, what with the paddle shifters, 7 speed DSG and front locking differential. A GTI badge on any other car is sacrilege!

Horror-stories with aftersales aside, the VAG group always made some solid, fun-to-drive, mechanically-sorted cars, with timeless designs, no matter how old the platform (PQ25 or otherwise) may have been here in India. It was German engineering, and time was running out..The age of ICE-powered cars is on its way out. What with BS6 coming in, diesels being ostracized everywhere in the world, fuel prices catching up and soaring close to the Rs. 100/l mark, EVs charging in at lightspeed (pun intended).

In a few years...owning a fossil-fuel powered car would be a pipedream out of reach.

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I love driving, even if it was the ol' reliable WagonR.



The car was a boat, body-rolled more than a Pokemon special attack on corners, and felt like a box on wheels. The best-selling tallboy India has seen.
Japanese cars are reliable, and are known for it for a reason. It took a highway dog to the knee, and shrugged it off at approx. 67k on the odo.
Some visual damage to the condensor coil apart from the plastic grill protecting it at the front, it just carried on, business as usual.

You see, I don't remember a single problem from the WagonR. Maybe I didn't look hard enough. Maybe they weren't memorable to begin with (the driving experiences anyway). There were no cabin rattles. No unforeseen bills to cater to. Whatever it did, it did well.


It was reliable to a fault.


But, it wasn't safe or exciting enough. The 67bhp 90nm K10N 1-liter engine worked, and revved, but didn't do too much apart from that. It was uninspiring to drive. Ordinary. Stop at a signal, you'll see a lot of em'.

I did a lot of highway driving in it as well, and most of my driving was in this WagonR. About 20k kms of the current ~80k on the WagonR's odo was clocked by me in the 4 years my family has owned the car.

This car was good, but not for what I wanted.

2020.

The year hit like a truck. The COVID era arrived, everyone was grounded, driving was suddenly out-of-bounds, and mental mayhem ensued.


The itch was like a chicken pox infection.


I needed a car, especially since my dad had transferred to another city alone and would only come on every alternate weekend, and the Zen (unfortunately) was in a sorry state despite my best efforts (was too young to do anything back then) 20 years later. It'd break down willy-nilly due to poor maintenance, and after clocking over a lakh and a half kms (I think I remember the ODO crossing the 2 lakh mark, can't be too sure!). With no alternatives in sight..
.
.
.
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October. The hunt begins..

Now, before I list out the cars I considered, I just want to point out that a bit had changed since 2017. I now had an SO that would have to be a part of my future plans. This put a practicality twist into my plans. I'd need to drive around my folks as well as the future family around, have enough space, creature comforts, heck, even the car's color wouldn't be in my hands to choose. But it HAD to be fun. to. DRIVE!

I've always believed in keeping my cars for a good, long time. 7-10 years kind of long time. The budget was tentatively set to around 13 lakhs on road. While I believe my post's title spoils which car I ended up choosing, "Why did you pick this car out of everything available sub 13L OTR? This old nan?", you ask. "What about the F-E-A-T-U-R-E-S?"

I'll tell you what, I'll quote myself from my first post here on Team-BHP since joining in May, 2020 (thank you very much, mods! I've been lurking here for far, far longer though!):

Originally Posted by Sen

The problem is also that with the chokehold MSIL and HMIL have on India with their cars, when a competitor with actual quality on offer (other downsides aside) requests for a pulse by offering something, nobody wants to get the party started for them and trust in the quality instead of looking for filled brochures page-on-page packed with features. There's only so much feature-clutter that is needed in a car that does its job well - D-R-I-V-E.

The population of petrolheads/torqueheads is a small subset of the general mentality in the market, as clearly showcased in the sales charts month-on-month, and is really unfortunate.

So, in essence, price-to-fun factor was key for me personally.

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Base Requirements

1. Petrol only.
2. No Maruti (21 years of MS later, the apple wants to fall far, far away from the tree, rolling if it has to!)
3. 4-star GNCAP safety rating at the very minimum.
4. Handling and performance oriented driving characteristics.
5. Space for a family of 5 (if needed, planning ahead)
6. Call me old fashioned, but I LOVE my manuals. Simple. Fun. Engaging. DCTs are the only alternative if I was absolutely forced to choose, only if the engine was good though!
7. Had to be great on the highway at 120 km/h, because I planned to do BLR><HYD runs a lot. And then some.

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Now with that out of the way, another thing apart from my budget that I used to narrow my list down was my other deal-breaker condition: The car HAD to be a top end.

Whatever variant it was, it had to have all the bells and whistles that model could offer. Safety, comfort, feel-good features, or anything else.

So, without further ado, below were my options in no particular order:



Hyundai i20



Yeah, I was willing to pay that price. Bookings for this car had just opened before I was to take delivery. "Test drive? Saar if you want car you hurry, test drive difficult, take it or leave it." -Smug Hyundai SA

It had a lot going for it, sure.

• Decent space for a hot hatch.
• Features galore. Jam packed full of em'! (don't we Indians absolutely love features?)
• The mythical sunroof. In a hatchback. A surefire way to draw the crowds.
• A Bose ICE system.
• LED lights everywhere.
• A slick gearbox.
• That acclaimed Turbo-GDI. Only offered with a DCT though!
• Dynamics were sure to be sorted as well, as Hyundai is getting pretty good at making the ride firm yet comfortable.

A big BUT however, is the recent Seltos NCAP news (and speculation on the related models Seltos, Creta, Sonet, Venue, even the i20!) had just surfaced (team-BHP is always the best for the right kind of breaking news compared to other automotive industry sources! It's like comparing a Nat Geo documentary to your padosi pyaarelal going birdwatching).

Sunroof? You'd enjoy for the first 100 kms and on the rare occasion, and then shut and forget it.

Let's start counting them NCAP stars, shall we?

The SA had no answer for this in his training/marketing materials. Of course he didn't, Hyundai didn't bother sending cars for crash tests here, did they? A dirty secret hidden in there, perhaps?

The brake failures were fresh in recent memory, too.


The great thread by CrAzY_dRiVeR (Hyundai India - The occasional serious quality lapse and apathetic manufacturer response!) highlighting that no OEM is playing it clean these days. Hyundai historically asks customers to go fly kites when it comes to their word vs the dealer's.

To summarise:

Critical engine parts falling off.
Paint peeling.
Brake failures.
Steering wheel disco-dancing mid-drive. Or just asking you to take a hike and leaving on a soul-search.
Clutch dying every 5-10k kilometres.

I wanted none of that baloney in my first car. Not one bit. No thanks!

I can deal with terrible after-sales service, but I can NOT deal with an unsafe car with niggles like that. No sir-ree.



Tata Nexon XZ+(O)



Now, this car really made me think hard about what I wanted out of my car. It needed to be safe, and by default, tin-can Maruti was out. Tata...was a serious consideration.


This one car made sure of that. I mean, it was a good car.


5 star NCAP rating. The trendsetter in safety. As safe as we'll get it out here in the urban jungles, where two wheelers prowl in every corner, waiting to dart in front of you or overtake you from blind spots, and pedestrians crossing the roads like lemmings any and everywhere, zebra crossings or not. Lane discipline? What's that?



Story time! I have a Duke 200 (non-ABS) that I had a crash on in 2018, where an Activa coming in from behind me near the Begumpet shoppers' stop at 90 km/h on a rainy day sideswiped me from the front causing me to brake too hard. Even on a set of Michelin Pilot Streets known for good grip, I ended up locking my front wheel, and ate some concrete so as to not land us both into the divider head-first (anyone familiar with that flyover coming from the Paradise side?), where the activa rider was saved and didn't even stop. If I didn't have my SNELL-rated Bell Vortex on my noggin, I might not be here typing this right now. If this wasn't a painful wake-up call, I don't know what else is. My guardian angel finally said meh and took a nice, long vacation.

My right arm's Humerus had a spiral fracture in it, made my arm hang loose separate from my shoulder (flesh and skin intact), and took a swiss-made titanium plate and 12 screws overnighted to fix over the course of 2 years. 2 surgeries later, I still only have 95%+ of function back in my arm and some permanent nerve damage to this day.

Yeah..bikes were not gonna cut it anymore.

No matter how safe you ride, cars were the in thing (with no less pressure from friends, family and SO), and my first thought was this car.



The car had great highway manners, a stiffer setup for good overall handling, all the safety tech I could think of (ESP, rollover mitigation, airbags, the lot!), a good ICE system (that touchscreen lag didn't help, but it wouldn't have been a decider anyway.)


The fly in the ointment (very subjective ointment at that) was that I was a stickler for petrols.

All our cars had been good petrols, and the few cars I'd rented and experienced diesels in on this side of 15 lakhs hadn't been quite the fun I was hoping. They'd run out of steam too quick on the RPMs, and the power surge died as fast as it came.


I needed the best petrol motor I could get for my money, off of which nuts shall be revved. Period.


The engine options pushed me off of the Nexon. It was a spruced up turbo-charged variant, and is well known for it's lack of oomph. Their sales team also particularly felt entitled and didn't help when I specified a date and time and they said they'd try and get me a car for a TD. Here's a quote from one of my other posts that describes my experience briefly:

Originally Posted by Sen

They think their car is already sold from the very first hello. I requested for a test drive of Nexon the other day, and they directly jumped to talking about pricing and getting me connected to their sales rep for quotes.

I laughed and said they'd have to earn it with a precursory test drive first, and then it dawned on them.

I highlighted it in the other post about the 4 millionth passenger vehicle rolled out, but Tata vehicles aren't without their own niggles and flaws.

Honda City ZX MT



Now, I know what you're thinking. "You said your budget was 13L OTR above for the top end you liar!".

I know and I agree, blame this on GTO! (How a more expensive car can work out cheaper (if you hold onto it for longer))

But, with everything said and done, Honda had a lot going for it. All the usual features that people could need without being greedy. A NA 1.5 that's free-revving in nature that isn't turbocharged, and the i-VTEC magic with a slick-shifting (one of the slickest out there!) 6MT. Good steering dynamics. a 5 STAR ASEAN NCAP rating (wasn't too sure about it being valid for the Indian model to be honest). A decent 8 speaker ICE with no badge on it. An antiquated but usable touchscreen. all LED lights (I'm a sucker for that). God-like ergonomics due to their human first design philosophy. Oodles of space especially in the back. Brand image (ooh beta look, our neighbor bought a city! {'nuff said}). and last but not the least, LEGENDARY Honda reliability.

I mean, look at the way Hondas used to be built even back in the day!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyejT4VPzlE

But, there's always a but.

The price didn't justify the offering. Even if it was THE C-Segment sedan posterchild, it still didn't make it value for money for the top end (the only end I was looking at, I wanted zero regrets damnit!)

Just to get this out of the way, I absolutely detest that front. Especially that overhang and thick, fat, ugly chrome strip. Just my personal opinion.
No 4 disc brakes for 16 lakh OTR.
ICE was ONLY livable.
The SAs treating this car as sold at the first hello and test drive.
The bouncy rear end, unacceptable at 120 km/h on the highway when a cow decides to drop by the divider and say hell-moo.
Low ground clearance
Under-tire-d to the max
Flaky build quality in the recent generations (man, I want the 3rd Generation City back! It was such a killer car!)

CrAzY dRiVeR on a roll! (Honda City (4th gen) niggles: A compilation. Are Honda cars niggle-free anymore?)

It was priced too. Damn. High.

With how Honda positioned themselves, complacent as the king of the C-Segment sedans, they also shot themselves in the foot with where they priced it. And what they provided for that cash. I pay enough taxes in life, I don't want another Honda tax.



Tata Altroz XZ(O)



This was a great release from Tata. Great hatchback. Safe. Features aplenty. Great highway behavior. Fit and finish was up there(!). Feature-laden as per my needs and wants. Spacious enough. Tight characteristics on the handling front.

You all saw this coming from a mile away, didn't you?


What was Tata thinking with that petrol engine?


Anemic is an understatement. This thing, when I test drove it, was almost as sluggish as my WagonR. Definitely not something I'd enjoy driving every time I got into the cockpit, not by a loooong shot.

Both 3-pot motors, both with barely enough power to get rolling felt like.


I'd already lived this life before, and I was clear in my needs, I NEEDED a fast, fun and rev-happy powerful petrol. No buts there.

Unfortunate, but that was the Altroz out for me.





VW Polo Highline+ TSI 6MT



Now, if I was the only one this car was for, this was it. It had everything I needed. A great engine, enough features, headlights were a kalank, but a bulb swap might even make it livable and drive able at night.

An older variant of this (hello Polo GT TSI DSG 1.2!) was actually my first foray into VAG cars via a test drive. It accelerated and made me smile like nothing else till that day. It was a great, well-balanced car. Quick. DSG fun and convenient, reliability aside.

No rearview camera, but a cheap retrofit nonetheless, if I wanted at approx. 8-10k (dealer install).

Space was adequate, but hey, if it was just for me and the future was just me driving around, this'd be perfect. Chauffeured? I always drove the car myself! Even when being taken to the dealer stockyard for my own PDI. Price premium aside, it was a good, well-built machine. No wonder these Polos (MPI or otherwise) still sell like 3000 units every month in India, despite how premium-ly they are priced with the kind of features on offer (or lack thereof).

So many compromises I was ready to live with, the clincher however, was the rear bench. What year is it? Was the cabin made for ants?

It was simply too cramped..I couldn't justify a long-time purchase with this kind of rear bench room. My family simply wouldn't have it. The latest Polo abroad solves this problem quite well, but of course with our government's sub-4m rules and other taxation...it's not available here in India, despite being more than halfway past it's lifecycle abroad.


I'd feel like I was compromising on something, and I wanted zero regrets. And so, the hunt continued.





Skoda Rapid Monte Carlo 1.0 TSI



There. We've arrived at the twin from the sister company. This was a questionable deal at best. The Monte Carlo, for the price it charged (what, 14 lakhs OTR?) didn't have the bang for the buck that I was looking for from a top end variant. The driving, engine, feature-set, form factor, everything was mostly similar to the Vento..but one thing really wrecked the chances for this one.


The price.


That red and black two-tone finish with those alloys almost got to me, not going to lie. But pricing, coupled with the fact that Skoda could write an entire season of Aahat (that hindi TV horror show) with their horror stories, car parts being swapped with others of inferior/dangerous quality, intentionally sabotaging customer cars, etc, the list goes on. The OG of aftersales horror, Skoda themselves.

Which brings me to the end of the considered cars list.

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So, why the Vento?

Affectionately named Taco, the people-carrying burrito. He was christened hence by my SO.

I'm going to say I've skimped on a few things to get the manual 6MT variant. This was more of a decision from the heart than anything else.

I've been eyeing this car since 2018, the latest facelift with the LED headlamps on the top end variant and that TSI+MT combo just sealed the deal for me. Fanboyism much?

Heck, VW even threw ESP/Hill Hold Assist out the window to make it saltier for me. There goes my safety speech, I guess.

Well, here's my twisted logic:

The good:

• Good space, as expected from a C-Segment sedan.
• Good noise insulation inside the cabin.
• For a 3-cylinder, good refinement at low RPMs!
  Turbo-lag is well masked and some power kicks in at 1600 RPM, aiding in-city driveability
  
• ~500L boot capacity
• The 1.0 TSI engine (cracker with a 6500 rpm rev limiter!)
• Great low-slung sedan form factor aided the handling and eliminates body roll, especially when I upgraded the tires straight out of the showroom
• The understated looks (I actually love it!)
• 10 year old model? Have you seen the number of refreshes and editions this car has seen?
  
  Jokes aside, the mod potential is off the charts. Spares availability shouldn't be too difficult if push comes to shove post-warranty either (fingers crossed!)
  
  
• The LED headlights look sick, I used to eye them when I saw the rare Vento Highline+ on the roads in my rear-views (told you I'm a sucker for it)
• Reverse camera (can't believe I have to type this, it's a basic at this pricepoint)
• Slick MT (rest in peace, DSG. I'll miss you.)
• Decent ergonomics, felt at home immediately after a few adjustments to the seat
• Height-adjustable seatbelts (the city didn't even have em')
• No-drama braking, even with 2 drums at the back
• Confidence inspiring at speed, the stiffness is forgotten past 40-60 km/h
• Feels like the same ICE as the Polo Highline+, but somehow better.
• Build quality inside and out is great.
• 4 star NCAP and 4 airbags (touchwood, hope it won't be necessary to see them in action ever!)
• Essential features, check! Rain sensing wipers, cruise control, an armrest front and back, one-touch up and down power windows for all 4 windows, reach and rake steering, cooled glovebox (personally)
  
• The price. Did I mention VW was selling this car for a 1 lakh discount over and above all the discounts I was offered in the end, and that I got the last car that was available in what seemed like all of Hyderabad across two different dealers PPS and Mody VW until next year?
  
  

  Originally Posted by Sen

  Toffee Brown Volkswagen Vento Highline Plus MT
  All inclusive coming to about 12,77,992/- including insurance on road for Hyderabad.

  That pricing is what sealed the deal for me.
  

The bad:

• Headlight throw isn't top notch in the slightest. Night highway drives will have to be careful road negotiation at 80 km/h
• Headlights are LED, why aren't the rest of the bulbs at this price? Where is my optional top of the line LED projector headlamps? LED Indicators/tail lamp cluster/Interior lighting? Not even as an option? Come on VW
• Only beige interior option in leatherette. Hello swampback and easily soiled seats!
  
  I'm a fabric man myself, and extremely averse to those airflow-improving beads that are popularly put on as well. (At least if I had the option for it, I could've altered the seat covers, but side airbags make that a no-no)
  
  
• The (known) devil is in the details. (read: popular issues)
  
  ABS sensors conking off at the slightest caress of road-puddled water, steering rack failures early into ownership, potential timing belt failure (on the bigger TSI engines anyway), spark plugs making the ignition coils go kaput, water pump failure, enough bushing changes to make VW a small fortune, etc.
  
  Thank heavens I don't have a DSG to worry about with the MT.
  
  
• No USB ports. Anywhere. The pitfalls of an old design. Only the updated RCD340G HU has one in the entire cabin, and it's butt-ugly to use.
  
• The 1 year/15,000 km service interval. A marketing gimmick. Indian conditions can NOT allow for an engine to last on one change of oil that long. Used to be 6 months/7500kms before, then they decided longevity didn't matter and changed it officially to 1 year to gain that "one year service interval" edge pretty early on.
  
  
• The sound system, while decent and adequate, is barely enough. Cannot hold a candle to Harman Kardon/Bose systems on competitor cars.
• Request sensors would've been nice to have instead of fumbling with the keys every time upon approaching the car. An omission coupled with the start/stop button, I guess. I'd rather get JUST the request sensors.
• When you can provide cruise control with the MT, WHY were ESP and hill hold assists omitted? They weren't that mechanically different to implement. ESP saves lives on the highways, this is not done, and for a company that bangs its' pans on the safety aspect of a VW, this is inexcusable. Not too happy.
• Space-saver spare. Lame, but blame the government I guess. Keep a tyre inflator and mushroom-plug style puncture kit handy if you can.
• Headroom is average at best, especially at the rear. Giants will be troubled at the rear. For the sedan form factor, you've got to give up a few things don't you?
• 3 days later, door rattles from the door-top weather seals? A known issue that VW never fixed.
  
  Why should I have to DIY to get rid of it? (DIY - VW Polo/Vento: Getting rid of Door Rattles)
  
  
• No 60:40 split seats. HUGE bummer. Even my WagonR had it.
  
  I would've quite liked the option to turn my car's back end into a cavern.
  
  
• The RCD340G head unit USB port (the only one in the car) is terribly positioned.
  
  Cable looks so out of place when the phone needs to be plugged in or when using Android auto. It keeps annoying me when driving and shifting gears, too.
  
  
• Armrest should've been slide-adjustable, not just height-adjustable.
  
  It gets in the handbrake's way too, a monumental ergonomic oversight.
  
  
• The dead pedal is just about usable, wish it was wider. Half my size 10 shoe overhangs into the driver's footwell when being rested on it.
• The windshield wipers on a two month-old car sitting in the dealer lot had lost 10%-15% of their efficacy which I noticed the day I took delivery, rubber's a bit hard at this point. Will replace as and when I can and keep these for summers where rain is highly unlikely.
• The rearview camera quality. Substandard at best.
• The sedan form-factor also means you get blinded that much more easily by errant drivers with oncoming high-beams these days. Keep your windshields clean I guess.

The ugly:

• "After-sales service? What kind of bird is that?" - SAVIPL, probably
  
  
  
  Although definitely a step or two above Skoda, VW is part of the same group, and horror stories are out there to read.
  
  My Swagat service. I walk in at 09:30 AM on an appointment basis. Tell them I'm in a hurry and need the car fast. (this is Bangalore VW Palace Cross Mysore Road we're talking about, one of the highest rated service centers), and told them to at least get it done by 12 PM seeing they took an appointment for it and KNEW I was going to be coming in for an express + Swagat service (they missed the memo somehow, mine was processed as a regular service on a Monday). And guess when I got to collect my car? 2:30 PM.
  
  Without even a proper waterless wash. After continuously asking them about an estimate for the time of delivery, delaying my other appointments.
  
  They did allow me to stay with the car from start to finish of the service (ha! I'd loved to have seen them trying to refuse my service otherwise!) and provided me a place to have my breakfast in the meeting areas in the back end until service started on my car an hour after my arrival, but hey. I digress. The service wasn't the issue, it was the time it took. Customer time, when I was present in person.
  
  Yeah, some aspects are still a ways to go for VW/Skoda.
  
  Some warranty claims can take weeks, while the car just sits there twiddling its control stalks in the workshop. Some(?) parts are never in stock, and always have to be ordered for some reason. Where's that 90%+ localization now? Why such fuss over warranty?
  
  Post-warranty, pray you don't face the horrors of the aftersales music that VAG Group is known for. I'm taking all 7 of those warranty years, even with an MT, you better believe it VW.
  
  
• Barely 30 kms after driving out of the showroom basement, when getting my tires changed, the car's left tail light fell off (not literally, but the bolt holding the tail light assembly on the left failed or had defective threading from the factory itself, and the tail light was dangling in its' "socket" against the closed trunk lid the entire drive back. I'll have to eat my "build quality" words already, won't I?
  
  It required a 10 minute fix at their workshop (was handled well, showroom staff and service staff were quick to get it fixed and make it as good as new, but hey, it happened, and so its here. Nobody could've seen it coming.)
  
  Earliest service center visit in India? You bet!
  

For reference, it was the bolt the person unscrews in this video at the 27 second mark:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBj2djox1E4

Booking Experience:

Alright, I've got to spill the beans here. The service I got from VW Secunderabad PPS was above and beyond what I'd expected (figuratively) walking in.

I didn't have transport, but told them I wanted to have a test drive (twice) of the Vento. They came each time, even on a Sunday.

I was treated as a sure-shot buyer in the last two years I've requested to drive their cars, and I'm thankful for being treated well. Initial impressions were very good, too!

Even with the car fully occupied by 5 adults, the usual huge speedbreakers I dealt with in my commutes were no big deal, and I'm pretty "big-boned" too. Rear seats were comfy, mom was happy, life was good.
.
.
.
I was sold the moment the engine revved to 2k RPM. The wave starts at approx. 1600 RPM, and is ready to surf on from 2000 RPM onwards.

Turbo-petrol kicking in with 175nm of torque all the way to the redline, I was discussing something, stopped talking mid-sentence, and just listened, that's how much I enjoyed that sweet motor. It's got the 3-cylinder thrum, but golly is it a fun 3-cylinder.

Booking amount? 5k, IMPS'd straight into their bank account. Car blocked, now I was on the hook.

I told them in no uncertain terms that I'd be a picky customer, and that I'm very particular about my due diligence (read PDI/fine print negotiations/extraneous charges removal/etc.

Negotiations? Went without a hitch, straight with the sales head at the branch. It started at the end of October, but due to personal commitments, couldn't buy the car till November end.

I visited their dealer stockyard twice, once to see the two cars in my SO's choice of color, Toffee Brown, available (it was dusty and parked in the sun since arrival in July or so), asked them to move my selected VIN to the shade at least for the remaining days, and they obliged.









Once more was to do my PDI before delivery, including interiors (since that wasn't done the first time, they didn't have the keys to the car). It's not often that their customers request them to go visit the dealer stockyard and do everything themselves said the SA and Sales Manager. /shrug

The SA, assistant sales manager and sales branch manager were all very courteous and patient with me, answered all my bajillion questions from start to finish, and even helped me with transportation for banking formalities since I didn't have transport. It was a great experience. (Psst- Thanks Shiva, Ravi and Nagarjuna!)

Delivery Experience:

Accessories I got for free (all OEM parts):

• Car cover - 1300/-
• Rubber mats - 2300/-
• Mud flaps - 2200/-
• Scuff plates - 1800/-

Price breakdown for those interested:
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11,99,000/- ex-showroom (net-ex-showroom after discounts = 10,48,667/-)
1,00,000/- "customer benefit price discount scheme" AKA the infamous price slash
149,948/- 14% life tax
520/- HSRP
7,865/- (0.75% TCS)
9,399/- Accessories
10,000/- corporate discount
26,933/- internal discount
6,900/- handling charges (subtracted from onroad price)
19,992/- extended warranty (4+2 years, will extend to 7th year eventually)
34,600/- insurance from Future Generali w/zero dep, rti, engine and gearbox protect, and Consumables cover as well, (dealer was okay with me getting insurance separately with all the covers via Coverfox, then finally caved and offered to match it via the on-road price so the policy was sold through the dealer, Coverfox quote was 29,084/- including the highest IDV possible on the car to match ex-showroom price)
5,000/- Booking amount discount applied to on-road price
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
=12,79,391/- on road.

Does the keychain count? (499/-). (More details about the accessories in the accessories section, since I hit the 40,000 character limit.)



I also specifically mentioned that there were to be no stickers stuck on the car before delivery, and no teflon coating or any body polish or anything at all, since I'd be taking it to a nearby 3M outlet immediately after.

And so, after almost 15 agonizing days, November 30th arrived. Finances taken care of, it was D-Day.

Full disclosure here, as a favor, I asked and even got to drive the test drive car (same variant and model as my car in that beautiful Lapiz Blue shade) to the airport to pick up my SO, and to make it to the showroom right after for delivery. Very nice gesture from VW Secunderabad, truly content with the service.

As soon as I entered the showroom, there was a cake cutting organized for me, which caught me completely off guard, completely with the cheesy music playing from a showroom car. We finished cutting the cake and let the showroom staff have all the cake, and made our way to the basement for the delivery formalities (symbolic key handover, goodies, bouquet photos, a live-printed photo of everyone posing in front of the covered car, taking the wraps off of the car, all that jazz.)







And it was off to the races!

It was around 12 by the time we were done. The car finally mine to drive, I drove straight to a reputable tire dealer, and got the stock Goodyear Assurance Triplemax tires exchanged for a set of 4 Continental UltraContact6 tires in the same size (195/55/R16).

Buyback price offered at first was 3500/- per tire, but when a competing buyback offer from another dealer (Ashoka Tyres, Minister Road) was pitched, they agreed to match the 4200/- per tire, and the deal was sealed.

Paid 12k for the new set of tires for the car and got Sensairy TPMS x4 installed in each tire at the same time (which I'd procured about 7 days before the car's delivery date from Amazon, 5700/-, worth. every. penny.)

Overall install time was pretty less, in 30 minutes or thereabout, I was on my way!

I got my tires changed at Stunnerz Madhapur. Vasu was extremely professional, punctual, and even helped me out with a UPI blunder where I ended up transferring 36k extra because of network issues out of their own pocket, back to my bank. Grateful after how that whirlwind of a day was turning out to be..

It was during the above that I saw it.

As mentioned in the summarized points (kicking myself for not taking any photos of this), the left rear tail lamp was loose from the bodywork, hanging on only by the wiring and being held back by the boot lid due to the snug fit.

I first assumed someone shoved it and damaged it (I'd gone to the Ratnadeep supermarket next door to get something to drink for 10 minutes) or something of that nature, but there was zero signs of any damage whatsoever to the unit, meaning it had to be dundundunnnnnnn an inside job.

I'll show myself out, sorry.

But, my dismay was palpable. I was too shocked to take photos of the incident. When does this EVER happen to a brand new car a few hours later?

Called the showroom, kept my cool, my humor up and en-garde, and told them what happened, they offered to send a mechanic with the RSA car immediately, but since I was on my way home via that route (and mighty tired at that!) anyhow, I declined and told them I'll drop by myself. The unit was designed to be tucked alongside the boot lid snugly, so thankfully there was no danger of it falling off while driving, or stressing the wires connecting it to the body).

Drove gingerly (engine break-in time with this engine truly requires unholy levels of restraint), and around 6:20 PM, I reached the showroom and got the issue looked at. The staff and management swarmed my car and immediately began inspecting the defect, and then suggested I take it to the workshop of their's, which would close by 7 PM, so time was of the essence, and it was another 10 km away.

Hurried to the service center, and made it on time before it closed for the day. They took me straight in to the service workshop like a patient to an ICU, and got to work on replacing the bolt that held on the tail light cluster on the left to the bodywork.

The defect was very, very rare (and they'd never seen it happen before, or so they say), and within 10 minutes, I was on my way.

What a day! Unfortunate, but you know what they say.

Stuff happens.

With that small issue out of the way, everything has been smooth so far! (touchwood)

Went for a customary wash, wax and underbody rust-coat {for the future time this car would spend in Bangalore, famous for the weather, still made me think thrice due to the thread on Team-BHP having mixed opinions (Underbody treatment / Anti-rust coating for the car)}.

Costed around 5700/- or so for the rust coat with 5 year warranty.

Didn't like their service too much (there were already light swirl marks in some places which they said were "normal" in a car fresh out of the showroom). I inspected the anti-rust coating work at a later date, wasn't too impressed either. Didn't seem like a professional job, but it is what it is.

3M has really dissolved into a substandard chain these days, haven't they? They had even coated the interiors with this substance that made my fingers all greasy and made me frown every minute, which I never asked for, and was never told they'd be doing, and there was also this smell inside that took quite a while to get out, suppressing that sweet sweet new car smell...almost criminal. Never going back there again.

Before we proceed to the actual review...

Some money shots in my recent travels (2k on the ODO, up!):

Me and fellow BHPian Shanenanigans' Figo S 1.5 TDCI enroute to Anchetty, TN.



PS - Twisties to lust for.

[Sen]

Exterior:

Call it unassuming, call it outdated, call it whatever you will, you gotta admit, Dumbledore's got-oops, wrong reality. The car could be called a grandpa in car terms of age though!

The Vento got classy looks, and has constantly been updated to keep up with the times by VW, 11 years later. One look at this car, and it doesn't FEEL like it's a model that's due for phasing out soon. I found out before delivery that a new Vento was coming, but couldn't be bothered to wait till 2021. The chicken pox itch had to go! A bird in hand is worth two in the bush, or so they say.

The DRLs I'm such a sucker for:





DRLs+Headlights, fully-LED, baby!:





The fogs are halogens:





How the fogs light up:





Fogs + Headlights on (quite like the contrast actually):





Rear Fog and reversing lights (before someone points out why only one of your reversing lights is working):







Say hi to the man in the reflection! Tail-lamps in the day:





3D effect smoked taillights in action (the brake wasn't pressed, the flash did all the illumination work!):





Front fender/wheel arch profile. Looks slender and butters the eye:





Shod with 195/55/R16 tires on gray 'Portago' 16-inchers, the Vento is quite an appealing car. Well-filled wheel arches, sleek and desirable bodywork:



There isn't much to say that hasn't already been said, but damn does the car make you want to say it!



Rear camera, tucked away near the electro-magnetic release button:





For exigencies, the keyhole to open the boot alongside the TSI badge:





Integrated LEDs on the ORVMs leave the side baby-skin smooth:





The A, B and C Pillars aid excellent visibility all-around by sedan standards. Didn't feel worried about the pillar blind spots at any point!



Body-colored door handles with just a touch of chrome, just the right amount. Love it:





At least the wheel arches get some cladding, eh? Helps with road noise and some dirt protection:





The windshield glass is Asahi India's Lamisafe-LT IR-Cut+Grey, while the sides and rear get Dark Green Temperlite-LTs. (rear windshield gets the untinted "Solar" variety, see behind the boot wiring harness in the images to follow):







Fuel filler cap becomes touch-to-open once the car doors are unlocked:



Should've seen me panicking when I first pulled up to a pump and was fumbling in the interiors for a solid 5 minutes before it clicked. Downsides of coming from older/lower end cars



Tire pressure information for reference of future Highline+ Owners/buyers (It's really rare to see this particular variant of the car shod with these tires):





The roof antenna. Would've REALLY preferred a shark-fin, but that's easy enough aftermarket if really desired:





The windshield spray nozzles, neatly tucked away under the bonnet's back end:

Interior

Getting to the interiors, it's mostly standard VW fare as far as the eye can see. Interior build quality among some of the best out there, even if plastics are talked about. Their use is liberal, but it doesn't take away from the premium quality of the cabin. It seems built to withstand years of use, and I've seen some old VWs with their interior plastics still looking like day one, except the usual "finger polishing" with use. If only they added some soft padding on the door armrests..



Door opens almost 90 degrees in a three-stage action, opens and shuts 'solidly' (not that it matters much):



Fun fact: I saw an "ad" from Downtown Mumbai (if that's what you can call it) that "demonstrated" the Vento, but it also made me cringe at how hard the doors were slammed and the guy climbing on to the door. Yeah, you read that right. The build is sturdy, everyone knew that already. But how sturdy? You want a demo? Search for "Downtown Vento" on Youtube, first video.

Don't say I didn't warn you about the cringe at certain points in the video .



Scuff plates, useful only for their intended function, but otherwise, a tad bit tacky:





The door striker plate:





Warning about not using child seats the usual way up front on the passenger door sill:





Rear door's child lock, needs the key to enable/disable, on both doors:





Boot space, complete with the customary Jopasu among other stuff mentioned in the accessories section (the car cover was the most feeble attempt at folding, I'll admit):





Boot lit up at night:

[Sen]

Mechanism to balance the weight of the boot lid:





Wiring going via the boot concealed well within the wiring hose:



It's the little things.



View that greets a potential rear occupant:





Rear passenger's center armrest. No cupholders, but I promise you none of my passengers will ever have open drinks in the car, what am I asking for, a spill? (Pardon the quality on this one, no ski-hatch to access the boot remains a bummer):





The AC vents, central bottle holder nicely tucked in, and the only other 12V socket in the cabin (feat. the hump):



Note the rear occupant-facing knee room adjuster that VW calls "Space Max". Requires very little effort to push the seat to or fro even with an occupant on it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_XUUZC8N4U

Guess they weren't kidding






Central bottle holder in action (1L Bisleri for scale):





Legroom for a 5'11" bloke like me when the front seat is fully pushed back (I need that leg space at the front):



Magazine holders are not the most spacious, but can hold and flex to accommodate some thin stuff (I don't know, like magazines?). Might cause the occupant some discomfort in the shins if big enough.



The thorn in every fifth wheel, kebab-mein-haddi, family runt/kid's side, the center hump:



In my preliminary research, it seems this adds some more rigidity to the structure of the entire cabin. Questionable, but remember, I considered a polo at some point, so I'm a nobody to judge this particular inconvenience. Not like I'll ever be spending time there!



Dashboard and front cabin view from the rear:





AC Vents, Head unit, AC controls, stick shifter go here:



The center AC vents cut off air automatically when the climatronic system reaches the target temperature, by the way! I thought something broke when no air was coming out at some point!



Cupholders are mid-way between flimsy (as in the foldable holder bits flex) and durable (well attached, doesn't seem likely to break at all), the space in the front of the cupholders is something that can fit a 6.7 inch smartphone like my Samsung M51 horizontally as well as vertically, and you can pile some stuff in there in a pinch if necessary or play some 3D tetris while at it:









The space is...adequate. Let's just leave it at that.



Front passenger is greeted by this:



Notice the super, super annoying glare from the dashboard on the windshield? Makes it quite a headache to drive with the sun bright and shiny overhead in peak daytime. Any suggestions for reduction of the glare are welcome. Till then, I'll wear my polarized frogskins I guess.



The driver is welcomed by this beautiful sight (pardon my cable):



No point covering the ergonomics in this car apart from the handbrake/armrest conflict, they're perfect.

VW provides adjustments for height, steering reach/rake, fore/aft, and recline of course. 5 minutes of adjustment later, most if not all drivers can find their sweet spot. Test drive and get a feel for it all before deciding!




This cute li'l fella greets the passengers on their travels (the SO touch):





The seats are very supportive, and I haven't had any complaints with them on long drives. My neck is the only thing that hurts after a long drive, and that's my own fault due to my paunch and posture.

My only complaint?

My back arrives at any destination drenched in sweat. I really hate leatherette for that, and think ventilated seats (fat chance, look at how they offer heated seats in the T-Roc, lol) is legitimately a great feature for the Indian environs.





The driver's footwell:



Now, I wish VW offered official accessories for the pedals for a manual. The dealer only had the accessories for the automatic variant which only comes with 2 pedals instead of three, and I'm very averse to aftermarket cheap knockoffs on the pedals which are a crucial part of the vehicle.

So stock they will remain. Grip levels on the pedals are fine, so who am I to fix what ain't broken.



Here's that massive ergonomic oversight I mentioned earlier:



The handbrake touches the armrest at a certain point in the armrest's travel, and it has to be raised a tad higher to reach the handbrake comfortably. Otherwise, the armrest is very usable, but as mentioned in the good/bad/ugly, I wish it was slide adjustable as well for just the right amount of support. Some room for improvement here (who am I kidding in a design as old as this?)



I love the little hooks everywhere for carrying stuff. It's a very thoughtful touch:





Height-adjustable seatbelts, a rarity:



Maybe more adjustment should've been allowed (instead of the 3 basic positions on the adjuster for height), but hey, something is better than nothing amiright?



The front cabin lights, antiquated, but high-quality. Bathes the cabin in a soft glow and turns on and off in a gradual fashion. I'm a stickler for LEDs, but these might be growing on me!



Rear Cabin light switch:





Here's the view from the IRVM. Strictly average, but decent for a sedan I guess:





Front door pocket with a cubby to store other stuff right beside it, 1L Bisleri for scale:



The bottles, no matter which holder you put em' in, will rattle when driving, so keep a microfiber or two handy to wrap the bottles in when placing them into the door bottle holders (not like BHPians have THOSE in scarce supply, eh?)



Rear door pockets are smaller than the front, and the Bisleri gets squished a bit stuffing it in there (not too hard doing that though):

[Sen]

Air Conditioning controls (feels nice to operate, along with the rest of the cabin):



The rear headrests have this niggle where they will never retract fully into the seat. Annoying:



Here's the kind of space the armrest offers with some candy for scale:




Lever for popping the hood. Notice how if the door is closed it can't be operated accidentally:



Driver-side ticket holder on the sunvisor:



Front co-passenger gets a vanity mirror:



Glovebox is pretty ample in the space it provides. I threw everything including the kitchen sink into it:



And believe me, the glovebox cooling WORKS. It's kept my soft drinks cold and cooled some stuff I'd put in there as a test, within 10-15 minutes (I do not condone the glovebox being used as a refrigerator):



The switches are backlit in red, just how I like my lit switches:





Interior illumination in general is good, so you won't be fumbling around in the darkness anytime soon:







Saving the best for last of course, the steering wheel:



What a beautifully made wheel.

Piano black inserts feel very smooth and premium, the leather is great and feels very nice to touch, the steering-mounted controls aren't too complex and easy to use, as well as tactile (sadly a bygone era with the new capacitive switches with almost zero feedback on some of the latest VW cars, which I've seen universally hated)

The wheel is a joy to hold and use, and I love it. The stitching quality is some of the best I've personally seen!

Only niggle is how much pressure it takes to honk (need my wrist to activate it most times). I think I can live with that!

The stalks. I wish I could count the number of times I've messed up the right (headlight and indicator controls) and left (windshield wiper controls) coming from a WagonR. It's actually a difference that takes a while to get used to.

VW should've just swapped the stalks and called it a day for Indian ergonomical tastes, but of course they didn't. (Relevant thread by RSR (Market Research 101 - Indian mainstream car buyers prefer RHD controls))

One obvious disadvantage I face:

Originally Posted by RSR

One can operate both, the frequently used lights control stalk (with the right hand) and the gear lever (with the left hand) at the same time on an RHD car with RHD control stalks.

Left (low beam, flash, high beam (it's self-leveling):



Cruise control is easy to use, has a resume and set function, as well as many ways to cancel it. Comfort indicating is also great, push the stalk up or down without it clicking, and it'll flash thrice to indicate a lane change. I'll be increasing the number of clicks to 5 once my VCDS cable arrives.

Right:



Rain sensing wipers as well as 4 levels of speed adjustment for each of the modes, pull down for a single wipe, push up one click for rain-sensing mode, two for the slower speed, and high for the fastest speed.

Headlight switch:



Easy to use. Turn clockwise once for turning on the fogs and dimming the DRLs.



Pull when in this mode to enable the fogs at the front, and again to enable the fogs at the rear:



Turn clockwise once more for turning on the self-leveling headlights.

If the headlights were left in high beam from your last use and the engine is switched off and on again, you'll see it do a cool self-adjust!

The Utilitarian RCD340G Headunit.

One of the newest parts in the car, screen is responsive with zero lag, 7 inches across (not that I care about the size), and you can't watch videos on it (that's the kind of the thing you'll want to avoid the most when driving anyway, a major distraction).

I won't be boring you all with every single photo of every screen, so I'll just throw in some important screens you need to know about.

Android Auto, Apply Carplay and Mirrorlink support:



Versions for those interested:



Managing the profiles added to the HU (that's two people's worth of contacts there:



The HU's calling screen when a phone is paired and connected via Bluetooth:



Bluetooth settings:



Now, the MID cluster has been covered to death in the last few years with functionally ZERO upgrades to it, so I'll let a youtube search do the duty for that.

The MID shows Ambient temp, Avg. Speed, Avg. Efficiency, Digital speedo, distance to empty, driving duration, coolant temperature (oil temperatures can NOT be judged by this), and the obvious ODO. It also stores the last drive's data for reference with the superscripted 1/2.

It also allows you to set a voluntary speed limit over and above the government's mandated 80 km/h single warning beep. Past 120 km/h, you'll hear constant beeping. If a speed warning is in effect, you cannot operate the MID except to stare at the speed warning (and neither should you!)

Never used the voluntary speed limiter. Don't plan to either, the two above are enough!

Filler cap direction indicator, ODO:



Tachometer, analog and classy, just how I prefer it. Seen here idling just after startup at approx. 1250 RPM, then settles down after 15 seconds or so down to under 1000 RPM:



Speedo marked up to 240 km/h (Vento's claimed top speed is around 191-193 km/h):

Engine & Gearbox

Now, getting to the heart of the matter..



Sorry, I really had to dedicate a sub-section to this one. This little pataka among fuljhadis, packs quite a punch!

Not that the previous 1.2 TSI engine was any slouch, but this new 1-liter TSI engine really takes things up a notch. The smile factor I had when driving the Polo GT TSI DSG the first time all those years ago was more than replicated in my test drive of the Vento 1.0 TSI in 2020.

To quote the official review (and allow the actual experts to weight in on this):

Originally Posted by suhaas307

On the face of it, the EA-211 1.0 TSI with one missing cylinder and lower cubic capacity may appear to be a downgrade from the old EA-111 1.2 TSI.

The new 1.0 TSI benefits from an all-new, all-aluminium head, forged internal components such as a forged steel crankshaft, forged connecting rods, dual-overhead camshafts and 4-valves per cylinder! Even with one cylinder missing, this car has more valves than the outgoing Polo 1.2 TSI! These revisions would not only help with efficiency and performance, but also make the 1.0 TSI a hit with tuners who will finally be able to extract something significant from this engine.

The 1.0L TSI engine is now oriented with the exhaust manifold and turbocharger positioned behind the engine block and closer to the bulkhead. This rotation helps in effectively dissipating heat generated from the exhaust manifold and prevents it from lingering in the engine bay while the car is on the move, effectively ensuring that intake air temperatures are kept in check despite the weather or repeated flogging. The new engine also has an intercooler to cool the intake temperatures (similar to the outgoing engine).

The other ‘flaw’ that the outgoing 1.2 TSI suffered from was the power delivery at the top end. The old engine would make most of its power and torque in the mid-range. Power would be available in the mid-range all the way up till 4,500 rpm after which, it would start tapering off despite the balance 1,500 revs and the 6,000 rpm redline. This is not the case with the new 1.0 TSI, which benefits from a host of advancements such as forged internals, an all-new all-aluminium head, 4 valves per cylinder and DOHC configuration. Yep, it has a superior top end.

There you have it. This thing is small, more efficient (if my MID display is anything to go by - spirited driving still nets me a solid 14 kmpl, and is bound to only go up), more rev-happy, and keeps its' power all the way to the top end of things.

I've tested where it starts building up some torque to keep you going, and found around 1600 RPM is where the engine has had enough poking, starts stirring, at 1750 RPM (claimed max torque RPM) the engine awakens like an angry cat doused with water, right before the gunshot that marks the start of a race at 2k RPM which makes the rev counter shoot towards the 6500 mark with surprising alacrity.

There have been times where I mute the music just to have a good earful of the engine. It's not everyone's cup of tea, but to my ears, it's music alright!

Revving this engine doesn't feel strained and scary like some of the others in cars I've driven, and I'm very pleased with it.

If I let my foot off the gas from a high RPM, there's a bit of a damper due to the vibrations that creep into the pedals and that metallic sound (I was scared hearing that at the start when I test drove the Polo TSI when it was launched), but that's the only downside, and is a rarity with my style of driving.

Drive it like you mean it!

The gearbox is a very comfortable-feeling short-throw slick shifter. The only issue I've ever had on this one (hope it goes away with some use) is the slightly notchy shift from 1st > 2nd, partially due to the way the reverse gear is set up on this gearbox. I guess I'll have to adapt to this car, because those gates are very precise. When I do get that perfect shift, the feeling is effortless.

They should've added a plastic engine guard to the bottom of this high-tech machinery, which is a sore omission, and will have me going and pestering the workshop people for getting the bolt-on accessory to give me some peace of mind, at the very least. I can see the ground through the engine bay, and it pains me every time.

2000 kilometres and 20 days after delivery later, the break-in process for my engine is already complete, oil+oil filter change and all.

The manual dictates you take it easy and keep the engine under 2/3rds of the max RPMs (4300~ RPM) for the first 1000 kilometres, before gradually increasing the revs to the rev limiter by the 1500 km mark.

Some key pointers for engine longevity:

• The number ONE rule for long engine life - Change the damn oil! In my case, I'll be doing that every 7500 kms.
  During Swagat service, the SA and mechanic said they'd inspect the oil and I'd be done for cheap. Nada, nothing doing. Got the oil and filter changed on that STAT! The service costed me approx. 5k, but it had to be done. PS - They use Shell Helix Ultra 5W40, fully synthetic.
  
  Don't take VW's word for it, get your oil changed as often as you comfortably can considering the kind of oil in your particular engine. Synthetics last for 7500 kms no problem, which is exactly at the halfway mark of the "recommended" service interval of 1 year/15000 kms.
  
• Always follow the idling rule for turbocharged cars! (Why you must practice the "Idling Rule" with Turbo-Charged Cars)
• Take it easy for the first 5-10 minutes of the drive, as well as the last 5-10 minutes of the drive. Warmup and cooldown don't just apply to human beings before and after exercise!
• Don't idle for longer than 1-2 minutes, just drive and prevent the turbo from spooling for the above duration, meaning keep it under 2k RPM where possible.

[Sen]

Engine oil recommendation on the fill port cap. They recommend Castrol:



The battery (made in India, the usual suspect, 2 year warranty):



The coolant reservoir:



Drive belt:



The brains, imported from Romania (Bosch Motronic):



Now, onwards to the pampering!

Detailing

So far, here's a list of things I've done with Taco, and how much they costed:

1. Wax+Wash, Anti-rust coating for the underbody (I think the zinc silencer coating was thrown in without much notice) > 3M AS Rao Nagar, Hyderabad
   Cost: 8,769/-
   
   I wouldn't go back to 3M again, except for that 5 year warranty and touch-up if needed. There were swirl marks over the car from the first wash with them, and they were manually washing the car after the foam and waterjet wash. Couldn't inspect the anti-rust coat they did since I didn't have the time, but I hope it lasts. As mentioned earlier, the interior smell and dashboard/steering wheel/handbrake/door pad dressing they did completely and utterly put me off.
   
2. PPF on the hood, front and rear bumpers (STEK Dynoshield, 900/- per sqft) + Ceramic 3 base paint coats + 1 top coat, plastics, glass, alloys included as a package.
   Complimentary PPF for door edges, ORVMs, boot loading lip and door handlecups > Autotriz Bangalore
   Cost: 69,043/-

PPF+Ceramic Coating Experience:

I chose Autotriz after looking at the reviews, since I was in town anyway. Turtle Wax Yelahanka was also considered (for their 10H ceramic), but the response time and response quality paled in comparison, so I reconsidered.

Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with Autotriz Bangalore except as a first-time customer, and my opinion is my own, unbiased and true to my knowledge.

A new car is quite the investment. With my plans for the car and retaining it for a long time, I had to do something about protecting the car, and I decided on a PPF+ceramic hybrid after enough research into the matter. Not that my pockets weren't crying while torching a hole into themselves already or anything, but PPF can reach truly ludicrous prices when done for more areas than necessary, EASILY crossing over 10% of the value of the car. After many permutations and combinations (I started with ceramic on all panels then started considering PPF for only the bonnet and then extended to the fenders instead of the bumpers, then the front and rear bumper quarters only, and finally this!)

The first time I reached out to Kaushik from Autotriz Bangalore, he explained the options and choices I had, these are the best available options for PPF:

• STEK Dynoshield (I chose this) - Some of the best PPF that STEK had to offer. 900/- per square foot. Warranted for 10 years (claimed on paper, STEK is a new player in the Indian market, so durability is yet to be proven) in Indian conditions. 10 years warranty offered abroad, against yellowing, staining, cracking, blistering and delaminating, etc.
  
• Xpel Ultimate Plus - A well-known brand here on Team BHP. 900/- per square foot. 10 year warranty.
• STEK Dynoeffect - A slightly thinner version (claimed) of the Dynoshield PPF mentioned above. 750/- per square foot. 5 year warranty.

I didn't consider any cheaper PPF options, because why put PPF at all if you're looking at less than optimal protection only for certain parts of the car? The consideration is already limited by cost, but regardless of what you choose, you'll end up paying through the nose, especially for those who wrap their entire cars.

As for why I chose STEK over Xpel despite the latter being an established brand here? I did a bit of digging and this one video swayed the decision (ignore the clickbait title).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQjhYRXAK2k

Meanwhile, on the ceramic front, Autotriz had their packages lined up, there were two major ones, all customizable of course:

• A 3-year warranted plan that covered all the plastics, alloys and glass, 3 layers of coating on the base paint + 1 top 'performance' layer, and 1 "accidental damage" coat free for if there's damage on any panels and the ceramic needs to be reapplied (same 3+1 package) to a repainted or damaged panel.
  
• A 5-year warranted plan that did the same as above, with 5 layers on the base paint instead of 3 (questionable efficacy knowing anything more than 3 layers usually won't last for long anyway, a waste in my opinion), as well as 1 maintenance coat free at an ascertained point in the future to retain the finish.

For my particular car, the estimates were as follows for the hybrid plan I was considering:

* The hood, as well as front and rear bumpers, STEK Dynoshield PPF, approx. 47 square feet: 42,300/-
* 3+1 ceramic coating (the first plan above) for the rest of the areas left over: 29,538/-

There was no fussiness or product-pushing, and I was truly left to decide what plan I was comfortable forking the dough for, with guidance provided where asked for (for what it's worth). I did change my mind a whole, whole lot until the actual day the PPF/Ceramic coating work would start, so props to Kaushik for being the epitome of patience with me!

The ceramic would help with the Jopasu magic and fortnightly/monthly wash, while the PPF would help with the damages of everyday life in the city/on the highway/rock chips/acid attacks AKA bird poop on some of the most important parts of the car (in my opinion), and I went for the best option I had available considering my finances wile trying to ensure I retained a factory finish on the car from day 1 to years down the road. And PPF WORKS in that department, albeit at a significant cost including the extreme amounts of elbow grease involved in professionally installing it to ensure longevity.

Let me not scar you permanently with the dusty condition I drove into their studio in, eh?

Some shots of the car during the process:

Results!

Pretty good I'd daresay!

Kaushik and Anshuman were very helpful (the process took approx. 3 painful, agonizing days without Taco), and they even helped me with the door rattle pipe mod during delivery. Pretty satisfied with the overall experience with Autotriz, though due to the fear of appearing biased, I'll reserve my recommendation and let you decide on this one.

When I was dropping off the car, although I didn't take them up on the offer, I was also offered to be dropped near where I live since they happened to commute on the same route every day, since I would be car-less and considering the times we live in these days, COVID and all. An extremely nice gesture.

Now, to quote another BHPian, if only I could do something about those four legged hairy thugs from ever invading Taco's engine bay..

With that, I'll call it a day with this 'short' (go on, laugh now) initial ownership experience/review.

So, thoughts? Feedback? Please share so that I can improve, it's always a new day, new things to learn, new roads to explore.

Parting words? What can I say...I'm just getting started.

[Sen]

Accessories purchased so far:

• Jopasu Duster set (small + big pair)
  Amazon - 899/-
  
  Ah, the BHPian mainstay. Worth every penny.
  
  
  
• AmazonBasics Mechanics Socket Set (Pack of 40)
  Amazon - 1,499/-
  
  For those sticky situations where I may need some tools to fix something, and learn about the car in the process!
  
  
  
• TUSA car tire inflator
  Amazon - 2,899/-
  
  Useful accessory! Never fear getting stranded anymore. Build quality is excellent. Very precise air pressure measurement, Sensairy TPMS agrees.
  
  What you see is what you get.
  
  
  
• Aukey 36W Car Charger with Dual Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 Ports x2
  Amazon - 1,199/- x2 = 2,398/-
  
  Two 12V sockets in the entire car? Gotta make do somehow! By doubling them and introducing USB to the mix. Got this before taking delivery of the car. Haven't had to use it yet, but it WILL come in handy some day I'm sure when multiple phones are on their last breath.
  
  
  
• Sensairy TPMS pack of 4
  Amazon - 5,799/-
  
  To quote myself in another post when I was diagnosing my "Car veering to the left" issue here (Car veering to the left):
  
  

  Originally Posted by Sen

  One thing this experience taught me is that TPMS is an absolute must for any car owner out there. It's simply invaluable in detecting lies (service center saying they swapped the tires when they didn't), knowing tire pressures weren't the culprit, knowing they're properly inflated at all times, how they behave after warming up, the temperatures the tires reach after a long time driving, as well as saving time when filling them up. Generally, preventing low pressures and completely nullifying the mere chance of a tire burst was my motive, but buying the TPMS sensors before I even got the car was a great decision, and paid off its weight (and then some) in gold.

  Bottomline: Get TPMS. It WILL help you.
  
  Didn't take photos of the item, but the image describes exactly what I saw, taken from the Tymtix website.
  
  
  
• yourBin Car Trashcan
  Amazon - 219/-
  
  For those that detest trash of any kind in their car. A pre-delivery purchase.
  
  
  
• Hella OEM Dual-Tone horn kit
  VW Dealer - 5,000/-
  
  The stock horn sucked, and was too meek. This set was anything but! My presence is known in a posh fashion, *
  
  It's no train horn though!
  
  

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lv8wqnk_TsA

  
  
• OEM Sunblinds (well made from my research, still awaiting the part almost a month later though, famous VW part-ordering experience)
  VW Dealer - 3,000/-
  
• Bosch-made Carbon-Activated In-Cabin air filter
  VW Dealer - 900/-
  
  This filter.
  
  The benefits of this accessory aren't as visible, but the next time there's an *ahem* odor in the cabin, I know it works when it disappears immediately.
  
• JVCV TPU Leather Pattern Silver Key Cover
  Amazon - 749/-
  
  Pesky plastic keys scratch too easily. Got this to get a decent look on the key.
  
  
  
  
• SOFTSPUN Microfiber Cloth - 4 pcs
  Amazon - 299/-
  
  Decent quality microfiber cloths, for a decent price. Highly rated.
  
  

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[klgiridhar]

Congratulations on your new acquisition. That was one detailed writeup, felt like reading an official review. I wish you minimum 10 years and unlimited kilometers of rev happiness with your Taco.

Vento doesn't seem to age on the outside, at all . Still looks sleek and understated. Whenever I think of what I want from a car, my requirements almost match yours. Simple and sweet without the excessive bling.

[sainyamk95]

Congratulations on acquiring this (now) rare beauty! And I must say I was hooked to your write up and didn't skip a single word as I usually do when reading ownership reviews since my technical knowledge is average at best :P

The Vento is one of the few boot-addition jobs in this country that look amazing and I've always admired these VW siblings. I aspire to have the Polo TSI as my first ever four-wheel purchase and will definitely be following this thread.

Wish you years of happy motoring with Taco!

[rkv_2401]

Congrats on the new car! As a fellow Vento owner(2016 Highline TSi), reading through your review took me back to memories of when our car was brand new. Thankfully, we hadn't faced any mishaps on delivery(I wasn't available to go do a PDI or inspect the car in the first week or so). It's nice to see that you were able to get the highest variant with LED DRLs(the thing I miss the most, they debuted in the next variant year of us getting our car :/ ), more airbags etc, at a very reasonable price. We paid 14L OTR for our Vento back in 2016, and I don't need to point out the rate at which car prices are zooming up by nowadays.

I'd suggest you be careful with the AC vent holders and the glovebox - in general, some parts of the car can really handle being roughed up and some others are flimsy, and this dichotomy is a bit hard to wrap one's head around. The car's suspension, doors, and chassis are built like a tank, but I accidentally broke(not completely but still) the glovebox handle when I closed it harshly the other day. Also, I heard from the A.S.S that the ABS sensor issue, in their experience, seems to mostly happen on low-run vehicles, vehicles that hadn't been used in a while, etc. I don't buy it though. I second your opinion on getting the 7 years extended warranty if you can afford to do so. Our car went from having no problems at all for the first 4 years, and then in 2 months of the warranty expiring, suddenly there's an ABS sensor failure, the brake warning light is on and beeping loudly when started(I suspect it's because the handbrake sensor failed), it's rattling a decent bit more than before, Etc. etc.
I remember a couple of times early in it's life going into potholes so hard(during my first highway trip ever) that I was sure a wheel would have come off, but it soldiered on through like nothing had happened. It's definitely not the same experience now.

Wishing you a lot of happy years and kilometers with Taco.

[Sen]

Originally Posted by klgiridhar

Congratulations on your new acquisition. I wish you minimum 10 years and unlimited kilometers of rev happiness with your Taco.

Originally Posted by sainyamk95

Congratulations on acquiring this (now) rare beauty! Wish you years of happy motoring with Taco!

Originally Posted by rkv_2401

Congrats on the new car! Wishing you a lot of happy years and kilometers with Taco.

Thank you very much! Enjoying him as much as I can!

Originally Posted by klgiridhar

That was one detailed writeup, felt like reading an official review.

Whenever I think of what I want from a car, my requirements almost match yours. Simple and sweet without the excessive bling.

Thank you klgiridhar! That's the compliment I strove for, and fully agreed with the sweet spot for function vs features.

Originally Posted by sainyamk95

And I must say I was hooked to your write up and didn't skip a single word as I usually do when reading ownership reviews since my technical knowledge is average at best :P

The Vento is one of the few boot-addition jobs in this country that look amazing and I've always admired these VW siblings. I aspire to have the Polo TSI as my first ever four-wheel purchase and will definitely be following this thread.

Hey, my technical know-how is probably as bad as yours, but I learn a lot every day, everyone's going to have to start somewhere.

Originally Posted by rkv_2401

It's nice to see that you were able to get the highest variant with LED DRLs(the thing I miss the most, they debuted in the next variant year of us getting our car :/ ), more airbags etc, at a very reasonable price.

We paid 14L OTR for our Vento back in 2016, and I don't need to point out the rate at which car prices are zooming up by nowadays.

The prices are definitely reasonable for what I got, especially the seductive headlights. The caveat is that they (the LEDs) are not upgradeable in the least, and their throw...well, frankly, the throw sucks on the highways and during rains. For better or for worse, I'm stuck with these.

Originally Posted by rkv_2401

I'd suggest you be careful with the AC vent holders and the glovebox - in general, some parts of the car can really handle being roughed up and some others are flimsy, and this dichotomy is a bit hard to wrap one's head around. The car's suspension, doors, and chassis are built like a tank, but I accidentally broke(not completely but still) the glovebox handle when I closed it harshly the other day. Also, I heard from the A.S.S that the ABS sensor issue, in their experience, seems to mostly happen on low-run vehicles, vehicles that hadn't been used in a while, etc. I don't buy it though. I second your opinion on getting the 7 years extended warranty if you can afford to do so. Our car went from having no problems at all for the first 4 years, and then in 2 months of the warranty expiring, suddenly there's an ABS sensor failure, the brake warning light is on and beeping loudly when started(I suspect it's because the handbrake sensor failed), it's rattling a decent bit more than before, Etc. etc.
I remember a couple of times early in it's life going into potholes so hard(during my first highway trip ever) that I was sure a wheel would have come off, but it soldiered on through like nothing had happened. It's definitely not the same experience now.

Thanks for the warnings about the AC vent holders and glovebox, duly noted. I'd heard about the AC holders being fragile, but assumed it was on an older (facelift?) variant of the car. Sad to know it continues to exist on the current crop of cars.

If there's one learning from Team BHP's MANY VAG-Car discussions, it's that you never, ever skimp on the extended warranty. Little money now will be worth a LOT more in the end near the 5-10 year age range.

The new localized Gabriel struts probably don't help matters. The old SACHS units were stiff, but AMAZING. Cut from the car for localization (read cost savings) reasons.

Cheers.

[amarendernag]

Congrats Sen! Wish you a million kilometers of joy on your new Taco. I too purchased a Vento highline plus from PPS secunderabad (white) in September but too lazy to write about it.

[Rajeevraj]

Congratulations and wish you many miles of happiness. Very nice review. Seeing such a detailed one after a long time. One thing that struck me is how little VW has changed the interiors over the endless refreshes over the last 8-9 years. But have to say it still looks good and from personal experience, it ages extremely well.

All the best and thanks for the review.

[Sen]

Originally Posted by amarendernag

Congrats Sen! Wish you a million kilometers of joy on your new Taco.

Thanks amarendernag! To you and your new steed as well!

Originally Posted by amarendernag

I too purchased a Vento highline plus from PPS secunderabad (white) in September but too lazy to write about it.

The journey of the character limiter begins with a single letter.

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

Congratulations and wish you many miles of happiness. Very nice review. Seeing such a detailed one after a long time.

All the best and thanks for the review.

Thank you Rajeevraj! Always happy to contribute to this awesome community.

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

One thing that struck me is how little VW has changed the interiors over the endless refreshes over the last 8-9 years. But have to say it still looks good and from personal experience, it ages extremely well.

I think VW is also sticking to the "don't fix what ain't broken" philosophy (for a bit too long).

[Durango Dude]

Congrats on your Taco, Sen. Do you really hate automatics?? Hey, to each his own. I was just like you wanted only a manual to replace my aging manual Elantra. But somewhere down the line I started TDing automatics and slowly was swayed towards one. Wishing you miles of smiles with the Taco!