This car is going to rock the market as it sets a new benchmark in the segment. Not only that, it will also have an impact on the higher-segment cars as well.
The Vento offers solid European car feel coupled with class leading handling and ride quality
The clean and classic lines give the car a fresh and elegant look
1. The 1.6 DOHC 16 valve engine delivers 105PS and 153Nm of torque.
2. The quality of material used as well as the fit and finish of the grey and beige colour interior give the car interiors a fresh and bright look
3.The well lit dials are easy to read with crimson-illuminated figures for the on-board display
4. The taillamp is an impeccable fit and blends well with the rear of the Vento
1. (r-l)Jöerg Glaser (head of vehicle testing-VW), Aspi Bhathena (Editor-CI), Dr John Chacko (Head of production-VW) and Sarmad Kadiri (CI) pose with the Vento
2.The sedan can accommodates Dr Chacko who’s 6 feet tall and Glaser who’s 6.6 feet tall comfortably
3. Front seats can be moved forward and back using this level even from the rear seat
4. The boot is of decent size, which is around 500 liters
Riding the wind
Dr John Chacko, Head of production, Volkswagen India, talks about the Vento (meaning ‘wind’) project
CI: We would like to know about Volkswagen’s future plans for India.
Dr. Chacko: The Vento sedan is a vital part of VW India’s ramp-up plan. As you know, we are starting absolutely fresh and so are our suppliers. We have about 120 suppliers, who also have to keep pace with us to maintain the quality level and, thereby, keep the organisational clock ticking. This month we propose to produce about 2,600 cars and about 2,900 next month. We know very well that it’s not nice to be kept waiting and we are working towards fulfilling the wishes of those who are waiting for their cars. And then a new car will come, and we hope there are many people waiting for that as well. (Smiles.)
CI: Tell us about the Vento.
Dr. Chacko: The Vento project is at least four years old and a lot of thought has gone into it with regard to the demands on it. We decided to have a car that was different. From the outside, it looks very harmonious and not as though something has been stuck on to it (referring to the boot). There’s a standard product development programme that we follow. Here, at Chakan, we were entrusted with the Vento VFF project exactly eight months ago. The Vento will be introduced with more colours, engines and transmissions. Though nobody seems to notice it, the whole car is absolutely different from the Polo. The rear compartment is completely new, the front fender is different. Even the door sizes are bigger to suit the whole proportion of the car. One of the prominent visible (and palpable) differences is the cooling system. The Vento has air-conditioner vents in the middle console for the back. There will be two variants: a 1.6-litre petrol engine and a 1.6 litre-diesel one. The petrol variant will come with manual and automatic transmission options and the diesel one will be launched with manual transmission only.
