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Is Vento 1.2 TSi DSG worth buying?

The B-segment sedan market is a highly demanding one. For some car buyers, it’s the next step after they’ve gotten that raise, and want to give up their preloved Perodua Kancil. For others, it’s the sweet spot in terms of manoeuvrability and size, without having to dive into the C-segment market. Aside from having to excel in urban driving, interested parties also have other expectations when shopping in this segment, including looks, equipment, handling, practicality and safety. The challenge for any automaker is to meet these needs, while slapping on a price tag below the psychological RM100,000 mark, which is where a large chunk of the market is at. The ,Volkswagen Vento, is the latest entrant to this battleground, ready to take the fight against established nameplates like the ,Toyota Vios,, ,Honda City, and ,Mazda 2 Sedan,. Does the European contender have what it takes to stand out from the crowd? Well, we went on a trip to Penang in the top-of-the-line Vento 1.2 TSI Highline to find out. On the looks front, the Vento is certainly a handsome looking thing. Though it may be a facelifted Polo Sedan, the significant exterior overhaul might trick some into believing it is a “Passat Jr.” The big changes take place at the front, with a larger grille with three chrome slats, followed by a restyled hood and bumper. The latter now features rectangular fog lights, which join the halogen headlamps. At the rear, the changes are more subtle, with a slightly tweaked bumper. Chrome trim pieces have also been added to the lower apron and bootlid as well, and there are new graphics for the tail lamps. Rounding up the exterior highlights are 16-inch ‘Syenit’ five-twin-spoke alloy wheels with a two-tone machined finish. Under the hood, the Vento Highline gets a 1.2 litre TSI four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, a step up from the lower (Trendline and Comfortline) variants’ 1.6 litre MPI NA four-pot. Power for the blown Euro 5 motor is 105 PS at 5,000 rpm, while torque is rated at 175 Nm (up by 22 Nm from the MPI) between 1,550 and 4,100 rpm. Like on the previous ,CBU Polo Hatch,, the partnering transmission is a seven-speed DSG dual-clutch unit. As for equipment, the Highline gets Climatronic auto air-con, leather-wrapped multi-function steering wheel and gearknob, cruise control and a 320G multimedia headunit with four speakers. Other convenient items include a three-way height-adjustable armrest and rear air-con vents. Safety-wise, the Highline is rated with a five-star ASEAN NCAP safety rating, as it comes with ABS, brake assist, ISOFIX child seat anchors, four airbags (dual front and sides) and an Intelligent Crash Response System (ICRS). Electronic stability control and hill-hold assist are exclusive to the Highline as well. So far, the Vento impresses with its equipment list. However, some may argue that for the RM94,461 on-the-road price (excluding insurance), it may leave you wanting. For instance, the City comes with two extra airbags in its highest ‘V’ variant, while the Mazda 2 Sedan comes with LED headlamps and a heads-up display (at the cost of two airbags). Keep in mind that both are priced below the Vento. So, where does the extra ringgit go? Well, the powertrain is a good start. The pint-sized 1.2 litre TSI turbo mill may not generate as much horsepower as the larger 1.5 litre powerplants in its rivals, but it has a lot more torque than both. Translated to on-the-road performance, the engine propels the Vento’s 1,178 kg kerb weight with ease and urgency. The seven-speed DSG is as you’d expect, providing quick and seamless shifts when operated manually via the gear lever (no paddle shifters here). Left to its own devices, the dual-clutch box does take a moment to respond to a sudden dose of throttle input. According to Volkswagen, the 1.2 TSI and seven-speed DSG combo provides a claimed fuel consumption figure of just 5.5 litres per 100 km (combined). Moving on from the engine, our test drive involved sections of highway and B-roads. Out on the highway, the Vento displayed an impressive level of refinement, soaking up the road deformities effectively. The ride is firm but still supple enough to iron out the odd bump here and there. It feels a tad bit better than the City, and much less busier than the Mazda 2 Sedan. Wind noise is also kept at a minimum, unless you plan to exceed the legal speed limit of 110 km/h. On the downside, the ‘Cable’ fabric-upholstered seats could use some improvement to lower back support to better facilitate long-distance driving comfort. However, those not involved in the driving will be pleased to know that there is an ample amount of legroom available (better than the Mazda). Rear air-con vents are also available for passengers, although they aren’t exactly powerful blowers. When tackling the twisty bits, the Vento did well to keep its composure, aided by tyres that are wider than those found on its rivals – 215/45. Planted is one way to describe the Vento’s handling, with understeer kept under control during a brief sprint along Penang’s coastal roads. The steering isn’t the most communicative due to its electrical assistance but responds quickly enough. Again, the 1.2 TSI powertrain excelled in its role around the bends as well. The Vento also exhibited its impressive handling prowess during a controlled exercise, where we had to execute a quick double lane change. Compared to some of its rivals that showed up during the day, the Vento was the last to be associated with the words “jittery” and “nervy.” Let’s just say that certain models we tried proved to be quite a handful during the exercise. Moving on to practicality, the Vento unfortunately will not snatch the “king of packaging” title from the Honda City. Its 454 litres of boot space beats the Mazda 2’s 410 litres, but loses out to the City’s 536 litres. Cabin stowage space echoes the same tune here, just shy of what the Honda can offer, but better than the Mazda. Speaking of the cabin, there’s not much in the way of “showroom attractions.” The multimedia headunit does the usual radio, Bluetooth and such, but doesn’t come with HDMI input or navigation. Neither do you get keyless start or a heads-up display. You do get a nice Golf Mk7-like flat-bottomed steering wheel, multi-info trip computer display and auto air-con though. It’s very functional, but there’s nothing beyond that. To sum up, the Volkswagen Vento delivers a wonderful driving experience thanks to its punchy powertrain and lovely dynamics that epitomises German engineering. Beyond that, the Vento’s vulnerabilities are exposed when it comes to its feature set, of which the Honda and Mazda can offer more, and at a more enticing price tag. Does that make it a bad car? Not in the slightest, because the Vento provides a much more composed drive compared to its rivals, which is something you’ll have to try to believe.