The Volkswagen Vento (or Volkswagen Polo Sedan in some markets) is a
subcompact car produced by the
Volkswagen India and
Volkswagen Russia subsidiaries of the German manufacturer
Volkswagen
Volkswagen (),English: , . abbreviated as VW (), is a German motor vehicle manufacturer headquartered in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Founded in 1937 by the German Labour Front under the Nazi Party and revived into a global brand post-W ...
since 2010. It is essentially a three-box
Volkswagen Polo
The Volkswagen Polo is a supermini car ( B-segment) produced by the German car manufacturer Volkswagen since 1975. It is sold in Europe and other markets worldwide in hatchback, saloon, and estate variants throughout its production run.
Histor ...
with a stretched wheelbase and has been developed especially for some markets.
The car is sold under the Vento nameplate in India, Malaysia, Brunei and Mexico. In Thailand, South Africa, Argentina, Russia, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia and the Middle East it is sold as the Volkswagen Polo Sedan. The name Vento means 'wind' in both Italian and Portuguese. It is also known as the Volkswagen Polo Notch in the Philippines.
Overview
![2020 Volkswagen Vento 1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ca/2020_Volkswagen_Vento_1.6_TSI_sedan_interior_with_bodykits_in_Brunei.jpg)
Technically, the car is based on a stretched version of the
Volkswagen Polo Mk5
The Volkswagen Polo Mk5 is the fifth generation of the Polo, a supermini-class car manufactured by Volkswagen since 2009. The vehicle unveiled at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show in March 2009, while the three-door version was unveiled at the 2009 Fr ...
Facelift (Typ 6C; 2014–2017).
Related Volkswagen Group models include the
Škoda Fabia
The Škoda Fabia is a supermini car produced by Czech manufacturer Škoda Auto since 1999. It is the successor of the Škoda Felicia, which was discontinued in 2001. The Fabia was available in hatchback, estate (named Fabia Combi) and saloo ...
,
SEAT Ibiza
The SEAT Ibiza is a supermini car that has been manufactured by Spanish car manufacturer SEAT since 1984. It is SEAT's best-selling car. The Ibiza is named after the Spanish island of Ibiza and was the second SEAT model to be named after a Spa ...
and
Audi A1
The Audi A1 (internally designated ''Typ 8X'') is a supermini car launched by Audi at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show. Sales of the initial three-door A1 model started in Germany in August 2010, with the United Kingdom following in November 2010. A ...
. This car is made based under A05 (PQ25) Platform. PQ25 is a development of the PQ24 platform with the possibility of all-wheel drive (not included on any version), informally known as A05 .
The extra wheelbase offers more rear legroom than the hatchback, 50mm additional wheelbase and 500-liters of boot space, which has been well received.
VW offers a choice of three engine options in India and Mexico; a 1.6 litre MPI petrol engine mated to a five-speed manual transmission and a 1.5 litre TDI high torque diesel engine mated to a five-speed manual gearbox or a seven-speed automatic gearbox in the Indian market. There is also a 1.2 litre TSI engine available with a seven-speed DSG automatic gearbox only.
The car in India is available in four trim levels: the Trendline, Comfortline, Highline and Highline Plus, with the Highline and Highline Plus also having an automatic option. Among the four variants, the Trendline is a bare-bones trim level, forming an entry point for the vehicle. The Comfortline gets a CD-MP3 music system, body-coloured door mirrors and handles and fog lamps among other features. The Highline features a Touchscreen Infotainment system with integrated USB music, steering-mounted audio controls, leather upholstery, ABS, front airbags, a multi-function display, 15" alloy wheels and other standard features. The Highline Plus has 16” alloy wheels, a reverse parking camera and full LED headlamps with LED daytime running lights.
The Volkswagen Vento 1.6 MPI petrol variant offers a fuel efficiency of about 13 km/L in the city and about 15.8 km/L on the highway. The diesel variant of the Vento gives a mileage of about 17.5 km/L in the city and nearly 22 km/L on the highway.
In 2011, VW introduced a temporary special edition "Breeze" on the Trendline, featuring new, nifty features and added accessories.
Besides the "Breeze', Volkswagen India, in collaboration with the
IPL
The Indian Premier League (IPL), also known as TATA IPL for sponsorship reasons, is a men's T20 franchise cricket league of India. It is annually contested by ten teams based out of seven Indian cities and three Indian states. The leagu ...
authorities, annually offers a special IPL edition at a slight premium.
In March 2011, Volkswagen recorded an impressive sales figure of 3973 units, dethroning the
Honda City
The is a subcompact car which has been produced by the Japanese manufacturer Honda since 1981.
The City was originally a 3-door hatchback/2-door convertible for the Japanese, European and Australasian markets. The 3-door City was retired in 199 ...
for the first time since its launch. Overall the car has been quite successful in the Indian market and has been particularly lauded for its build quality.
In November 2011,
Škoda
Škoda means ''pity'' in the Czech and Slovak languages. It may also refer to:
Czech brands and enterprises
* Škoda Auto, automobile and previously bicycle manufacturer in Mladá Boleslav
** Škoda Motorsport, the division of Škoda Auto respons ...
, a subsidiary of
Volkswagen
Volkswagen (),English: , . abbreviated as VW (), is a German motor vehicle manufacturer headquartered in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Founded in 1937 by the German Labour Front under the Nazi Party and revived into a global brand post-W ...
, introduced the
Rapid, a car that is basically a re-badged Vento without a 1.2 TSI engine option. The Rapid is otherwise mechanically identical to the Vento but uses some of the Škoda family’s design philosophy. The Rapid petrol automatic also lacks a DSG and uses a more traditional 6-speed torque converter instead.
Since April 2012, the car has been sold in Malaysia under the name "Polo Sedan".
The car is also manufactured and sold in Russia and Thailand as "Volkswagen Polo Sedan" with only the petrol engine available.
As of late 2013, the Vento manufactured in India is being offered in the Mexican market, both with gasoline and diesel engines. Gasoline-powered cars have the choice of manual or automatic transmissions; diesel is sold as a manual only. Trim levels are called Style, Active and Highline.
Again, in late 2013, when Volkswagen returned to the Philippines, it launched the Vento as the Polo Notch in its lineup.
In 2014, the Taiwanese market Polo will switch from European models (hatchback only) to India models, both hatchback and sedan (rebadged as Polo Sedan), all with the 1.6 MPI petrol engine and 6 speed tiptronic powertrain. The price has been reduced for 2014 models, in the interest of competing with locally made economy cars.
In May 2018, Volkswagen discontinued the Polo Notch in the Philippines. It was replaced by the
Volkswagen Santana
The Volkswagen Santana is a nameplate used by Volkswagen for various sedans and station wagons since 1983. The first generation is based on the second-generation Volkswagen Passat (B2). It was introduced in 1981 while production started in 1983 ...
.
On introduction of Bharat Stage VI emissions norms in India, the Vento 1.5TDI will be discontinued and the petrol engines will be replaced by a new locally manufactured, more fuel-efficient three-cylinder 1.0 TSI engine.
Mexican market
![Vento 2015 Highline](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/30/Vento_2015_Highline.png)
The Volkswagen Vento was introduced in the Mexican market as a 2014 model manufactured by Volkswagen India. It has developed a high rate of sales, leaving behind the Clásico (redesigned Jetta MK4) and Jetta MK6, both produced in Mexico. The main rivals in Mexican market are the
Chevrolet Aveo
The Chevrolet Aveo ( ) is a subcompact car (B-segment) marketed by General Motors since 2002. Originally marketed as the Daewoo Kalos, takeover of Daewoo Motors by General Motors (GM) also saw the car being marketed under seven brands (Chevrolet, ...
,
Nissan Versa Nissan Versa is an automobile nameplate used by the Japanese manufacturer Nissan in the Americas for the following models:
File:2011 Nissan Versa 1.6 Sedan.jpg, First-generation Versa sedan (C11; 2006–2012)
File:2008 Nissan Versa, Front Left, 06 ...
and
Kia Rio
The Kia Rio ( ko, 기아 리오) is a subcompact car manufactured by Kia since November 1999 and now in its fourth generation. Body styles have included a three and five-door hatchback and four-door sedan, equipped with inline-four gasoline and ...
.
VW offers a choice of two engine options; a 1.6-liter naturally aspirated gasoline engine with a five-speed manual or a six-speed automatic DSG gearbox and a 1.6-liter diesel engine mated only to a five-speed manual gearbox (TDI).
Safety
The Indian-made Polo Sedan in its most basic Latin American configuration with 2 airbags received 5 stars for adult occupants and 3 stars for toddlers from
Latin NCAP
The Latin New Car Assessment Programme (Latin NCAP) is an automobile safety assessment programme for Latin America and the Caribbean. Founded in 2010, it offers independent information to consumers about the safety levels of new cars in the ...
in 2015.
Engine
2019 facelift
Along with the
Polo, the facelifted version of the Polo/Vento Mk5 was released on 3 September 2019 in India, whilst older versions of them will be kept on sale for a few years. It is very similar to its GTI version in terms of design and it will be expanded for most markets where the Polo saloon and hatchback versions are sold. The only engine option available is a 1.0-liter TSI motor that puts out and of torque. Available gearboxes will be 6-speed manual transmission and 6-speed tiptronic.
In the Mexican market, the facelifted Polo arrived during 2020.
References
External links
Volkswagen Ventoat Volkswagen India
{{Volkswagen
2010s cars
Cars introduced in 2010
Cars of India
Front-wheel-drive vehicles
Sedans
Subcompact cars
Latin NCAP superminis
Vento