Volkswagen is teaching a new lesson on “What it takes to be a world leader” to all the automobile manufacturers. They led the development of European market, have been doing great job in China and now they don’t want to miss the Indian Growth story. Products like Phaeton, Touareg and Beetle will boost the aspiration level of owning a VW brand, while products like Polo, Vento and Jetta will ensure that VW is a big volume player in India. And what about German Engineering? They chose Passat to showcase the muscles of German Engineering.
I must say that VW actions are totally aligned to their vision to become Numero Uno by 2017~18.
Like everyone I was amazed by the advertisements of Volkswagen Passat so thought of reviewing the car. I drove the New Volkswagen Passat and was flabbergasted by the features. Here is the test drive review of the new Volkswagen Passat Bluemotion.
Looking at the exteriors, Passat hasn’t changed much. The major changes that I could spot were headlamps, Rear lights and new chrome front grill.
Headlamps are Bi-Xenon with oodles of chrome (Indians love it!). LED lights add upper-class touch to the headlamps. Two sets of lights below - one act as the fog light while the other acts as cornering light. When one takes a turn at a speed of 10 Kmph or less the requisite side fog lamp glows to give more visibility. At higher speed instead of side fog lamps, headlamps turn to give better visibility to the driver. And to top it all, the driver can also wash the headlamps incase he is facing any trouble after driving in mud. Now that’s what is known as German engineering.
Next feature that I noted was Outside Rear View mirror. Setting the outside rear view mirror is always a time consuming task. In Passat one save the required settings and select any of the saved setting anytime. In case of foggy weather these mirrors can be heated to get a clear view and in night the mirror will automatically adjust itself to give a dimmed view to the customer. Ah!!! Another example of German Engineering.
The car is equipped with Low rolling resistance Pirelli tyres which promise positive impact on improving fuel efficiency of the vehicle.
Overall the car has elegant looks with excellent build quality. The subtle use of chrome adds subdued charm to the car.
Interiors of the car are quite impressive. Luxury is redefined by Napa Leather upholstery (for common man- Napa Leather is best form of leather). Both driver and co-driver seats are 12 way electrically adjustable seats. Air-cooled seats will provide chill to back and thighs in hot Indian summers and in winters same can provide warmth. It is needless to say that seats provide full support to thighs and back.
I was totally impressed by the ambient lighting. VW has used unconventional lighting to highlight its centre console. Red lights are projected on silver centre console giving perfect classy look. White lights behind the wooden garnish on the doors also add perfection to interior lighting.
An analog clock in the centre of dashboard gives “Retro Look” to quite modern and good looking interiors.
The only negative point I spotted was high tunnel height at rear. VW has to do something on this issue or else should brand their cars for four passengers..
The driving experience was amazing as well. The throttle pedal is hinged at floor making it more comfortable to operate. It is made more responsive by the amazing power of the engine. VW brought its most powerful 2.0 Litre engine for Passat. The engine delivers 170 hp power and 350 NM torque which is more as compared to Superb. (same engine family member is in superb as well). 3 digit figure was touched with ease and the maximum that I could touch was 200 kmph and after that I slowed down to reduce my heart beats. The car is equipped with 6 speed Dual Clutch transmission which gives smooth drive across all speed changes. VW has made the feature of cruise control much more usable for the customers.
German engineering has provided many features like Start-Stop, Hill Hold, ABS off, reverse parking sensors to enhance the driving experience.
Reversing the car was experience in itself. A camera is hidden behind the VW logo (just like Bond car). Reverse park assist made me feel as if Ghost was parking my car. After engaging the park assist I just relaxed and tasks like finding parking place and parking in tight location were done by car.
Normally start-stop system that is available in India is in very crude form. One has to press the clutch for 2~3 seconds to restart the vehicle. But this new Passat will start as soon as you release the brake pedal. The car won’t switch off if the battery usage is more than 60%. It just ensures that car will not switch off if there is a requirement of AC.
Normally an AT car will start moving after shifting the gear pedal to drive mode, but this Passat will wait for throttle input to move. It is yet another step to improve driver comfort.
ABS off feature will not stop sporty mood of the driver and henceforth he can try some drifting as well.
I was totally impressed by the German Engineering.
The ride and handling is better as compared to earlier Passat. It is quite good and the vehicle will not loose line on high speed turns. Generally bigger luxury cars are not this stable. Thus there was another reason for me to get impressed.
Ah I guess I wrote entirely about features and am sure that I have missed few. For sure this is a Vehicle of future and is likely to become an extension of the drawing room. It will give all the comfort and convenience and excellent driving pleasure as well. I strongly propose a Test drive to all my readers.
Why Buy: Features, Build quality, excellent NVH, Engine performance
Why Deny: Rear Tunnel, more of self driven car (at this price Indians look towards chauffer driven car)
Showing posts with label Volkswagen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Volkswagen. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Monday, December 13, 2010
Volkswagen Vento
After a fierce battle in hatch segment, car manufacturers are gearing themselves for cut throat competition in sedan segment as well. Recently we had few interesting launches in Sedan segment as well (Corolla Diesel, Etios, Vento, upgraded Verna are few to name)
Volkswagen introduced Vento (Sedan version of Polo) only in Indian and Russian market. German Manufacturer designing a car specifically for Indian desires shows that the Indian automotive industry is the centre attraction these days.
Volkswagen decided to make a hit on bread and butter of Honda by targeting the market leader (Honda City). In the month of November 2010, VW has beaten Honda in total sales. This might come as quite a shock for Honda. I strongly feel that it is high time for Honda to unleash Diesel powertrain to stay competitive in this battleground.
From the exterior Vento is sophisticated. Though Vento is sedan version of Polo, still it doesn’t look like a boot pasted on the back of the hatch. The longer wheelbase and neat job on C-pillar give a clean profile to the car. From front, Vento is identical to Polo (except there is small design change in lower air dam). Quarter glass in rear window is like a cherry on the cake. Polo’s crisp lines around the body are taken forward in Vento as well. VW could have given the Vento the same bootlid opening as the Polo, where you depress the VW logo to release the hatch. But here, to open the boot, one can use either the button on key or on door trim, and to delight the user the boot will open completely without any human assistance!!!!
Overall the car has got contemporary styling and the stance of car will make the Vento presence felt on the road.
I noticed an amazing thing on boot. There is a Volkswagen Name badge on the boot which is missing in its smaller hatch. Probably Volkswagen wants to brand itself as a big car manufacturer in India.
I could feel the sophistication even inside the vehicle. The build quality is excellent. I tried my best to find uneven gaps inside the cabin, but failed miserably. The front dash is similar to Polo. Combination of dark color on top and beige gives a beautiful practical dash panel. The car is sufficiently loaded with features and one will not miss the absence of any feature. All the four power windows are auto up with anti pinch feature. Audio quality is best what one can get in this segment.
Few good and innovative are also there. The rear passenger can slide the co-driver seat using a lever provided at the back of front seat. This is a clear indication that VW has an intention of “chauffer driven car” while designing Vento. Front and rear arm rest are quite good. Infact Vento has widest rear arm rest (in this segment). VW has also introduced amazing security feature inside. After locking the car, the alarm will blow up in case of any control operation inside. (Kudos to German thinking)
But there are few points that may irritate the customer. The tunnel height on the rear floor is so high that I was tempted to call Vento a four-seater. I was surprised to notice that VW hasn’t given an option of locking doors to its passengers (only driver can do so). Even the direct rear visibility is quite poor. In terms of comfort the seats aren’t that comfortable. The seats don’t provide enough thigh and lower back support and even the head restraints were rated as hard. The major reason of underrating of Vento in Comfort department is: “I was pampered by the comforts of Honda city in the previous evaluation”.
The Vento comes with two engine options and the petrol has an automatic gearbox option as well.
On the test track when I turned the key, I was welcomed by huge clutter noise of 1.6 Litre diesel engine. I can not understand that how come a common rail engine was producing so much noise even during idle. The 1.6-litre four-cylinder DOHC 16-valve common-rail turbocharged diesel motor also develops 104 bhp and it churns out 25.4 kgm of turning force between 1500 and 2500 rpm. The engine is more powerful then its figures. The turbo-lag is also not very evident in Vento. The taller gear ratios offered freedom of touching 100 kmph in third gear. Acceleration while outstripping any other car on highway is quite good as well. Engine and I both were relaxed even at the driving speed of 130 kmph. The car is so good that it will always respond to the smallest taps on accelerator pedal.
Steering the vehicle was fun. Vento has got a light and precise steering wheel that gives adequate feedback to the driver. It has got softer suspension system. The advantage of this suspension system is that one can easily glide over the cobbled street without much disturbance in cabin and the disadvantage is on potholed street where the car will shake like a mixer grinder. Initially I was little skeptical about the ride quality because of increased wheelbase (as compared to Polo) but ride is definitely better than Polo.
November sales figures of Vento are close to 2500 units and Honda City sales dropped to mere 3000 units in November. The fight is tough and we can only wait for few more months to get the clear verdict.
Why Buy: Volkwagen Brand, Powerful Diesel Engine, Features inside and German Engineering
Why Deny: Less Comfortable and Rear Tunnel Height, Rear visibility.
Volkswagen introduced Vento (Sedan version of Polo) only in Indian and Russian market. German Manufacturer designing a car specifically for Indian desires shows that the Indian automotive industry is the centre attraction these days.
Volkswagen decided to make a hit on bread and butter of Honda by targeting the market leader (Honda City). In the month of November 2010, VW has beaten Honda in total sales. This might come as quite a shock for Honda. I strongly feel that it is high time for Honda to unleash Diesel powertrain to stay competitive in this battleground.
From the exterior Vento is sophisticated. Though Vento is sedan version of Polo, still it doesn’t look like a boot pasted on the back of the hatch. The longer wheelbase and neat job on C-pillar give a clean profile to the car. From front, Vento is identical to Polo (except there is small design change in lower air dam). Quarter glass in rear window is like a cherry on the cake. Polo’s crisp lines around the body are taken forward in Vento as well. VW could have given the Vento the same bootlid opening as the Polo, where you depress the VW logo to release the hatch. But here, to open the boot, one can use either the button on key or on door trim, and to delight the user the boot will open completely without any human assistance!!!!
Overall the car has got contemporary styling and the stance of car will make the Vento presence felt on the road.
I noticed an amazing thing on boot. There is a Volkswagen Name badge on the boot which is missing in its smaller hatch. Probably Volkswagen wants to brand itself as a big car manufacturer in India.
I could feel the sophistication even inside the vehicle. The build quality is excellent. I tried my best to find uneven gaps inside the cabin, but failed miserably. The front dash is similar to Polo. Combination of dark color on top and beige gives a beautiful practical dash panel. The car is sufficiently loaded with features and one will not miss the absence of any feature. All the four power windows are auto up with anti pinch feature. Audio quality is best what one can get in this segment.
Few good and innovative are also there. The rear passenger can slide the co-driver seat using a lever provided at the back of front seat. This is a clear indication that VW has an intention of “chauffer driven car” while designing Vento. Front and rear arm rest are quite good. Infact Vento has widest rear arm rest (in this segment). VW has also introduced amazing security feature inside. After locking the car, the alarm will blow up in case of any control operation inside. (Kudos to German thinking)
But there are few points that may irritate the customer. The tunnel height on the rear floor is so high that I was tempted to call Vento a four-seater. I was surprised to notice that VW hasn’t given an option of locking doors to its passengers (only driver can do so). Even the direct rear visibility is quite poor. In terms of comfort the seats aren’t that comfortable. The seats don’t provide enough thigh and lower back support and even the head restraints were rated as hard. The major reason of underrating of Vento in Comfort department is: “I was pampered by the comforts of Honda city in the previous evaluation”.
The Vento comes with two engine options and the petrol has an automatic gearbox option as well.
On the test track when I turned the key, I was welcomed by huge clutter noise of 1.6 Litre diesel engine. I can not understand that how come a common rail engine was producing so much noise even during idle. The 1.6-litre four-cylinder DOHC 16-valve common-rail turbocharged diesel motor also develops 104 bhp and it churns out 25.4 kgm of turning force between 1500 and 2500 rpm. The engine is more powerful then its figures. The turbo-lag is also not very evident in Vento. The taller gear ratios offered freedom of touching 100 kmph in third gear. Acceleration while outstripping any other car on highway is quite good as well. Engine and I both were relaxed even at the driving speed of 130 kmph. The car is so good that it will always respond to the smallest taps on accelerator pedal.
Steering the vehicle was fun. Vento has got a light and precise steering wheel that gives adequate feedback to the driver. It has got softer suspension system. The advantage of this suspension system is that one can easily glide over the cobbled street without much disturbance in cabin and the disadvantage is on potholed street where the car will shake like a mixer grinder. Initially I was little skeptical about the ride quality because of increased wheelbase (as compared to Polo) but ride is definitely better than Polo.
November sales figures of Vento are close to 2500 units and Honda City sales dropped to mere 3000 units in November. The fight is tough and we can only wait for few more months to get the clear verdict.
Why Buy: Volkwagen Brand, Powerful Diesel Engine, Features inside and German Engineering
Why Deny: Less Comfortable and Rear Tunnel Height, Rear visibility.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Volkswagen Polo
I woke up one fine morning to see a twelve page advertisement in Times of India. That was a clear signal that a tusker will start running soon in India. Few days later there, acquisition of 20% share in Suzuki Motor Corporation showed that Volkswagen do not want to take any risk in a market like India. The goal of becoming Numero Uno is clear in the minds of top management.
Equal efforts might have been poured to select the product that will begin the entry of the giant in the most challenging market. Considering the inclination of the Indian customers towards small cars and their liking for anything that offers them real value for money, and having a well established performer under its sleeve, selling over 2.1 lakh units in 2009 in just the top 4 European markets alone, the answer was simple. Bring in the Polo.
Volkswagen Polo is a well build car. Sharp creases all round its body, Hexgonal front facia, Small Panel gaps, clear head lamps and even the stance of the car point towards the sophisticate look of the vehicle. Among all other cute and beautiful cars, Polo stands like a gentleman.
This perfection is carried inside the cabin also. The dual colored interiors with chrome all around will greet its passenger with elegance. I was not able to locate any abnormal panel gaps inside the vehicle. The sound quality is the best one can get with a factory fitted audio. Instead of 4 speakers Volkswagen has opted for four sub-woofers to sit besides the mesh in the door. Even the stair pattern visible on audio controls assists the driver to operate in much better way.
But this all good story was soon broken by the ignition of the engine. The petrol engine sounds more than a diesel one. Every vibration of the engine is audible inside. It was difficult for me to settle down in a comfortable position on driver’s seat. It seems like VW has designed the car keeping the interests of its European customers and not Indians in mind. Pedal position quite awkard and one may get a problem of achy feet after driving it in city.
Accelerate, and the car moves forward in a calm and composed manner, as if unfazed by the world around. The ride is good at both low and high speeds and over all unsettled surfaces and feels quite relaxed. There is absolutely no problem in ride and handling department even if one decides to test it in extreme conditions. Cornering on a dirt track at high speeds is a no problem for Polo. The steering feels light at low speeds and taking it around in the city won’t be a tiring experience.
The problem of front seat was carried forward to rear passenger as well. It is difficult to be comfortable with a upright seat back. Tunnel in between (meant for 4WD) will make the ride even more uncomfortable for fifth passenger. It lacks many luxury features like Auto AC, USB Port and Electrically adjustable ORVM, but when it comes to buying decision, car has a good balance between all features.
Why Buy: Decent looks, Build quality, Luxury Interiors, Ride and Handling, Brand
Why Deny: Rear+Driver Seat Comfort, Noisy Engine, Less responsive engine.
Equal efforts might have been poured to select the product that will begin the entry of the giant in the most challenging market. Considering the inclination of the Indian customers towards small cars and their liking for anything that offers them real value for money, and having a well established performer under its sleeve, selling over 2.1 lakh units in 2009 in just the top 4 European markets alone, the answer was simple. Bring in the Polo.
Volkswagen Polo is a well build car. Sharp creases all round its body, Hexgonal front facia, Small Panel gaps, clear head lamps and even the stance of the car point towards the sophisticate look of the vehicle. Among all other cute and beautiful cars, Polo stands like a gentleman.
This perfection is carried inside the cabin also. The dual colored interiors with chrome all around will greet its passenger with elegance. I was not able to locate any abnormal panel gaps inside the vehicle. The sound quality is the best one can get with a factory fitted audio. Instead of 4 speakers Volkswagen has opted for four sub-woofers to sit besides the mesh in the door. Even the stair pattern visible on audio controls assists the driver to operate in much better way.
But this all good story was soon broken by the ignition of the engine. The petrol engine sounds more than a diesel one. Every vibration of the engine is audible inside. It was difficult for me to settle down in a comfortable position on driver’s seat. It seems like VW has designed the car keeping the interests of its European customers and not Indians in mind. Pedal position quite awkard and one may get a problem of achy feet after driving it in city.
Accelerate, and the car moves forward in a calm and composed manner, as if unfazed by the world around. The ride is good at both low and high speeds and over all unsettled surfaces and feels quite relaxed. There is absolutely no problem in ride and handling department even if one decides to test it in extreme conditions. Cornering on a dirt track at high speeds is a no problem for Polo. The steering feels light at low speeds and taking it around in the city won’t be a tiring experience.
The problem of front seat was carried forward to rear passenger as well. It is difficult to be comfortable with a upright seat back. Tunnel in between (meant for 4WD) will make the ride even more uncomfortable for fifth passenger. It lacks many luxury features like Auto AC, USB Port and Electrically adjustable ORVM, but when it comes to buying decision, car has a good balance between all features.
Why Buy: Decent looks, Build quality, Luxury Interiors, Ride and Handling, Brand
Why Deny: Rear+Driver Seat Comfort, Noisy Engine, Less responsive engine.
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