Volkswagen Vento is the New Jetta

Vento the name is not just juxtaposing of two common English words. In fact it is a genuine Italian word which means wind and a fair wind. The company with the launch of the Volkswagen Polo based saloon will hope that the winds change for the better of the newly launched Vento. The Vento has a lot of reputation at stake and has to be better than the Polo in every possible way if it has to make some mark in the market. Then there is the competition in the market from the likes of the Honda City as well the Vento has to face.The car is a midsized saloon which is built with the right proportions and the German understated style statement is powered by robust drivetrains. The Volkswagen Vento meant for the Indian terrain comes with a better ground clearance suited for the humpy and bumpy roads. It does have a flipside with a meager 15-inch wheel for the high end variants which gives the car the feeling of having weak knees. The only solace is the slightly wider rear track compared to the Polo which gives way for a very spacious rear seat.  The insides of the car are also heavily drawn from the controlled German with lot of under tones. The dashboard is a no nonsense and functional in its purpose with some useful controls to make the journey smooth. The quality of the interior is really appreciable and is the first thing that will take your breath away once you step inside the car. The car has also paid some attention to details like the seat adjustment feature for both the front and the rear occupants. The support is quite high and easily accommodates up to three people in the back without any congestion. The front seats are also equally well cushioned and have some solid studding.For the desi market, the car comes in two engine variants of 1.6-litre that delivers up to 105bhp in the petrol version and a 1.6-litre with 105bhp for the diesel. Both engines are equipped with a 5-speed manual along with the option of a six-speed auto gear transmission in the spark ignition engine. The auto does take you around but you might not quite feel the same adrenaline.The Petrol motor of the car peaks at torque of 15.8kgm at 3800rpm. This will surely require some gearlever work, especially when you want to overtake. The car is a cruiser type around the town and for cruising at triple digit speeds. But if your adrenaline kicks in then there is not much to fill that void. When you rev it past 4000rpm the car starts to complain and gets quite vocal which is a bit of disappointment considering there are smoother petrol motors around.The auto gear on the other hand is left wanting for power right from the ignition. The car is quite cheap and the reason is clearly visible. The Vento has a usual torque converter transmission instead of the twin-clutch DSG box. The auto does make the job easier without much trouble but will not respond if you are in a hurry.