Volkswagen's next big volume car for India has been revealed just ahead of the Moscow Motor Show. The Volkswagen Vento sedan can now be seen in all its glory and the first pictures of this car seem to suggest that it is gunning for the current C-plus segment king, the Honda City.
The Vento is longer than the current Polo and the wheelbase by about 50 mm. This means there is more space on the inside and those who cribbed about the Polo's lack of rear legroom might appreciate its sedan sibling.
Motive power for the car will come from two engines - a diesel and a petrol. While the petrol powered motor will be a 1.6-litre engine, producing 105 bhp (the same as the one on the Jetta), the diesel motor might be a 1.6-litre, common rail four-cylinder engine with 105 bhp. Incidentally, this engine is also found in the Polo Cup Racers in India that are tuned to produce 130 bhp. Volkswagen might offer both manual and automatic options, the latter being a DSG gearbox.
The car will be assembled in Volkswagen's plant in Chakan, Pune, where it will be built alongside the Polo and Skoda Fabia hatchbacks. While Volkswagen haven't confirmed a launch date just yet, we expect the car to go on sale by late-August, early September. Expect it to be priced in the range of Rs 7-9 lakh.
BS Motoring was the first to report on the Vento as far back as July 2007, when Volkswagen had announced its plans on making an entry into India. With this car, Volkswagen will have seven models on offer in India, ranging from the Polo, Vento, New Beetle, Jetta, Passat, Touareg and Phaeton.
