VW Vento DSG vs. Skoda Rapid DSG vs Hyundai Verna AT: Diesel Spec Comparison

With rising disposable incomes and increasing number of cars on our streets, Indian consumers are now progressively warming up to automatic cars. While they are generally heavier fuel sippers than manuals, the convenience of not having to cycle through gears, especially in bumper-to-bumper traffic, is a huge boon. Manufacturers have been paying close attention and are offering more options for buyers to meet contrasting needs. Korean carmaker Hyundai saw this early on and launched a four-speed AT variant for the Verna, and in the wake of this emerging demand trend, Volkswagen and Skoda recently launched mid-size sedans with a direct-shift gearbox (DSG); the Vento being offered with a DSG on the petrol and the diesel variants, while the Rapid gets it only on the diesel version.

The Vento diesel uses VW group's new 1.5-litre four-pot engine that mills out 103bhp. The Rapid gets the same 1.5-litre four-cylinder unit that makes the same figures. The Vento makes 25.49kgm of torque, the Rapid milling out the same number. How this power is transmitted to the front wheels is the same for both the cars as well – via a seven-speed DSG. The Verna, on the other hand has a 1.6-litre CRDi engine that is mated to a four-speed automatic gearbox. The Verna’s diesel engine is capable of producing 126bhp and 26.51kgm of torque – the best figures among the lot.

The DSG on the Rapid diesel makes it a frugal fuel sipper. The fuel efficiency on the automatic is actually higher than what is achieved on the one which shifts manually. This is down to the fact that the DSG has two extra cogs. Same is the case with the VW Vento. The Rapid diesel, with DSG, tops the fuel efficiency list with 21.66km to a litre of fuel, followed closely by the Vento DSG which can manage 21.21km to a litre. At 17.61kpl, the Verna is the least frugal of the lot

Dimension-wise, the Rapid is marginally bigger than the Vento. The breadth and the height of the two mid-size sedans are identical at 1699mm and 1499mm, respectively. The Vento is 4384mm long while the Rapid is 2mm longer. The Vento and the Rapid have the same wheelbase at 2552mm, albeit the Rapid rides 3mm higher than the Vento – the Rapid has a ground clearance of 168mm. The Vento has a gross weight of 1211kg for the manual transmission version, while the Vento DSG weighs 1233kg. The Rapid weighs a similar 1206 - 1228kg and 1182 - 1210kg with the manual gearbox and the DSG, respectively. The Verna is the shortest among the three, measuring 4370mm. It is also has the least height which stands at 1475mm, while it is 1mm broader than the other two. It also has the longest wheelbase at 2570mm. The Verna rides the lowest with ground clearance of 163mm.

The Rapid gets 15-inch steel wheels on the Active, Ambition and Ambition Plus trims, while the Elegance gets 15-inch alloy wheels, all of which use 185/60 R15 tires. The Vento, on the other hand, offers 14-inch steel wheels with a 175/70 R14 tires on the lowest trim called the Treadline. Comfortline gets 185/60 R15 tires mounted on a 15-inch steel wheel set, while the Highline gets the same tires mounted on 15-inch alloy wheels. The Verna gets the largest wheels with broader and lower profile tires. The rims measure 16-inches, and the tires mounted on them are 195/55 R16. Disc brakes on the front and drum brakes on the back bring the Vento and the Rapid to a halt, while discs on all four wheels perform braking duties on the Verna.

While the figures on paper are quite identical for the Vento and the Rapid, the Verna is quite different on paper. Based on the specs, one might be led to believe that this is a battle of two against one; in reality, all three cars are quite different. It is safe to say that the devil is in the details. 

Arpit Phillips