Volkswagen Vento TDI DSG long term review first report

This is the sort of car I’d been waiting for, for quite some time. Not the Volkswagen Vento in particular, but a regular mid-size sedan with a diesel engine and a good automatic gearbox. Hyundai does offer the Verna diesel with an auto, but its four-speed torque-converter unit has always come across as a bit last-gen. This Vento’s seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, however, is as modern as they come, and its new 1.5-litre diesel engine is quite nice too. To me, this is a car that makes a great deal of sense. Luckily for us, we’ve just got one in our long-term garage and, luckily for me, I’m its custodian. 

First off, I love the way the updated Vento’s twin-barrel headlights make it look even more like a mini-Jetta than before — simple and elegant. Coincidentally, it was the beautifully rounded Jetta that really got me sold on the marriage of a twin-clutch gearbox to a punchy diesel engine. I also like our Vento’s unique toffee-brown paint and how nicely it contrasts with the brown-and-cream colour theme in the cabin. How clean the lighter bits will stay is something only time will tell. In all probability, it’ll be the seats that’ll show the first signs of aging. As of now, the perforated leatherite seats look rich and add to the cabin, which now seems a lot plusher than I remember the old Vento’s to be. It’s quite amazing what a difference new trim colours and a dash of silver plastic on the centre console can make.