Volkswagen Vento TSI long term final report

My last little sojourn with our turbo-petrol-powered VW mid-sizer culminated in a wonderful thrash down the highway with two deliciously excessive super-SUVs (Autocar India July 2014). Oh you bet it was a blast. And at quite the opposite end of the spectrum, this month the Vento TSI and I got a hard taste of the more mundane side of motoring, which involved a large amount of sitting stationary in maddening Mumbai traffic. But then, this is where a car like this is supposed to shine, right? The automatic gearbox means your left calf muscle can relax and the smooth petrol engine means you don’t have to contend with an annoying clatter at idle. And thanks to peppy responses from the direct-injection turbo engine, when the traffic does start moving again, you can quickly close the gap in front of you before that pesky cab cuts you off. It really does have the potential to be the ideal car — at least in its segment — for negotiating congestion.

However, as with my experience out on the highway, it’s not all sunshine and daisies, and driving the Vento TSI in traffic brought its own set of little niggles. For one, that DSG gearbox – it’s absolutely fine when you’re cruising steadily, but ask for a sudden change in pace and it will panic and bounce between a few gears before settling on the right one. This is particularly evident when you haven’t noticed a traffic light turning green and suddenly have to get a move on after a few sharp honks from the cars behind you.