Speaking at the launch of the facelifted Vento, Volkswagen officials have revealed that the automatic diesel versions contribute as much as 40 percent to sales of the mid-size sedan here. It’s an interesting fact because the Vento TDI DSG has been on sale only since September 2014 when the last facelift of the car was launched. The Vento diesel automatic features a 103bhp, 1.5-litre diesel engine that comes mated to a seven-speed dual clutch gearbox. The diesel engine’s efficiency and auto box’s convenience have made this version a popular choice among Vento buyers.
Also, while a model and variant-wise breakup of sales is not in the public domain, VW claims this version of the Vento is the best-selling of the diesel automatic mid-size sedans on sale today. Competition comes from Skoda’s Rapid (that uses the same engine and gearbox) and the Hyundai Verna (126bhp, 1.6-litre diesel with a four-speed torque converter gearbox).
Speaking to Autocar India, Kamal Basu, head, marketing and PR, Volkswagen India, disclosed, “The success of the Vento TDI DSG even took us by surprise. We are almost struggling to meet demand.”
Given the popularity of the Vento TDI DSG, it’s not far-fetched to think the same engine-gearbox combo could be an option for the VW Polo as well. Both cars are built on the same platform and do use the same diesel engine, so the dual clutch transmission would be a straight fit on the Polo. While VW officials we spoke to did agree to this possibility, they did suggest such a version is unlikely, at least any time soon. The high cost of the sophisticated dual-clutch gearbox would make such a version of the Polo too expensive in what is already a very price sensitive end of the market. At present, only the Polo 1.2 TSI turbo petrol version is offered with an automatic gearbox.
What will be interesting to see though is if 2016’s Polo-based compact sedan will be offered with a TDI DSG version. The engine-gearbox combo could be a key differentiator in the competitive sub-four metre sedan segment.
Dipan Sur
Viraaj Bhatnagar
Suraj Viswanathan
