New 2013 Volkswagen Vento TSI review, test drive

Petrol cars are slowly and steadily making a comeback and it looks like Volkswagen wants to cash in on this trend. To spice up its range, the German carmaker recently launched the Polo GT TSI with a 103bhp 1.2-litre turbocharged, direct-injection petrol unit mated to a seven-speed, dual-clutch gearbox. And now, the Vento TSI replaces the Vento 1.6 automatic (which used an old-school cast-iron block petrol motor mated to a conventional torque converter), and gets the same cutting-edge engine and gearbox combo from the Polo GT TSI.  

 

Externally, there’s not much that’s changed. The Vento TSI comes with a subtle addition of chrome on the boot and fog light surrounds, new alloy wheels, rear parking sensors, leatherette seat covers and ESP and Hill Hold assist. Much like the Polo GT TSI, VW has plonked more equipment into this car to justify its positioning as the top-spec variant. But what has transformed the Vento is the new powertrain, and this is all too obvious within the first 10 metres of driving it. Squeeze your right foot and there’s a good amount of thrust from the get-go. The wide powerband and flat torque curve result in effortless performance and the Vento accelerates smoothly, though not quite as quickly, off the blocks as the Polo. Compared to other mid-sizers however, the Vento TSI has a lot more oomph, especially in the mid-range, and overtaking is particularly easy.