We already know that Volkswagen is finally out for a fight to grab a substantial market share for itself in the Indian automobile industry. VW is calling 2021, the year of Taigun. They are readying some prominent launches this year under their India 2.0 strategy with the Skoda Group. VW aims to achieve 95% localisation for its products like Taigun to keep costs in check and offer quality products nonetheless. This indicates that now VW is gauging the Indian sensibilities and developing products, especially for our market. Apart from the Taigun, the other big launch planned by the carmaker is the new-gen Vento which might be based on the VW Virtus sold internationally. The Indian version will obviously be based on the MQB A0 IN platform which VW and Skoda have developed just for our market. But it will resemble the Virtus and it has also been spied testing in India. Let us see what to expect from the upcoming executive sedan.
Also read: VW Taigun spotted testing – What to expect from Creta rival?
VW Virtus – Next-gen Vento – Exterior
As is the case in India as well, the international Virtus is a sedan version of the Polo that is on sale there. The Vento might well design a bit differently than the current-gen Polo but still will carry forward the understated and sophisticated look that one expects from the VW family. There might be sharp creases all around just like all other models of VW. The front will feature LED tail lamps and a typical VW grille. The rear might get new tail lamps like that of the last-gen Passat. The overall dimensions of this version will be a bit larger than the outgoing model to match the rivals. This means that there might be more space inside the cabin to make the passengers feel more comfortable.
Also read: Executive sedans with least maintenance costs – Verna, City, Yaris, Ciaz and Rapid!
VW Virtus – Next-gen Vento – Interior and features
The interior of the Vento will be a lot modern than the outgoing version. VW has always been relatively simplistic in terms of the interior design of their vehicles, especially in India. This is, however, expected to change with this model. Although, the quality will surely be top-notch. The new 2021 Volkswagen Vento will surely come with a larger Digital Touchscreen Infotainment System with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Digital Instrument Cluster, Steering-mounted Controls, Cruise Control and plenty of safety kit. The boot space will also be decent. Overall, the interior will be sophisticated and relatively simple, as compared to some of the modern cars. There will be plenty of safety kit on offer as well, which is something that VW takes very seriously.
Also read: Executive sedan segment sees a 57% growth in January sales – City, Verna, Ciaz, Yaris and Rapid!
VW Virtus – Next-gen Vento – Expected engines, prices and rivals
VW has introduced its TSI engines in India for all of its products. These are the modern turbo petrol engines with direct injection technology. There are 1.0-litre and 1.5-litre engine options. We expect that the new Vento will come with a 1.0-litre TSI engine making 110PS and 175Nm. The transmission options will include a 6-speed manual or an automatic gearbox. There might be the more powerful 1.5-litre TSI engine for the higher-spec variant. If VW decides to do that or not remains to be seen. The expected prices for a sedan of this segment are around Rs 10 lakh to Rs 15 lakh and that is what we expect VW to go with. The direct rivals for the Vento will be the highest-selling executive sedan of 2020, Honda City, Hyundai Verna, Maruti Suzuki Ciaz, Skoda Rapid and Toyota Yaris. It will be an exciting competition to watch and to see how well people receive the Vento.
Image Source: AutocarIndia
