Volkswagen Vento 1.6 TDi

The cabin is classy and understated. It may not have the flair of its competitors but it does feel better put together. The beige and brown interiors are highlighted by high-quality silver accents, but the hard-wearing surfaces speak more about durability than luxury and some of the plastics feel below standard. The slab-like dashboard is similar to the Polo and a bit too high-set for short drivers without the seat height adjust (on the Trendline) while the narrow rear window and head restraints don’t help visibility at the back.

The switches have a solid and tactile feel. The sole letdown is the tiny buttons on the console for the climate control system (only on the Highline) which seem out of sync with the other chunky looking switchgear. The locking system is a bit impractical as there are no physical locks and all the locking has to be done by the driver. The absence of an external boot release (only the Highline has remote opening) is also inconvenient.

The front seats are extremely comfortable with good under-thigh support and tall passengers won’t have a problem, thanks to the generous seat travel. The driver gets a steering that adjusts for reach and rake but we found the central armrest a bit too obstructive. The rear seats have lots of legroom and headroom is good too, thanks to a less swoopy roof line. The rear seatback is a bit too upright and you sink a touch too low into the seat squab. Also, the middle passenger doesn’t have a good time due to the big central tunnel.

All variants of the Vento get a rear air-con vent and a very clever feature - you can move the front passenger seat forward or backward from the rear seat via a lever – it’s so simple and innovative that we wonder why no one else thought of it before. The Vento is currently available only in the base Trendline and top-end Highline variants. The Trendline gets basics like power steering, power windows, air-con and central locking but little else. The Highline in addition gets power mirrors, climate control, 15-inch alloys ABS, front airbags, CD/MP3 player, remote locking and driver’s seat height adjust. There’s a big cubbyhole in the centre console, one centre armrest and the glovebox is among the most useful.  The 454-litre boot is adequate and the inner lining of the boot lid is a nice touch.