Volkswagen Vento 1.6 TDi

VW has given the Vento a stonking 1.6-litre common-rail diesel which is in essence the Polo motor with an extra cylinder. This twin-cam diesel churns out 105bhp and churns out a class-leading 25.4kgm of torque which peaks at a nice and low 1500rpm. The engine is pretty quiet except for an intrusive clatter at idle and a slightly gravelly note. But for the most part, it’s a very refined motor and the smoothest small diesel yet.

The engine is very responsive with minimal turbo-lag and when you cross 2000rpm, the Vento simply takes off. Also amazing is the broad torque spread of this engine. Unlike most diesels which fall off a cliff past 4000rpm, the VW 1.6 keeps pulling strongly till 5000rpm. The extra revs to play with give the engine amazing flexibility and in fact you can simply stick to one gear, whether in the city or on the highway.

The Vento on full throttle will get to 100kph in 11.3 seconds that makes it the quickest in the segment just behind the Verna. However, the Vento’s massive torque and clever gearing conjure up explosive in-gear acceleration times – the 20-80kph run takes just 9.2sec, to a Verna diesel’s 12.5sec. The Vento’s mega mid-range makes it a brilliant highway car as well.

The Vento diesel gave us decent figures – 13.1kpl and 17.3kpl are what we got on the city and highway respectively. It’s not the best in class but given the power and torque it churns out, it’s more than acceptable. The 55-litre tank gives it a shattering 830km on a tank.