Volkswagen Vento 1.6 TDI Review

 From the rear, the Vento with its huge boot looks big. Also, the rear track is 35mm wider and the wider haunches have allowed a wee bit more width for the rear seat. The Vento adopts the Polo’s Mac Pherson strut front suspension and non-independent trailing arm rear setup, modified to adjust for the wider track. This reflects the light build of the Vento which, at 1,220kg (for the diesel), is just 95kg more than an equivalently specced Polo – impressive considering how much more car the Vento is.

The rear seatback is a bit too upright and you sink a touch too low into the seat squab. 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. 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 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. The Vento’s primary objective is to be a comfortable saloon and the suspension is set up that way. Just like in the Polo, the Vento’s ride isn’t as flat or consistent as we would have liked.

The long wheelbase and wider rear track give the Vento stability through corners but it doesn’t like quick direction changes and on the limit the Vento under steers strongly.

To sum up, the Vento is a nicely judged mix of good ride and decent handling.
The Vento is the result of  pains taking homework  by Volkswagen.

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Car Volkswagen Tiguan Review

The Volkswagen Tiguan is a compact SUV designed to offer carlike ride and handling. Tiguan's 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine is shared with the sporty Volkswagen GTI, and it's more powerful than the engines offered in most compact SUVs. The Tiguan has ready power for everyday needs and worry-free passing. Fuel economy is average for the class, which is better than most SUVs, but not as good as your average car.

Tiguan is available with 4Motion all-wheel drive, a big advantage for driving in northern climates.

It comes with six-speed automatic transmission with a manual shiftgate that adds a sporty character. Drivers who want to shift their own gears can choose the six-speed manual transmission, an unusual offering for the class.

Behind the wheel, the Tiguan offers a carlike and somewhat sporty driving experience. Handling is sharp for a crossover SUV, with manageable lean in turns, communicative but not overly quick steering, and good brake pedal feel. Ride quality is quite good. Small bumps are barely noticed, but the Tiguan can react harshly to sharp bumps, especially with the available 18-inch wheels.

Like other Volkswagens, the Tiguan exists somewhere between standard line and luxury. Inside, it has a lot of soft-touch materials and the general feel is of quality. A navigation system with a hard-drive radio and rearview camera is offered, and the top-line SEL has an attractive leather interior. The controls are clear and easy to use, and there are lots of little nooks for small items storage. Getting in and out is easy, and road and engine noise are kept to a minimum.

Front seat room is plentiful, and the driver's seat offers comfort and a good view to all corners. The rear seats move forward and aft up to six inches, allowing drivers to optimize the Tiguan for either rear cargo room or rear passenger comfort. Fully back, the rear seats have lots of room, but cargo room suffers. With the rear seats folded down, the Tiguan has a nice rear cargo area, but it is small for the class.

Tiguan was all-new for 2009, and there are few changes for 2010. A new Wolfsburg Edition replaces the previous SE.

Buyers looking for a comfortable small SUV should give the Tiguan a look. It is sporty for the class, with a fine engine and a smooth ride. The interior is a pleasant place to be, and, like all SUVs, it can haul cargo. Just be careful about which model and options you choose, because pricing for the top-line model gets into the luxury realm.

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Volkswagen Routan Line Up Review

The 2010 Volkswagen Routan is offered in three models, S, SE, and SEL. The S and SE models come with a 197-hp 3.8-liter V6 and a six-speed automatic transmission. The SEL comes with a 253-hp 4.0-liter V6 with six-speed automatic. All models have front-wheel drive.

Routan S ($25,900) comes with cloth upholstery, leather-wrapped tilt steering wheel, four-way manually adjustable front bucket seats, two-passenger reclining second-row bench seat, third-row stowable split folding bench seat, manual side doors, air conditioning, cruise control, conversation mirror, power heated exterior mirrors, power front windows, power door locks, remote keyless entry, six-speaker AM/FM/CD/MP3 stereo, auxiliary audio input jack, automatic headlights, engine immoblilizer, three years or 36,000 miles of free maintenance, and P225/65R16 tires on steel wheels with wheelcovers.

Routan SE ($30,600) adds V-Tex Leatherette (vinyl) upholstery, six-disc CD changer, Bluetooth, eight-way power adjustable driver's seat with lumbar adjustment, lumbar adjustment for front passenger seat, power-adjustable pedals, second-row captain's chairs, power side doors, overhead storage system, steering wheel audio controls, second- and third-row sunshades, universal garage door opener, security alarm (in addition to the engine immobilizer), and P225/65R17 tires on alloy wheels. The optional video entertainment package ($2000) includes second and third-row nine-inch video screens with headphones and remote; one year of Sirius satellite radio; Joybox AM/FM/CD/DVD/MP3 sound system with hard disc drive and USB connection; rearview camera, and power liftgate with floodlamp. The navigation package ($3000) adds voice-activated navigation to all of the above.

Routan SEL ($36,600) gets real leather upholstery, three-zone automatic climate control, interior air filter, power sunroof, power folding third-row seats, power rear liftgate with floodlamp, fog lights, the Joybox HDD sound system with navigation, auto-dimming rearview mirror, heated first and second-row seats, a high-line front floor console with adjustable storage, and Bluetooth Uconnect wireless cell phone link. The video entertainment package ($2000) again optional.

Routan SEL Premium ($42,500) adds high-intensity discharge headlights, chrome mirrors and door handles, auto-dimming exterior mirrors, premium driver information center, remote engine starting, 506-watt nine-speaker sound system, eight-way power front seats, memory for the driver's seat and pedals, 115-volt power outlet, rear park assist, and the complete navigation/entertainment package.

Dealer-installed accessories are also available, ranging from running boards to several different roof racks and a range of towing equipment. New for 2010 is a dealer-installed wireless router that can connect to devices up to 150 feet away.

Safety equipment includes dual-stage front airbags, head-protecting curtain side airbags, tire-pressure monitor, ABS with brake assist, traction control, and electronic stability control. Optional safety features include rear park assist and a rearview camera.

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Volkswagen Routan Review

The Volkswagen Routan is basically a Chrysler Town & Country with a different interior, a Volkswagen exterior, and revised suspension settings. It has nothing in common with previous Volkswagen minivans. Routan was introduced for 2009. The 2010 Routan is unchanged, except that more content is now standard, and there are correspondingly fewer options.

Volkswagen opted to make the second-row seats thicker and more comfortable than those in the Town & Country, so the Routan lacks the Stow 'n Go and the Swivel 'n Go seating features that make Chrysler minivans unique because the bigger seats won't fit in the storage bins. The Routan does have the useful underfloor storage areas, however.

The third-row seats fold into the floor, and the second-row seats can be removed to create a flat load floor that is big enough for 4' x 8' sheets of plywood. When the third-row seats are up, there is a handy well behind them that's great for groceries.

Routan is offered with two engines, the Chrysler 3.8-liter V6 and the Chrysler 4.0-liter V6. The 3.8-liter V6 is adequate for around-town duty, and the 4.0-liter V6 offers decent pickup and passing power.

We found the Routan offers a smooth ride and the driver enjoys a commanding view of the road. The ride is pleasant enough, ironing out most bumps.

A DVD rear-seat entertainment system features screens in both the second and third rows. Video game systems can be plugged in, and each screen can show something different, including the front navigation screen. Also offered is Volkswagen's JoyBox hard-drive radio. It has a 30-gigabyte hard drive that can hold thousands of song and picture files.

The Routan has a nicer interior than the Chrysler, and it makes for a great rolling living room for families.

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