Volkswagen Vento 2013-2015 Konekt Diesel Comfortline

Vento 2013-2015 Konekt Diesel Comfortline Review

Volkswagen India, the fully owned subsidiary of the German automaker has introduced a limited edition trim of its flagship sedan, Vento in the country. It is introduced with an exclusive 'Konekt' package and it is made available for Comfortline and Highline variants. At the same time, this limited edition trim is available with both petrol and diesel engine options for the buyers to choose from. Among these, Volkswagen Vento Konekt Diesel Comfortline is the mid level variant that is powered by the same 1.6-litre common rail engine. This motor is paired with a five speed manual transmission gearbox that further adds to its better performance. There are no updates to its exteriors or to its technical specifications as the company has focused only on its interior aspects. This limited edition trim comes with sophisticated aspects including a high-end Blaupunkt infotainment system that features a 7-inch high resolution TFT display with integrated navigation system. At the same time, it is also made available with a rear seat entertainment system that has an android powered 8-inch tablet, which supports twin-sim connectivity and 3G network as well. Furthermore, the car maker is offering exclusively designed leatherette seat covers and scuff plates with a Konekt badge, which gives a refined look to its cabin. It comes with a standard warranty period of 2-years or unlimited kilometers, which can be further extended.

Exteriors:

As said above, there are no updates to the exteriors of this trim. However, it comes with several astonishing exterior cosmetics, which makes it look stunning. On its front profile, it gets stylish headlight cluster that is powered by conventional halogen lamps and turn indicators. In the center, there is a sleekly sculptured radiator grille that is affixed with a chrome plated strip and company's badge as well. The front bumper is in body color, but its wide air intake section gives it a dual tone look. It is also fitted with fog lights, which improves the visibility ahead. Coming to the side profile, this latest trim comes with traditional aspects like body colored door handles, ORVM caps and black B pillars. Its neatly carved wheel arches are fitted with a set of 15 inch steel wheels, which are covered with full wheel caps. These rims are equipped with a set of radial tubeless tyres of size 185/60 R15, which gives excellent grip on roads. The rear profile is as attractive as its front, owing to its elegant taillight cluster and expressive designed tailgate. Its boot lid houses a license plate console, which is accompanied by a chrome applique. This vehicle is available in six exterior paint options including Deep Black, Shadow Blue, Candy White Terra Beige, Pepper Grey and Reflex Silver.

Interiors:

This Volkswagen Vento Konekt Diesel Comfortline trim gets slight updates to the interior cabin in the form of new leatherette seat covers. In addition to this, it gets scuff plates that are engraved with 'Konekt' insignia, which emphasizes its exclusiveness. Apart from these, all the other cosmetics have been retained from its existing Comfortline variant. Its cockpit has a stylish dual tone dashboard that is made up of high quality scratch resistant material. It is equipped with aspects like a large glove box, an instrument panel, center fascia with AC unit and several other control switches. There is a comfortable seating arrangement inside, which can host at least five passengers. At the same time, its driver's seat also has height adjustment facility, which adds to its convenience. In addition to these, there are several utility based features given inside like rear center armrest, front center armrest with cup holders for rear passengers, trunk illumination, three grab handles sunglass holders and accessory power sockets.

Engine and Performance:

This limited edition trim is powered by a 1.6-litre diesel engine that has common rail fuel injection technology. It has 4 cylinders featuring 16-valves based on a DOHC valve configuration. It has a displacement capacity of 1598cc that helps in producing a maximum power of 103.6bhp at 4400rpm that results in generating a peak torque output of 250Nm between just 1500 to 2500rpm. The company has skilfully paired this motor with a 5-speed manual gearbox that releases the torque output to the front wheels. The car maker claims that the vehicle can produce a maximum mileage of 20.54 Kmpl on highways, while delivering approximately 17 Kmpl on city roads.

Braking and Handling:

The automaker is offering this sedan with a highly proficient braking system. Its front wheels are fitted with discs and rear ones have been paired with drum brakes, which works fine in all weather conditions. As far as the suspension is concerned, its front axle is equipped with McPherson strut loaded with stabilizer bar. While the rear axle is fitted with a robust semi-independent trailing arm system, which can deal with jerks caused on uneven roads. The car maker has also installed a sophisticated speed sensitive electric power steering system that supports a minimum turning radius of just 5.1-meters.

Comfort Features:

The Volkswagen Vento Konekt Diesel Comfortline is the mid level trim that is introduced with an exclusive package. It includes entertainment aspects including a Blaupunkt infotainment with 7-inch touchscreen that supports GPS navigation with Igo-Navtech maps, USB and Bluetooth enabled telephony connectivity. This Konekt package also includes rear seat entertainment featuring an android powered 8-inch Blaupunkt tablets that also supports Bluetooth, two sims with 3G connectivity and WiFi connectivity as well. Apart from these, it has standard Comfortline features like an air conditioning system with dust and pollen filter, rear parking sensors, height adjustable driver's seat, power steering with tilt and telescopic adjustment. In addition to these, it has electric trunk opening, center console including 2-cup holders, rear doors with storage compartment, remote control central locking, front sun visors, passenger's side vanity mirror, all four power windows and an instrument cluster featuring speedometer, tachometer, and trip odometer.

Safety Features:

This latest trim comes with some of the most important safety aspects, which provides proper safety to the occupants. It has fully galvanized body construction that comes with anti-perforation warranty for 6-years. It features side impact protection beams and crumple zones that reduces the impact caused in case of collision. At the same time, it comes with aspects like rear defogger, lane change indicator, height adjustable head restraints, electronic engine immobilizer, day and night inside rear view mirror, 3-point seat belts, fog lights and pinch guard safety for all four power windows.

Pros:

1. Advanced Blaupunkt infotainment aspects adds to its competitiveness.

2. Engine performance and acceleration is good.

Cons:

1. Safety and technical specifications could have been made better.

2. Low ground clearance is a disadvantage.