Track Test: Volkswagen Vento TSI, Polo GT TDI
Probably, the name car enthusiasts heard the most in 2013 is Polo. The buzz was sparked by Polo GT TSI in April, followed by the Cross Polo in August and the Polo GT TDI in September. The blissful combination of the 1.2 litre turbocharged engine and DSG gearbox made the GT TSI very desirable. Volkswagen also listened to the clamour for a punchier diesel variant by dropping the Vento’s 1.6 litre diesel engine into the Polo GT TDI. Now, with the disparity between petrol and diesel prices fast shrinking, the carmaker is extending the 1.2 litre TSI to Vento as well.
The best way to learn about these cars’ capabilities is to drive them in a controlled environment. I recently drove the Vento TSI and Polo TDI back to back at the Buddh International Circuit to find out what makes them completely different animals.
Visually, both cars don’t imply what they actually capable of doing. Just like its petrol sibling, the Polo TDI gets GT badging on the grille and the boot lid, but not on the C pillar. Interiors are identical to the TSI, too.
There’s no way you’re going to spot a Vento TSI on road, unless your attention to detail is impeccable. Save for a subtle addition of chrome on the boot lid and fog lamp surrounds and new alloy wheels, the design remains unchanged. However, it comes with more features such as Hill Hold Assist, ESP, rear parking sensors and leatherette seat covers.
The Vento TSI is powered by a direct injection, turbo-charged 1.2-litre TSI petrol engine that develops 103 horses and 175Nm of torque. Off the line, the Vento TSI is pretty quick, without a hint of turbo lag. However, compared to the Polo TSI’s 10.85sec 0-100kmph sprint time, the sedan is slightly slower at 11.52sec. Yet, it’s nearly four seconds quicker than the 1.6 automatic Vento.
The DSG offers a lot of get up and go and you don’t really miss paddle shifters here. Being on track, I was mostly on ‘S’ mode that holds on to gears till the redline before upshifting. ‘D’ mode would be ideal for city driving and if you need more control, Manual mode is on offer, too.
The Polo TDI borrows the drivetrain from the Vento and the 1,598cc, common-rail diesel engine churns out 105bhp and 250Nm of torque. The Polo being 65 kg lighter than the Vento, the engine feels more powerful under its hood. Available only in a 5-speed manual transmission, the TDI suffers from an inevitable turbo lag, however, there’s lots of punch available from 1800 rpm and the car accelerates from 0-100kmph in 10.27seconds.
Dynamics of both the cars remain unchanged and they handle the same way as the previous models. There’s noticeable bodyroll when pushed hard into the sharp corners of the track, yet, overall handling is admirable for their size and weight. In an almost 2 hours long test, the Vento TSI turned out to be my personal favourite, with which I had tremendous amount of fun.
The performance of both cars is sensational. Since the Vento TSI achieves better performance from a smaller engine, it’s more fun to drive while being more economical. The GT TDI, on the other hand, comes as a blessing for diesel lovers who craved a real ‘hot hatch.’
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