Track Test: Volkswagen Vento TSI, Polo GT TDI Probably, the name car enthusiasts heard the most in 2013 is Polo. The buzz was spar...
Showing posts with label Volkswagen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Volkswagen. Show all posts
Geneva Motor Show 2013: Amazing Concept Cars
The Geneva Motor Show is well under way and the car companies have designed extraordinary, exciting and unusual concept cars. Take a look at...
Safest Cars in India
The modern day Indian car buyers are increasingly concerned about the safety aspect rather than getting carried away by the exterior desi...
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Showing posts with label Volkswagen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Volkswagen. Show all posts
Monday, 14 July 2014
Track Test: Volkswagen Vento TSI, Polo GT TDI
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.’
Tuesday, 2 July 2013
Geneva Motor Show 2013: Amazing Concept Cars
The Geneva Motor Show is well under way and the car companies have designed extraordinary, exciting and unusual concept cars. Take a look at the best ones...
2013 Volkswagen XL1. Much hype surrounds the 285mpg XL1, with impressive efficiency figures littering every appearance the lightweight concept makes. It is a huge influence on VW’s drivetrain technology development but it doesn’t look easy to reverse
2013 Exagon Motors Furtive eGT. Most car companies have someone who researches what names mean in different languages, but clearly not Exagon, whose stunning electric concept openly claims to be a bit shifty
Opel Adam Ralleye R2. What happens when you spec your Adam up to rally car levels? The Adam R2 is the answer, with huge power from its 1.6-litre engine and an uprated chassis. It will be built to compete on the world stage alongside other rally-converted superminis
ItalDesign Giugiaro Parcour. The world may not quite be ready for a four-wheel drive, mid-engined supercar off-roader with a coupe body style, adjustable air suspension and huge alloy wheels, but that hasn’t stopped the design legends at Giugiaro creating it anyway
Toyota i-Road concept. This oddball electric urbanite is Toyota’s vision for one-person transportation in cities. Think of it as a three-wheeled Renault Twizy, but the i-Road also leans into corners like a scooter. Don’t expect it to be fast, mind you
Tata Safari Storme. This is a fantastic adaptation of Tata’s answer to the Toyota Land Cruiser with snow chains on the wheels, a colour-coded roof box and ‘mountain rescue’ graphics on the side. Laugh if you like, but budget cuts affect mountain rescuers too…
Peugeot 208 T16. Those who remember the old Peugeot 205 T16 will spend long hours praying for this 208 concept to become road-going reality. It’s eventually bound for the European Rally Championship, with no talk yet about a spin-off
Alfa Romeo Gloria .Fiat’s naming department must be on holiday, because as well as the downright silly ‘LaFerrari’, the group displayed this blobby and voluptuous concept inexplicably called the Gloria. Expect major revisions before any production run
Honda NSX concept. A tweak here and there is all the NSX concept has been given lately, but there’s no doubt this is one of the best-looking cars to hit the world stage in a long time. Chequebooks are already open worldwide for this one
2013 Fornasari Hunter. The less said about this Hummer-esque concept the better, although it certainly grabs your attention. Too small to be of military value and too bizarre to appeal to the regular off-roader, the Hunter is amazing for all the wrong reasons
2013 Volkswagen XL1. Much hype surrounds the 285mpg XL1, with impressive efficiency figures littering every appearance the lightweight concept makes. It is a huge influence on VW’s drivetrain technology development but it doesn’t look easy to reverse
2013 Exagon Motors Furtive eGT. Most car companies have someone who researches what names mean in different languages, but clearly not Exagon, whose stunning electric concept openly claims to be a bit shifty
Opel Adam Ralleye R2. What happens when you spec your Adam up to rally car levels? The Adam R2 is the answer, with huge power from its 1.6-litre engine and an uprated chassis. It will be built to compete on the world stage alongside other rally-converted superminis
ItalDesign Giugiaro Parcour. The world may not quite be ready for a four-wheel drive, mid-engined supercar off-roader with a coupe body style, adjustable air suspension and huge alloy wheels, but that hasn’t stopped the design legends at Giugiaro creating it anyway
Toyota i-Road concept. This oddball electric urbanite is Toyota’s vision for one-person transportation in cities. Think of it as a three-wheeled Renault Twizy, but the i-Road also leans into corners like a scooter. Don’t expect it to be fast, mind you
Tata Safari Storme. This is a fantastic adaptation of Tata’s answer to the Toyota Land Cruiser with snow chains on the wheels, a colour-coded roof box and ‘mountain rescue’ graphics on the side. Laugh if you like, but budget cuts affect mountain rescuers too…
Peugeot 208 T16. Those who remember the old Peugeot 205 T16 will spend long hours praying for this 208 concept to become road-going reality. It’s eventually bound for the European Rally Championship, with no talk yet about a spin-off
Alfa Romeo Gloria .Fiat’s naming department must be on holiday, because as well as the downright silly ‘LaFerrari’, the group displayed this blobby and voluptuous concept inexplicably called the Gloria. Expect major revisions before any production run
Honda NSX concept. A tweak here and there is all the NSX concept has been given lately, but there’s no doubt this is one of the best-looking cars to hit the world stage in a long time. Chequebooks are already open worldwide for this one
2013 Fornasari Hunter. The less said about this Hummer-esque concept the better, although it certainly grabs your attention. Too small to be of military value and too bizarre to appeal to the regular off-roader, the Hunter is amazing for all the wrong reasons
Tuesday, 24 July 2012
Safest Cars in India
The modern day Indian car buyers are increasingly concerned about the safety aspect rather than getting carried away by the exterior design and gadget-loaded cabin. Do safety features of a car influence your buying decision? Or is it just the mileage and price?
Ford Fiesta has won the hearts of the customers for its state-of-the-art interior design. However, what’s more notable about the Fiesta are the safety features such as Crumple Zones, superior door reinforcements, front dual airbags coupled with Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) and Electronic Stability Program (ESP)
Honda is one company that never compromises on customer safety. The Honda City is the best example for this, all variants of which come with safety features including Two Airbags, G-Force Control Technology, Seat Belt pre-tensioner with double load limiter and control functions, ABS with Brake Assist and Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD)
Hyundai i20:
The safest hatchback, Hyundai i20, carries noteworthy features like impact sensing unlock and speed sensing lock doors, Electro-Chromic Mirror (ECM), parking assistance with camera and sensor, as many as 6 airbags ( 2 front, 2 side, 2 curtain) and Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD)
The safest hatchback, Hyundai i20, carries noteworthy features like impact sensing unlock and speed sensing lock doors, Electro-Chromic Mirror (ECM), parking assistance with camera and sensor, as many as 6 airbags ( 2 front, 2 side, 2 curtain) and Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD)
Like the i20, the Hyundai Verna too comes with two front airbags along with side and curtain airbags.Additionally, there are disc brakes at front & rear for total control, doors with impact sensing unlock and speed sensing lock mechanism followed byalongwith regular ABS with EBD
The Mahindra XUV 500 has all 4 wheels with disc brakes, tyre-tronic system for auto air pressure check, unique static bending head lamps and rear park aid sensors, ABS, ESP, Hill Hold and Descent Control along with as many as 6 airbags, which are not even available in premium SUVs worth Rs 20 Lakh
Tata Aria comes with some extraordinary features like Electronic Stability Program (ESP) and Traction Control System (TCS) along with ABS and EBD. Moreover, there are all 4-disc brakes, 6 surround dual and side curtain airbags and especially crafted Body over Frame construction with Hydro-formed frame members.
Volkswagen Jetta: The German engineering comes in a safe package that consists of Anti Slip Regulation (ASR) & Electronic Differential Lock (EDL), Hill Hold control and advanced ABS with EBD and Brake Assist.
Skoda Laura features safety elements such as park distance control, darkness sensing headlamps and 6 surround airbags. Furthermore, some commanding tools involve ESP, ASR, TCS, EDL, and ABS with EBD and BA.
Hyundai Sonata: The third Hyundai car to feature in this list ropes in ABS with EBD and ESP along with dual SRS airbags at front with passenger detect function, side and curtain airbags for rear passengers. Likewise, there are more elements such as TCS, BA, rear park-assist, rear defogger with timer and parking with display in Electro chromic mirror (ECM), while the list is endless at this price point.
Honda Accord- The large premium sedan has 6 intelligent airbags, innovative VSA (Vehicle Stability Assist) technology and 4-wheel discs. In addition to these, there are ABS plus EBD and active headrest, while the car also boasts Honda’s G-CON technology
Nissan Teana: Active head restraints support the head, by moving forward in the event of a collision. Improved Zone Body construction absorbs and diffuses the energy of a front-end collision and helps to maintain the integrity of the passenger compartment. Together with pretensioner front seatbelts, Dual front, side and curtain SRS airbags help reduce the risk of injury
Toyota Camry: Toyota’s luxury vehicle has got all 4 large diameter disc brakes for ideal grip alongside other features like Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) and Whiplash Injury Lessening (WIL), 6 SRS airbags, ABS with EBD and BA.
Volvo S60: This Swedish sedan has distinct elements like Anti-locking brakes with Hydraulic Brake Assist (HBA) and Ready Alert Brakes (RAB) with Dynamic Stability and Traction Control (DSTC). The long list of accompanying features include collision warning with full auto brake, Energy-absorbing frontal structure, Side Impact Protection System (SIPS) and Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS)
Renault Koleos: The compact SUV from Renault is packed with truly magnificent protections that consist of ISOFIX Child Seat Mounting Points, Front Anti-whiplash Headrests and all 4 anti pinch windows. ABS with EBD and Brake Assist, 6 SRS airbags come as standard
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