2016 Volkswagen Vento - Available with TSI and DSG!

 After a long hiatus, yours truly is back to blogging because the Polo Sedan CBU that I own has undergone another facelift ( and gained a new name to be exact!). I am intrigued when I heard that the Volkswagen Vento, the new name for Polo Sedan, comes with 3 variants - Trendline, Comfortline and Highline; where the latter is equipped with the infamous 1.2 litre TSI engine and a 7-speed DSG gearbox.  

I'm lucky that the showroom has all 3 variants as its display units, so a clear differentiation can be done visually. While the black car above is the Highline, the best item to differentiate it among the 3 variants is the 215/45 wide and low profile tyres with 16-inch 'Syenit' two-tone alloys, which is one inch above the other 2 variants with 185/60R15 'Riverside' 7-spoke alloys. 

The Vento bears some resemblance of the Passat, isn't it? It's not a bad thing, considering the facelift has given the Vento a more upmarket design. Below, on the left is the Comfortline while the right is the entry variant Trendline. Being the base model, the Trendline loses out chrome bar and fog lights in the lower air vent. Other than that, it is mostly identical to the Comfortline. 

The rear gained a new graphics for the taillights, a newly positioned chrome bar on the tailgate and a redesigned rear bumper. 

 One improvement over my CBU unit is the electronic latch found on the tailgate, much more convenient than using the latch on the driver door or the remote to unlock the tailgate. 

As for the Highline 1.2 litre TSI engine, it generates 105PS at 5,000rpm and 175Nm of torque from 1,550-4100rpm. On the other hand, the 1.6 litre naturally aspirated MPI engine produces 105PS at 5,250rpm and 153Nm at 3,800rpm. I have always feel that the 1.6 litre NA engine is just adequate to power the Polo Sedan, so this 1.2 TSI engine should be a great addition for drivers who want more power!

Interior wise, you will notice the steering wheel in the pic below looks a bit bare. Yes, it belongs to the Trendline, where it comes with basic features and chrome bits here and there are omitted. No front center armrest and rear aircond for Trendline as well.

Now this looks a little better in the Comfortline, with piano black finishing and control buttons on the flat-bottomed steering wheel. It comes with Climatronic automated air-conditioning, leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear knob, front center armrest with rear air-conditioned. Both Trendline and Comfortline are equipped with ABS, EBD, Intelligent Crash Response System (ICRS) and the Comfortline gained additional 2 side airbags, cruise control and Bluetooth connectivity. Thus, I would say the previous Polo Sedan CKD units are on par with what the Comfortline is offering now. 

As for the Highline, it gained 'Cable' fabric upholstery. Volkswagen should offer leather seats for the Highline, in my opinion. However, I feel that the seats are padded more generously than the CBU units. Safety wise, it adds on hill assist control and Electronic Stability Programme (ESC) which finally make itself eligible for 5-star ASEAN NCAP rating! It will be perfect if it comes with 6 airbags though.

One thing I noticed is the graphic of the digital instrument panel in the Vento (left) seems like a downgrade from the one available in the CBU unit (right). It just does not look as premium. 

I would say the pricing (OTR without insurance) is well planned:
Trendline: RM80,646
Comfortline: RM87,646
Highline: RM94,461

Trendline is low enough to make buyers of usual Japanese B-segment think twice, while the Highline is well below the RM100k mark. Although the top-spec of Honda City is better equipped than the Highline, but the performance and handling should give the Japanese competitor a run for its money. 

Worried about the TSI and DSG reliability? The Vento comes with 5 years unlimited mileage warranty and 5 years mobility guarantee. But then, my experience with VW service center as well as showroom were not that pleasant either... 

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DRIVEN: Volkswagen Polo Sedan CBU !

When Volkswagen Malaysia first launched the Volkswagen Polo Sedan CBU at sub-RM100k price, it dropped the jaws of many. For the first time a premium car brand is selling its car under the RM100k mark, and Volkswagen Malaysia kept the best for last. Polo Sedan CKD came in and further lowered the price to RM89,888, about RM10k cheaper than its CBU counterpart, making it as one of the most affordable continental sedans in Malaysia. 

With a competitive price now, buyers who are looking for a B-segment sedan will not take the Polo Sedan for granted and go straight to the usual Japanese competitors. The Polo Sedan is unmistakeably a Volkswagen from afar, bearing the similar design language as its elder siblings such as the Jetta and Passat. Yes, the design is unexciting, but yet it is still brilliantly executed with a touch of elegance.  

Open the door and you'll notice that this is not an average B-segment sedan. Its doors opened easily with just a light pull and closed with a reassuring thud. Tactile feedback on the buttons are good. The meaty leather-wrapped steering wheel and handbrake lever were nice to hold. Although the cabin is mostly made of plastic parts, they doesn't look cheap and fit and finishing is top notch too. With a 2552mm wheelbase (96mm longer than Polo Hatchback), rear passengers enjoy ample legroom and have fair amount of headroom. One thing though, the fabric seats were a little firm for my liking. Perhaps leather would be more suitable for the Polo Sedan.

Oh oh oh, all 4 windows can be winded up and down via the remote control! Perfect for ventilating the heat out from the cabin in a hot sunny day, and also to wow your peers. People who buy a Polo Sedan instead of a Polo Hatchback must have taken the boot space into consideration, and I'm glad to say the boot space doesn't disappoint. However, it is noticeably slightly smaller than most of its competitors. 

The small monochromic multi-info screen in the middle of the instrument panel is a nice touch. It displays various info such as speed limit warning, average fuel consumption, real-time fuel consumption and outside temperature. 

The centre stack of this India-made Polo Sedan CBU looks slightly obsolete, but thankfully chrome trims are all over the cabin to cheer things up. I guess Volkswagen Malaysia took note of that and for the CKD models, it introduced the RCD 320 audio system that doesn't leave any empty space on the dashboard and replaced the 3 knobs with electronic automatic air-cond switches. 

Storage area is everywhere. Smart Tag device can be stored nicely in the rubberised centre storage compartment, huge glove box that can swallow a full-sized tissue box and a book with ease, 1.5 litter water bottle holder on the doors and some other small storage areas here and there. The only, I would say flaw (instead of user friendly), in the cabin is the position of wing mirror adjuster. The angle and location of it is just wrong... We have to twist our wrist in order to adjust the wing mirrors.

As for every Volkswagen, the headlights, tail lights and fog lights control are all at the knob on the right side of the dashboard. Turn clockwise to access the main headlights, pull once to turn on the front fog lights and pull once more to turn on the glaring rear fog light (only to be used during heavy rain or foggy environment). Instrument panel brightness and headlights levelling can be done manually too. 

The Polo Sedan comes with a 1.6 litre MPI engine which produces 105PS at 5250rpm and 153Nm of torque at 3800rpm, mated to a 6-speed transmission automatic gearbox with Tiptronic. This tried-and-tested combination is suitable for buyers who are looking for a reliable car in a long run. For those who are looking for Volkswagen's infamous TSI engine and DSG gearbox have to look elsewhere. While the power output wouldn't win you any race at the traffic light junction, it's still adequately powered that the Polo Sedan doesn't feel underpowered when climbing up the stretch of highway near Genting Sempah. 

Ride and handling are where the Polo Sedan shines. It can be said that the Polo Sedan is one of the best among B-segment sedans. The firm ride over road undulations doesn't send judders into the cabin. Body roll is apparent, but it doesn't make the Polo Sedan go off course easily. The steering wheel is direct and light enough to ease manoeuvre at low speed, although could use a little more weight at high speed. Best of all, it felt very, very composed when going through puddles of water, this can put many Japanese C-segment sedans to shame.

With the help of cruise control, driving on the highway is a delight. NVH is good where the engine is muted almost all the time, except when pushed. But it can be better because wind noise is noticeable at speed above 100km/h, breaking the silence in the cabin. Unfortunately too, the audio system with 4-speaker does not produce audio quality which matches the car's brand. Safety wise, the Polo Sedan comes with 4 airbags as standard, 3-point rear seatbelts for the middle occupant and anti-pinch for all 4 windows. There is no any form of Electronic Stability Programme available, not even as optional.

5-year unlimited mileage warranty is provided and without TSI and DSG, the Polo Sedan should be an easy to maintain Volkswagen product. The more affordable price of the CKD has enable more Malaysian to be able to afford a continental car. Seems like 'the people's car' is heading the right track!

+ Price, ride and handling, safety, quality.
- Could use a little more power, wind noise.

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Volkswagen Service Centre Dissatisfaction

While many have dissatisfaction with the after-sales of Volkswagen, I faced similar condition too. I bought a pre-owned Polo Sedan from a particular Volkswagen dealer with a service centre, the car is great but the Sales Advisor gave me a headache. The car was promised to be polished before handing the car over to me, but scratches and even some peeled paint spots (which I asked them to touch-up on the spot) are spotted at the moment of delivery. A day after that I realised even the plastic piece covering some electronics below the steering wheel is missing too. I accepted the fact that it's a pre-owned car but at least do a more thorough checking before handing it over to customer. The mileage was around 15,000km, but the SA gave a reason that service centre has no slot to do servicing and asked me to drive first because Volkswagen owners can now drive for 16,500km before servicing without getting our warranty void. 

To bring my car for its first service, I made some phone calls to the service centre to make the appointment. The calls were hard to get through and this is also commented by another customers which I eavesdropped in the service centre. So, after I have successfully made an appointment, I have to trouble myself to take a day off from work on one of the Saturdays, headed to the service centre with a complimentary service voucher for my first service. Guess what? My car had actually been serviced before my purchase without any note in my service booklet and also the SA's knowledge!

I was dumbfounded, thinking how come the service centre can be so negligent. Right now I still have no idea about will I get another complimentary voucher for my second service or not, at least as a courtesy for all the confusion, right? 

Volkswagen is a great car, I don't mind getting another one if I can afford. I know Volkswagen Malaysia is trying to improve by introducing services on Sunday in certain service centres and an Extended Warranty Programme of 1500km goodwill allowance to the existing 15000km service interval mileage. But Volkswagen Malaysia got to re-evaluate each of its dealers, especially in the after-sales service. Don't let the after-sales service becomes your Achilles' heel...  

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Volkswagen Jetta CKD Launched!

 The locally assembled Volkswagen Jetta has finally launched in Malaysia. Being the 4th Volkswagen cars under Completely Knocked Down (CKD) form after Passat, Polo Sedan and Polo, the Jetta CKD's price has been reduced by a whooping RM21,000! With improved equipment, mind you, not reduced. At RM130,888 on the road without insurance, it is now can be said giving its competitors a run for their money! 

Exterior wise, the Jetta CKD is identical to its CBU counterpart. The same 16-inch 'Navarra' five-spoke alloys, the same front headlamps assembly and bumper, the same tail-lamps and rear bumper. No changes under the hood too, where the Jetta CKD is fitted with the 1.4 TSI engine with 160PS at 5800rpm and 240Nm of torque from 1500rpm to 4500rpm, mated to the 7-speed DSG gearbox. 

Interior, however, has few changes. The most notable one is the RCD 320 audio system (with Bluetooth and USB connectivity) which replaces the RCD 310 in the CBU. The controls for the dual-zone Climatronic Control has been changed into three knobs instead of two in the CBU. Rear air-cond remains but so does the 'Sienna' fabric seats upholstery.

Safety kit counts remained too! 6 airbags, ABS, EBD, ESP, Hill-hold control etc. It will put some D-segment Japanese sedan (read: Toyota) into shame. The Jetta CKD comes with 5-year unlimited mileage warranty and a 5-year roadside assistance package.

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Cars To Watch in Malaysia in 2014 !

Happy New Year 2014! The automotive market is in a tough situation, rising fuel cost and rumour has it that the toll price will gain a hike as well. Nevertheless, the automotive sector will continue to grow with plenty of exciting offering from car manufacturers. Below are some of the worth-paying-attention cars which are going to be launched in this year (in no particular order):

1) Ford Fiesta Ecoboost & Fiesta ST

The highly anticipated 1.0 litre Ecoboost engine will be available for the Ford Fiesta this year. The three-cylinder engine is capable of producing 125PS and 170Nm of torque while sipping fuel at a rate of 5.3l/100km! Estimated price from RM96k to RM99k.

2) Honda City, 4th generation

While Toyota has launched its 3rd generation Vios, Honda will soon introduce the all-new City to our shore. Made its debut in India, the 4th generation City now comes with more space, better quality and luxury (hopefully the touch screen controlled air-cond and rear air-cond vents will make it into our market!). 

3) Mazda 3, 3th generation

The details we received from Mazda are the Mazda 3 will be sold in CBU form at the time it debuts in Malaysia with full SkyActiv technology. Estimated price is RM139k. The sleek looking Mazda 3 will be a good package with good handling, albeit the slightly high pricing. 

4) Mercedes Benz S-Class W222

While the outgoing S-Class W221 still looking great (even the Chief Minister of Penang, Lim Guan Eng just bought one!) after all these years, Mercedes-Benz introduced the S-Class W222 to the world. Packed with high-end safety features such as Magic Body Control, Night View Assist Plus, Traffic Sign Assist and the list goes on and on and on...

5) Proton P2-30A (Savvy Replacement Model)

No official name has been given to the Proton P2-30A yet (Proton is in the midst of choosing the winning name for P2-30A from a naming contest now), but the P2-30A is slated to launch in the first half of 2014. No details have been released by Proton yet, but from the spyshots it can be deduced that its size should be somewhere in between Viva and Myvi. 

6) Nissan Sylphy, 2nd generation

Not going to comment on how the outgoing Nissan Sylphy fair in the design department, but I can say the 2nd generation Sylphy looks much better! It should be downgraded from a 2.0 litre to a 1.8 litre engine mated with a CVT gearbox for Malaysia's market. The current Sylphy shines in the comfort and NVH department, the all-new Sylphy is expected to do the same or even better!

7) Toyota Corolla Altis, 11th generation

No further introduction needed for the Toyota Corolla Altis, as it is the best selling car in the world. The all-new Altis don a contemporary exterior design, opposed to the conservative design for the outgoing generation. 3 variants will be available - 1.8E, 2.0G and 2.0V, from RM115k-RM137k. Some gripes are VSC is only for top-of-the-range 2.0V and only 2 airbags across the range. Well, at least the Altis is a comfortable and reliable car...

8) Nissan Teana, 3rd generation

The D-segment Japanese Nissan Teana will soon be replaced with an all-new 3rd generation. Initial detail is the Teana will be available with 2.0 litre engine and 2.5 litre non-V6 engine. This will be a car where boss can drive and chauffeured in style. 

9) 2014 Volkswagen Polo Hatchback

The Volkswagen Polo Sedan CKD has an estimated price of RM87,788 on-the-road with insurance, thus the soon-to-be-launch Polo Hatchback CKD should be priced in the region. There's a huge chance that the Polo Hatchback CKD will be priced slightly lower than the Polo Sedan CKD, grabbing the title as the cheapest Volkswagen in Malaysia. Changes include a normally aspirated 1.6 litre MPI engine and tail lights design. 

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Highlights of KLIMS 2013 @ Media Day !

Kuala Lumpur International Motor Show (KLIMS) 2013 returned in the limelight after a three-year hiatus. The theme of this year's show is ‘Efficiency in Motion’. I'm grateful that I was able to join on the media day to have a glimpse at the grand event. 

First up is one of our beloved Japanese car manufacturers, Toyota. Toyota displayed 2 out of 5 concept cars available in the KLIMS 2013, namely Fun-Vii and NS4.

Camry Hybrid will be CKD-ed if it is sold in Malaysia. Perhaps National Automotive Policy (NAP) will be announcing some good news soon.

Lexus joined in the fun with the IS F Sport, LS 460L, ES250 and LF-A!

Volkswagen has the largest booth of all manufacturers, displaying more than 10 vehicles in KLIMS!

A 'cut out' model of the Volkswagen Golf to display Volkswagen's engineering, safety and innovation.

Volkswagen has unveiled the Polo 1.6 Hatchback CKD (third locally assembled VW model after Passat and Polo Sedan) in the KLIMS, going to be on sales next year and the price tag should be around RM86k. Two airbags, ISOFIX, Intelligent Crash Response System, RCD 320 radio and Climatronic auto air-cond as standard.

Introducing Blu! Volkswagen's mascot for the Think Blue campaign.

Blu is so cute, I can't stop myself from taking a photo with Blu!

Peugeot 2008 launched, price estimated at RM118k. The equipment list is long - one-touch foldable rear seats, Smart Park Assist, a panoramic roof with mood lighting, auto dual zone air-cond, 6 airbags and ESP, to name a few.

Look ma! A Perodua with boot! It's called the Global Model Sedan (GMS) Buddyz!

Ford unveiled the Ecosport SUV, from RM98k-RM108k. Booking is open now!

Finally it has arrived to our shore, the long awaited Ford Fiesta with 1.0L Ecoboost turbo engine! With 125PS and 170Nm, it has the performance which rivals a 1.6 litre engine. From RM96k-RM98k.

Honda wowed us with the EV-STER, a two-seater convertible, electric small sports car.

Accord Plug-in Hybrid is in KLIMS 2013 too, capable of travelling up to 37.6km in EV mode with a combined fuel economy of 70.4km/L!

This is a huge surprise where Honda Malaysia launched the all-new 5th generation Honda Odyssey here just two weeks after its debut in Japan! Odyssey EX is priced at RM228k while EXV is priced at RM248k. 2.4 litre i-VTEC, second row captain seats with Ottoman, 6 airbags, VSA while EXV has additional LED active cornering lights, Blind Spot Information with Cross Traffic Monitor, smart parking assist system, multi-view camera system and multi-view rearview camera. A worthy contender of the Toyota Previa (widely known as Estima).

Nissan Note, soon to be launched I guess.

Get ready to be electrified by the Nissan Leaf! Second EV launched in Malaysia after the Mitsubishi i-MiEV. Priced at RM168,800, the Leaf is equipped with six airbags, VDC (Nissan's form of stability control) and hill-start assist. It's a big hatchback, with a boot space of 370 litres. So, it's suitable for small families as it's cheaper to run when Malaysia's electric rate is taken into comparison with the fuel price.

Classic cars such as the Dodge Challenger are displayed in one of the halls.

Ford T-Model.

Finally, it would not be an auto show without models!

Looking forward for more models participation of car manufacturers in the next KLIMS!

*UPDATE: Forgot to mention that Proton is absent from the KLIMS 2013 because there is no 'strategic' and big enough space for its booth. Too bad...

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