Rumour: Volkswagen to launch Vento sedan with 1.2 TSI engine?

Amid a slowing down car market in India, German car giant Volkswagen won't be launching all new products until 2015. However, the car maker will launch periodic refreshes of its existing range of cars. This strategy has already been playing out with the likes of the Polo GT TSI, the Cross Polo and the Polo GT TDI being launched in quick succession. The latest refresh to join this list could be the Vento sedan, one of the major sellers in Volkswagen's Indian portfolio. 

According to Overdrive, Volkswagen will outfit the 1.2 liter TSI turbo petrol engine in the Vento, replacing the 1.6 liter MPI petrol motor. This move comes on the back of Volkswagen AG's executive vice president for quality, Mark Trahan, indicating that the car maker would replace its naturally aspirated petrol engines sold in the USA with smaller, turbocharged units. Mr Trahan, speaking to DetroitNews, went on to add that the Volkswagen group was looking at an all-turbo engine line up over the next 3-4 years. 

Globally, all diesel engines Volkswagen makes and sells are turbocharged units. In India, Volkswagen has two naturally aspirated petrol engines, in the form of the 1.2 liter MPI (used on the Polo) and the 1.6 liter MPI (used on the Vento). These engines are also used on Skoda cars such as the now-discontinued Fabia hatchback and the Rapid sedan. Volkswagen has already replaced the 1.6 liter engine on the Polo with the 1.2 TSI unit. 

A similar story could pan out with the Vento as well, with the 1.6 Liter MPI motor giving way to the 1.2 TSI turbo petrol motor. Notably, the 1.2 TSI turbo petrol engine, which comes in a 4 cylinder layout, outputs 105 PS-175 Nm, with the torque output being higher than that on the 1.6 liter MPI (105 PS-153 Nm) motor. Also, the 1.2 TSI turbo petrol engine is more fuel efficient, while producing lower tail pipe emissions. 

Apart from the 1.2 liter TSI petrol engine, the Vento's 6 speed automatic gearbox is likely to be replaced by the 7 speed, dual clutch DSG automatic gearbox. These changes could result in the Vento's price increasing due to the additional cost of the TSI engine and the DSG gearbox combination. If the Vento does indeed get the 1.2 TSI-DSG, engine-gearbox combination, expect the Skoda Rapid to follow suit shortly. The Rapid is a badge engineered version of the Vento.