New BMW X 5 in India

BMW presents us the facelift operated on the second generation of the X5 model. It will be launched next month, at the Geneva Motor Show, and will hit the market this spring.

At 10 years from the invention of the SAV acronym (Sport Activity Vehicle) and 3 years from the presentation of the second generation model that created this acronym, BMW X5, the Bavarian automaker presents a middle generation facelift for its first or real off -roader. Even though changes exterior and interior changes are minimal, BMW will please its fans with the new engines introduced in X5′s range and especially with the eight-speed automatic transmission which replaces the current six-speed gearbox, considered outdated by the Bavarian manufacturer.

DESIGN

The stylistic changes are not radical, being a part of the subtle line that BMW usually applies to its models when they go through a facelift. Thus, the grid and hood remain intact, the main change being found in the bottom of the front, where the previous spoiler covered with large black plastic parts, right for an off-road model is replaced with elements more worthy of a sports model in this segment. So, they dropped the black plastic - which presence is minimized, being painted body color. In addition, and a new metal shield occurs, the other big change is being found in the front fog lamps, which goes up almost near the headlights. The new X5 comes in line with the latest BMW range by adopting lamp units visually dominated by LED rings commonly known by the name of Angel Eyes, which is used as daylight or stationary lights.

In the rear, the bumper borrows the same lines present in the front, which is also painted in body color. BMW’s designers have moved exhaust system to to the far ends of the car, receiving a new trapezoidal shape. The taillights have also been slightly redesigned and received some LEDs typical of the Bavarian range.

Remaining at the aesthetic chapter, we must also remind about the new body colors available for exterior Deep Sea Blue, Platinum Gray and Sparkling Bronze, filling the changes in X5′s DNA.

ENGINES

The most interesting changes will be felt by the fans of the brand and model under the hood, where BMW keeps its reputation as they won the recent editions of the Engine of the Year competition. Thus, the new X5 gets two new petrol engines that replace the old units having an outdated technology. First of all, we are talking about the xDrive50i version that stands out by the V8 twin-turbo engine with 407 hp and 442 lb-ft of torque making the X5 accelerate in 5.5 seconds from 0 to 60 mph and get an average mileage of 18.8 mpg. For lovers of the six cylinders in line BMW engines, the Bavarians have mounted on the new xDrive35i version a twin-turbo unit of 306 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque reaching 60 mph in 6.8 seconds and a mileage of 23.3 mpg in a mixed cycle.

The lovers of the diesel engines will be able to base on the xDrive40d version which made its debut on the 7 Series range. The 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine offers 306 HP@4400 rpm and 442 lb-ft of torque (332 lb-ft reached from 1000 rpm), values that help to get the new X5 from 0 to 60 mph in 6.6 seconds and reach 147 mph. The average mileage announced for this engine by the producer is 31.3 mpg.

The most sparing customers that will choose the new BMW X5 will probably choose the six-cylinder engine on the xDrive30d version, that developing 245 HP and 332 lb-ft of torque. Performance of these versions are slightly weaker (7.6 seconds for 0-60 mph), but the engine wins at the fuel efficiency chapter, where the figures indicated by the manufacturer shows an average of 31.8 mpg.

All four versions of the new BMW X5 are raising at the Euro5 standards and are linked to the new eight-speed automatic transmission available as standard on the German SAV.

TECHNOLOGY

Obviously, the xDrive four-wheel drive is standard on all versions of this X5, which was doubled by the presence of packages like DTC (Dynamic Traction Control) or DSC (Dynamic Stability Control), the latter containing an army of systems that help run in certainly indeferent surface. Among them we can find ABS (the system that prevents wheels from blocking while braking), Automatic Stability Control (ASC / Automatic Stability Control), Hill Descent Control (HDC / controls the descent in slope), Automatic Differential Brake ( ADB / Slip Differential), Dynamic Brake Control (DBC / Dynamic Brake-Force Control) and Cornering Brake Control (CBC / brake control while cornering). In addition, the system includes brake drying in wet road conditioning, uphill start assistance, braking force compensation and standard cruise control with braking function.

At the multimedia chapter, the new BMW X5 presents both the latest version of the already famous iDrive package, and the ConnectedDrive system, which is intended to assist the one at the steering wheel at any time of during driving. It contains an adaptive cruise control, a signaling system of leaving the line tread of visual signaling and vibration in the steering system and especially the new Side View, which operates a pair of cameras that help the guy at the wheel to check the distance to the side objects when the car passes through a tight place.

New Volkswagen Vento

Overview - Volkswagen Vento

After the launch of New Polo Hatchback in Indian Market Volkswagen is going to launch the sedan variant of New Polo to compete with the likes of Swift Dzire, Hyundai Verna & Fiat Linea. Outside India, Polo has a sedan variant called the Volkswagen Polo Classic, but for India Volkswagen has christened the Polo saloon as "Vento". Production bases of the current Polo Classic are located in Brazil, South Africa and China. Australia receives the Polo Classic from the base in China, and the model is the first right hand drive Chinese-manufactured car to be exported to a “developed country”.

The Vento, which means wind in both Italian and Portuguese, follows the VW tradition of naming its models after prominent winds. VW certainly hopes the Vento badge clicks in India when the car goes on sale this September or October. In fact, India is one of the most important markets for the Vento and the German company hopes to sell 25,000 units every year once production is in full swing.

Press Release - Volkswagen Vento Prices Revealed

The prices of the Volkswagen Vento are as under:

Volkswagen Vento 1.6 Trendline Petrol --- Rs 6.99 lakh
Volkswagen Vento 1.6 Highline Petrol ----- Rs 8.23 lakh
Volkswagen Vento 1.6 Highline Petrol AT - Rs 9.21 lakh

Volkswagen Vento 1.6 Trendline Diesel --- Rs 7.99 lakh
Volkswagen Vento 1.6 Highline Diesel ----- Rs 9.23 lakh

(All prices ex-showroom, New Delhi)

Volkswagen launches the New Vento at Rs 6.99 lakhs*

Delhi, August 12, 2010: Volkswagen, Europe’s largest car maker launched it’s much awaited entry level premium sedan the Vento today. The Vento will be available to customers starting at Rs 6.99 lakhs, for the 1.6 litre petrol variant and Rs. 7.99 lakhs for the diesel variant, Ex. Showroom New Delhi.

Speaking about Volkswagen’s market introduction of the Vento, Mr. Neeraj Garg, Member of Board and Director, Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Volkswagen Group Sales India Pvt. Ltd said, “The New Vento, which stands for best in class features and German engineering is poised to set a benchmark in its segment. Designed for the Indian market it will be a strong addition to our product portfolio. Adding further he said, “The New Vento is an extension of our commitment towards the Indian consumers of providing the best quality products at competitive prices.”

The New Vento will go on sale from September 6, 2010 across India in all Volkswagen dealers.

The petrol variant of the Vento is equipped with a 1.6 litre engine with an output of 105PS @ 5250 rpm and a Torque of 153NM @ 3800 rpm. It is paired with a 5-speed manual and a 6-speed automatic gear box and boast of fuel efficiency of 15.83 Km/l and 14.4Km/l respectively. The diesel variant is also equipped with the 1.6 litre engine paired with a 5-speed manual gearbox, with an output of 105PS @ 4400 rpm and a Torque of 250 NM @ 1500-2500 rpm and has a fuel efficiency of 20.54 Km/l.

The New Vento will be available in two trim levels including Trendline, Highline.

The interior is equipped with storage compartment in front doors for 1 litre Bottles, sunglass storage inside glove box, foldable roof handles with coat hooks, front and rear centre armrest, cupholders and “Livon” fabric upholstery are proof of the sure instinct of high design quality which interprets the classic elements of the Vento in a contemporary way. In exteriors too, the Vento offers Body colored bumpers, Chrome inlays in front grille, body coloured exterior door handles & mirrors (Highline), rough road package with increased ground clearance and partially zinc coated body with 6 years anti-rust warranty. With regards to safety, the Vento Highline is equipped with ABS, Front Airbags for driver and co-driver, Anti Theft system with interior surveillance and back up alarm.

On comfort, the Vento Highline offers adjustable front co-driver seat from the rear, CD MP3 Player with 4 speakers, electrically adjustable outside mirrors, climatronic automatic air conditioning with rear AC vents, remote control for central locking. Multi function information display including door opening warning, height adjustable driving seats, a steering wheel adjustable for reach and rake which improves the drivability of the passenger are also available. The Vento will establish a leadership position in its class with category defining attributes of space, style, comfort and safety. It will be manufactured at Volkswagen’s Chakan plant with an annual capacity of 110,000 cars.

Design & Styling of Volkswagen Vento

The front design of Volkswagen Vento is more or less same like the hatchback version like Tata has done with Indica/Indigo and Maruti Suzuki has done with Swift/Swift Dzire. The Vento is essentially the saloon version of the recently launched Polo and it shares a common platform with the hatchback. Both the saloon and the hatch are similar upto the B-pillar, except for a different grille and lights to differentiate it from its hatchback sibling. The Vento’s rear section or third box is well integrated with the body. The typically Volkswagen grille and stunning headlights only add to the appeal. All in all Vento looks awesome from almost all angles. The squarish tail lamps may not be very new in design but looks very good and suits the overall stance of Volkswagen Vento.

Interiors of Volkswagen Vento

The VW engineers were aware that the Polo’s rear seat would be inadequate for saloon car customers and hence the wheelbase has been extended by an estimated 50mm for better legroom. Headroom too will be better as the roof doesn’t taper down as sharply as in the hatch. Using the Honda City as the Vento’s benchmark, VW engineers hint at best-in-class comfort with the use of special seat cushions to withstand prolonged use without compromising comfort. Boot space is expected to be in the region of 500 litres with a split seat option on offer.

The top model (Highline) of Volkswagen Vento comes fully loaded with following features:

- Power Steering, Power Windows, Remote Central Locking System
- CD MP3 Player with 4 speakers, Electrically adjustable outside mirrors
- Climatronic automatic air conditioning with rear AC vents
- Multi function info display including door opening warning
- Height adjustable driving seats plus steering wheel adjustment for reach and rake.
- Dual SRS Airbags, ABS with EBD, Anti Theft System, Electronic Immobilizer
- Alloy Wheels, Sunglass Storage Inside Glove-box
- Front and Rear Seat Arm-rests in center
- Livon Fabric Upholstery, Electronically Adjustable Outside Rear View Mirrors
- Body Colored Bumpers, Fog Lamps, Body Colored Door handles & ORVM

Engine Options in Volkswagen Vento

1.6 Litre Petrol - 105 Bhp/153 Nm
1.6 Litre Diesel - 105 Bhp/250 Nm

The Vento will initially get two engine options – a petrol and a diesel. Both these engines displace 1.6 litres and both produce 105 Bhp. However, the diesel has a thumping 250 Nm of torque to the petrol motor’s 153 Nm and their driving characteristics will differ like chalk and cheese. Like in the Jetta, the petrol motor in the Vento is a naturally aspirated unit but it’s more advanced. While the Jetta’s 1.6 motor had two valves per cylinder driven off a single cam, the Vento has a four-valve head and double overhead camshafts. VW is likely to introduce the same engine in the Indian Polo after the Vento is launched.

The 1.6 common-rail diesel is brand new and comes from the same engine family as the 1.2 turbo-diesel that powers the Polo and the bigger 2-litre diesel under the hood of the Jetta. This engine comes with 90bhp and 105bhp power outputs and thankfully VW has decided to give us the more powerful engine. If the relatively lightweight Polo is anything to go by, then the Vento won’t be more than a 100kg heavier than the hatch, which should give it a good power-to-weight ratio. While the petrol Vento may not match the Honda City for pace, the diesel Vento should be a close match for the 110bhp Verna diesel. Both these engines, the diesel in particular, have been tuned more for fuel economy and driveability.

Safety Features of Volkswagen Vento

- Front SRS Airbags for driver and co-driver
- Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) with EBD
- Anti Theft system with interior surveillance and back up alarm

Safety features are abundant and combine to make Vento one of the world’s safest small cars. Included are the high quality, torsionally rigid bodyshell, advanced chassis design and standard features such as five three-point seat belts, front and side airbags, and ABS anti-lock brakes with electronic brake-pressure distribution (EBD).

Variants of Volkswagen Vento

Volkswagen Vento is available in 5 Variants - 3 Petrol and 2 Diesel.

- Volkswagen Vento Trendline
- Volkswagen Vento Highline
- Volkswagen Vento Highline AT

- Volkswagen Vento Diesel Trendline
- Volkswagen Vento Diesel Highline

Shades Available in Volkswagen Vento

The trendline variant is available in 2 shades:

- Candy white
- Flash red

While the highline variant is available in 4 shades:

- Shadow blue
- Reflex Silver
- Deep black
- Terra Beige

Official Press Release - Volkswagen Vento Preview

New Delhi, July 6, 2010: Volkswagen, Europe’s largest car maker unveiled its new sedan the New Volkswagen Vento in New Delhi today.

“For the Volkswagen Group, India is an important strategic growth market, as we continue to grow our volumes and market share in this automotive boom market with our brands Volkswagen, Audi and Skoda”, Christian Klingler, Group Board Member for Sales and Marketing commented during the car presentation. In the first six months of 2010, the Group delivered 16,900 vehicles in India, showing an increase of more than 100 percent and therefore a higher growth than the overall market (+29 per cent). “This clearly reflects the success story of Volkswagen in India and builds a strong base for our long term goal to achieve 8-10 per cent market share for the Group”, Klingler continued.

Speaking about the showcasing of the Vento, Mr. Neeraj Garg, Member of Board and Director, Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Volkswagen Group Sales India Pvt. Ltd said, “The Volkswagen Vento is a completely new product offering from Volkswagen in India. It will be another important brand pillar for us to stimulate the brand’s growth in the country.” He further added “The Vento stands for German engineering, Best in Class Features. This particular model has been specifically designed with the expectations and wants of our customers in mind, making the Vento set benchmarks in its class.” he concluded.

The New Volkswagen Vento - The New Volkswagen Vento will be available with a petrol and diesel variant. The petrol variant is equipped with a 1.6 litre engine with an output of 105PS @ 5250 rpm and a Torque of 153NM @ 3800 rpm. The diesel variant is also equipped with the 1.6 litre engine with an output of 105PS @ 4400 rpm and a Torque of 250 NM @ 1500-2500 rpm. It will be available in two trim levels including Trendline, Highline. The petrol variant is paired with a 5-speed manual and a 6-speed automatic gear box and the diesel variant is paired with a 5-speed manual gearbox.

The interior is equipped with storage compartment in front doors for 1 litre Bottles, sunglass storage inside glove box, foldable roof handles with coat hooks, front and rear centre armrest, cupholders and “Livon” fabric upholstery are proof of the sure instinct of high design quality which interprets the classic elements of the Vento in a contemporary way. In exteriors too, the Vento offers Body colored bumpers, Chrome inlays in front grille, body coloured exterior door handles & mirrors (Highline), rough road package with increased ground clearance and partially zinc coated body with 6 years anti-rust warranty.

With regards to safety, the Vento Highline is equipped with ABS, Front Airbags for driver and co-driver, Anti Theft system with interior surveillance and back up alarm. On comfort, the Vento Highline offers CD MP3 Player with 4 speakers, Electrically adjustable outside mirrors, Climatronic automatic air conditioning with rear AC vents, Remote control for central locking. Multi function info display including door opening warning, height adjustable driving seats and a steering wheel adjustable for reach and rake which improves the drivability of the passenger. The Vento will establish a leadership position in its class with category defining attributes of space, style, comfort and safety. It will be manufactured at Volkswagen’s Chakan plant with an annual capacity of 110,000 cars and will be available through Volkswagen’s 47 dealerships across the country.

About Volkswagen: Volkswagen, the largest carmaker in Europe sells its broad model range from the Fox to the Phaeton in more than 150 countries worldwide. Volkswagen currently offers the Jetta and Passat, assembled in Aurangabad for the Indian consumers. Also available on sale now is the iconic New Beetle, the powerful SUV Touareg, Phaeton and the New Volkswagen Polo.