Ford Fiesta AT vs. Volkswagen Vento AT

Ford has created excitement among automatic sedans in the sub-10 lakh segment by launching the Fiesta dual-clutch automatic at competitive prices (Rs. 8.99 lakh and Rs. 9.73 lakh).

The Fiesta automatic (AT) will have to face competition in the form of Volkswagen Vento petrol which features a 6-speed auto transmission. The Vento petrol is priced at Rs. 9.21 lakh. Here, we compare the Fiesta and the Vento in terms of drivability, handling, looks, space, comfort, features and mileage to find out which car is a better ‘value for money’ proposition than the other.

Driving and Handling

The Vento petrol is powered by a 1.6-litre motor that puts out 104 bhp of power and 153 Nm of torque. The engine is mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission which has ‘D’ mode for economy and ‘S’ mode for sporty driving. Despite having the ‘S’ mode, the Vento’s auto box does not shift gears quickly resulting in slower acceleration.

The Fiesta is powered by a 1.5-litre motor that puts out 106.5 bhp of power and 140 Nm of torque. The engine is mated to a first in the segment, ‘dual clutch’ transmission. This ‘power shift’ transmission as termed by Ford, shifts gears very quickly making it achieve a fuel economy very close to a manual variant. This also improves the drivability of the Fiesta automatic.

With regard to handling, the Fiesta has the perfect suspension setup and steering (EPAS with pull drift compensation technology) feedback making it the best handler in its segment. Though the Vento offers plush ride at high speeds, its EPS (Electric Power Steering) feels light and not so confidence inspiring. Summing up, the Fiesta AT has an edge over the Vento AT in both drivability and handling aspects.

Space and Comfort

The Fiesta measures 4,291 x 1,722 x 1,496 mm (length x width x height) and a wheelbase of 2,489 mm while the Vento measures 4,384 x 1,699 x 1,466 mm and has a wheelbase of 2,552 mm. Clearly, the Vento with its longer wheel base offers more legroom for rear passengers than that of the Fiesta. In terms of boot space, the Vento offers 454 litres while the Fiesta offers 430 litres.

Comfort wise, both the Fiesta and the Vento comes with good front seats with all-round support. At the rear, the Vento offers better legroom, headroom as well as shoulder room than the Fiesta. However, the transmission tunnels in both the cars eat up space. The Vento comes with rear AC vents adding to the rear occupants’ comfort especially during summer days.

Looks

The Vento is simplistic with a conventional design. The seamless integration of boot makes it hard to believe that the Vento is nothing but the Polo with a boot. The interiors have a classic layout with uncluttered instrument cluster and controls on the centre console.

The Fiesta looks futuristic with its ‘fox-eyed’ headlamps and kinetic design theme all over the car. The sporty dimensions give a bit of dynamism to the Fiesta. The interiors too, are refreshing with mobile phone-inspired central console and attractive instrument dials.

We feel the Vento will appear to mature audience while the Fiesta will attract the youth.

Features

The Fiesta AT comes with whole lot of features such as cruise control, Hill start, Hill Descent control functions which are not offered in the Vento AT. Also, the Fiesta gets voice activated controls by which you can control the air-conditioning, the phone and the music system. With regard to safety features, both the cars get Airbags and ABS with EBD while the Fiesta AT also comes with ESP (Electronic Stability Program).

Thus, the Fiesta AT is more equipped with useful features than the Vento AT.

Price, mileage and overall VFM

The Vento AT is available only in the Highline variant that is priced at Rs. 9.21 lakh. Titanium Plus variant priced at Rs. 9.73 lakh which is Rs. 52,000 more than the Vento AT.

Mileage wise, the Vento AT returns an ARAI-certified mileage of 14.40 kmpl while the Fiesta AT returns an ARAI-certified mileage of 16.75 kmpl. The Fiesta AT with its dual-clutch transmission offers better fuel economy than the Vento AT.

Overall, the Fiesta AT is a bit pricey than the Vento AT, but packs in more features and is more fuel efficient than the Vento AT.

Pros and Cons

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Verdict

The Vento with its elegant design and solid build quality is worth mentioning. However, the Vento AT performance is not inspiring as it lacks the technology as well. The Fiesta AT, on the other hand, has an advanced gearbox which translates to better fuel efficiency without compromising on performance and comfort features such as cruise control and voice activation controls. Therefore, the Fiesta AT is the winner in this competition.