Volkswagen Santana: 5 things to know

Volkswagen’s stay in the Philippines car market has not been as smooth as it would have liked ever since it re-entered the country in 2013. Although the German carmaker has been performing well in China, it has been facing ruthless competition from established manufacturers like Hyundai and Toyota in the Philippines. The Wolfsburg-based carmaker had to find out a way to establish itself on the Filipino soil, and it just did that by launching the Volkswagen Santana.

The subcompact category is the most lucrative and important segment in the Philippines car market and therefore is the most competitive one as well. The category has been long ruled by the likes of Toyota Vios and Honda City, but with Volkswagen launching the new Santana, the subcompact category is really in for a surprise. Here are a few things that you must know about the VW Santana:

1) Most affordable Volkswagen offering

Yes! That’s right. With a price tag of Php 686,000 for the 1.4 MPI MT Trendline (the only available model as of now), the Santana is the most affordable Volkswagen car available in the Philippines. That’s Php 100,000 less than the Polo Trendline and Php 200,000 less than the Polo hatchback. However, one can get the Toyota Vios 1.3 J with a manual transmission around the same price (Php 668,000). But talk about competitive pricing, this price tag is as competitive as it can get.

2) Classic Volkswagen from outside

Take a glance at the new Santana and its Volkswagen stamped all over it. The exteriors pretty much mirror the Polo Notch, but the Santana stretches out almost to the size of the Jetta. Also, the styling is pure Volkswagen with just the right amount of cuts and creases. The chrome covered grille and colour-keyed door handles speaks the classic Volkswagen design language. It is currently offered in Pepper Gray colour, but soon three more colors - Polar White, Reflex Silver, and Deep Black will be up for sale in the Philippines.

3) Torquier Engine

The VW Santana draws power from the Euro 5-compliant 1.4-litre 16-valve, MPI four-cylinder engine that pumps out a maximum power of 89 hp at 5,500 rpm and peak torque of 132Nm at 3,800rpm. Power is transmitted to the wheels through a five-speed manual transmission. The power figure is a bit on the lower side but with 132 Nm of torque, the Santana’s engine is pretty torquey for its size. The torque figure is more than the Toyota Vios which produces peak torque of 123 Nm at 4400 rpm.

4) Decent Interiors

What is offered inside the VW Santana is pretty decent considering the price tag of Php 686,000. Step inside the Santana and you will feel as if you have entered into a trimmed down Jetta. The interiors are well sorted out with fabric seats and a black colored hard plastic dashboard. There’s a basic 2-speaker infotainment system without wireless connectivity. Also, the car features easy to read gauges and easy to operate knobs. The cabin gets chilled in a jiffy thanks to its effective air-conditioner which comes with a pollen filter.

5) Packed with safety features

One can assume that Volkswagen might have compromised with some safety features in order to manage such a competitive price tag. However, that’s really not the case with the Santana. It comes fitted with dual airbags for the driver and the passenger along with 3-point seatbelts for everyone. It also features ISOFIX and Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) as standard. To add on to it, the VW Santana is offered with central locking and remote locking for car safety. Interestingly, the Vios in this variant lacks ABS and keyless locking features which provides an upper hand to Volkswagen.

All in all, the Santana is Volkswagen’s most important launch of this year. With the Santana, Volkswagen will feel much more confident while battling against the likes of the Toyota and the Honda. But, does the VW Santana has the power to give the mighty Vios and the City a run for their money? Only time will tell.