Function key: 2021 Volkswagen Santana 180 MPI AT SE

Volkswagen Philippines is marketing the VW Santana as your introduction to “German engineering,” “luxury” and the “today car.” Does that mean that the Volkswagen Santana is every little bit of Volkswagen as any other Veedub?

Yes, the VW Santana may not be your mainstream Golf, Polo or even classic Beetle, but being a global car does have its advantages, and the VW Santana 180 MPI AT opens up a world of possibilities for you, and getting your foot in the door for the brand.

Starting with how it looks, the Volkswagen Santana won’t tug on any heartstrings, let alone be on a wall poster or desktop background of any teenage boy or girl.

And I’ll tell you exactly what I mean

Exterior

The design language of the Santana is as straightforward as you can get. Sharp, straight lines all around with nary any drama to get the blood pumping. Measuring 4475mm long, 1706mm wide, and 1469mm tall, the Santana features boxy styling that’s reminiscent of contemporary offerings from VW. Large halogen headlamps are the order of the day, flanking a nice, uniform grille with the large VW badge, The lower grill sits in between nicely appropriated fog lamps, and the bonnet seems to mimic a power bulge, but not quite.

Germans are most well known for their efficiency and no-nonsense approach to, well, everything and If you want to be convinced that the Santana is 100% German engineered, this design should wipe away all your doubts and fears. 

The side provides an equally dry-looking profile with the monotony only broken by a sharp belt-line that runs across laterally from the tip of the headlamps to the rear tail lamps. Fifteen-inch mags shod in 185 60 R15 tires look dinky in an age where 16 inches are the norm, but I appreciate the inclusion of bright side mirror-integrated turn lamps.

You really shouldn’t be expecting much with the design of the VW Santana. The overall look evokes a sense of pragmatic, utilitarian design, and simple aesthetics. And that continues over to the rear with straightforward tail clusters as well as reflectors at the bottom. At least they have this nice remote opening to access the boot space. We weren’t able to get the exact number of liters it can handle but I tried fitting 12 empty slim water jugs in there and it can handle all that plus more with no problem.

Interior

I can see the Santana fitting three of me abreast in the back with no problem. I like how the seats are designed with this checkered pattern in the mid section of the seats. The totally iconic Golf GTI has similar plaid seats and I think VW is trying to evoke the same design language in their lower tier models. I feel bad for the passengers not having any AC vents or USB ports in the back, but bottle holders on each side of the door and in the middle, as well as their very own dome light, are great additions all in all.  The lack of a 60:40 split-and-fold function for rear seats is a bummer but at least it has ample leg room and knee room as well as space for three passengers.

If the exterior design of the Santana is more, ho hum, You can’t help but feel impressed at how the interior is put together. It certainly is better molded than your average subcompact sedan. You won’t be finding any soft-touch materials on the dashboard, but at least the entire cabin is ergonomic with the buttons and gauges nicely laid out. Being a European car, the light switches are dials on the far left of the drivers side, while the stalks are used to control the wipers and cruise control. It also has manual AC controls, a seven-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay but, sadly, not Android Auto. The Volkswagen Santana also has six speakers, a USB port for smartphone integration and charging a small, stowable center armrest with space for small items and adjustable steering wheel.

The steering wheel, sadly, is only adjustable for rake and not reach. But with manual controls on the seats, it’s easy to find your ideal driving position. You also have media controls on the flat-bottom steering wheel. The overall design is refreshingly normal, wonderfully well-built as all Volkswagen vehicles are (and should be). I’ve always been a fan of how VW gauges are laid out, with brightly lit panels and a center screen for your trip information. I know VW is trying its best to give new drivers the complete VW experience, and I appreciate how it hasn’t compromised too much with the design. The sunroof may be small and dinky, but I’m glad it has one. However, this dial takes some time to get used to. I thought it was for the center dome light,  but it was for the sunroof. With all the rain we’ve been having lately, I was actually drenched!

Safety and performance

Safety features include your standard airbags (four of them to be exact), ABS with electronic brakeforce distribution with hill start assist, stability control, rear parking sensors, Isofix anchors, a tire pressure monitoring system and three-point seatbelts for all passengers.

Under the hood, you get a 1.5-liter four-cylinder naturally aspirated engine, that makes 108hp and 150Nm of torque with Bluemotion — VW's automatic engine shutoff feature to save on fuel. While I have to commend VW for adding Bluemotion technology on the Santana, I find the system a bit too jarring, with the transition so abrupt that driving in traffic-ridden Metro Manila with it is just too disturbing. Luckily, there’s a button just above the shifter column here to shut it off, but by default it is activated so always keep that in mind.

Driving the Santana, you can’t help but appreciate the smooth drive it does offer. It kind of feels like you’re driving a European car, which this most definitely is. Independent MacPhersons up front and a semi-independent torsion beam in the rear provide a smooth and even ride. 

Steering is responsive, which isn’t something I can say for many of its competition. Direct feedback and responsiveness are the Santana’s strong suits. Power delivery is also, surprisingly, sprightly for a small car. Horsepower and torque figures may be par for the course but thanks to the finely tuned six-speed automatic transmission, the engine knows what gear it needs to be at any particular moment. 

If you need more power, shift it down to S mode just below the D on the shifter and you will instantly feel the Santana’s acceleration and driving characteristics change. There are no paddle switches or shift slots to change it on your own, but it does keep the revs longer and detects if your right foot needs to stay at a particular gear longer. 

Fuel economy for the Santana is tested at around 9kpl in the city and 14kpl on the highway, which is par for the course for subcompact sedans. To be totally honest with you, I totally misjudged the Santana just because of its tad-unexciting look. But just because a car looks like, well, a car means it's boring. I really enjoyed the  Santana.

Conclusion

Pricing for the VW Santana starts at P686,000 for the entry-level variant that comes with a smaller 1.4-liter engine, a manual transmission and tinier 14-inch mags. If you want the 1.5-liter engine with the six-speed automatic, you’ll have to step up to the 180 S variant for P898,000 while this top-of-the-line SE Trim goes for P962,000. 

The competition includes the best-selling but dime-a-dozen Toyota Vios, all-new but more expensive Honda City, aging Mazda 2, Korean twins Kia Soluto and Hyundai Reina as well as dark horses MG 5 and Changan Alsvin. 

I’ve written a lot of jokes about the VW Santana, but after driving it and appreciating it for exactly what it is, I’ve decided to throw them all out entirely. I have severely misjudged this car. Truly, the only way to really know what a car is all about is through a test drive.

SPECIFICATIONS	Volkswagen Santana 180 MPI AT SE
Model Year	2021
Vehicle Classification	Sub-Compact Sedan
Warranty	3 years / 100,000 kilometers
Under the Hood
Engine Model	EA211
Type	1.5-liter I-4 Gasoline DOHC  Engine
Power	109 hp @ 6,000 RPM
Torque	150 Nm @ 4,000 RPM
Fuel Capacity	55 Liters
Transmission	6-Speed Automatic Transmission
Drive	Front-Wheel Drive
Tested Fuel Economy City	9 km/l
Tested Fuel Economy Highway	14 km/l
Chassis
Brakes	F - Ventilated Discs; R - Drum
Front Suspension	F - Independent Macpherson; R- Semi-independent Composite Torsion Beam
Wheelbase	2,603 mm
Wheels	15-inch
Tires	185/60/r15
Dimensions
Length	4,475 mm
Width	1,706 mm
Height	1,469 mm
Ground Clearance	- mm
Kerb Weight	1,160 kg
Exterior
Headlamps	Halogen
Foglamps	Yes; Halogen
Side Mirrors	Power-adjustable with Turn Signals
Daytime Running Lamps	No
Body Kit	None
Interior
Instrument Gauge Cluster	Traditional Analog with Digital Screen
Infotainment System	7-inch HD Touchscreen with Apple CarPlay
Adjustable Steering	Yes; Tilt
Passengers	5
Power Adjustable Seats	No
A/C System	Manual
Steering Controls	Yes
Speakers	6
Interior Material	Leather/Fabric
USB ports	Yes
Power Sockets	Yes; 12V
Safety
Airbags	Yes; 4 airbags
ABS with EBD and Brake Assist	Yes
Traction Control	No
Stability Control	Yes
Hill-Start Assist	Yes
Hill-Descent Control	No
Seatbelts	F - 3-point with pre-tensioner; R - Rear 3-point Seatbelts for 3 Occupants
Rear Defogger	Yes
Remote Start	No
Immobilizer	Yes
Forward Collision Warning	No
Autonomous Emergency Braking	No
Adaptive Cruise Control	Yes; with speed limiter
Automatic Headlamp Levelling	Manual
Lane Departure Warning	No
Rear Cross Traffic Alert	No
Parking Assist	No
PRICE	Click here for the latest prices

 

Photos by Roy Robles