2020 Volkswagen Santana 1.5 SE - CAR REVIEW

When you think of German cars the words most likely to pop up in your mind are expensive, luxury, and probably specific brand names like BMW and Mercedes-Benz. That perception is something Volkswagen wants to change with the Santana. Launched in 2018 with a base price of below Php 700,000, it’s obvious that Volkswagen really wants to take on other affordable and popular choices in the subcompact sedan segment pretty much owned by the Toyota Vios.

With that in mind, does the Volkswagen Santana have what it takes to beat more mainstream models and does it still exude German quality despite its relatively affordable price tag?

Exterior

The Volkswagen Santana’s exterior is best described as simple. It’s not gonna wow you in any way but it’s also undeniably a Volkswagen, also undeniably German. What you’ll immediately notice in front are the horizontal lines. From the chrome strips, the multi-reflector halogen headlight, the bumper, and the fog lights, all are connected or made up of these horizontal straight lines.

Moving to the side, it’s the same thing. The single body line that connects the headlights and taillights is a simple horizontal line. Same goes for the chrome strip on the bottom of the windows, and even the crease on the door. LED indicators can also be found on the side mirrors which unsurprisingly is a horizontal strip. It is nice to see the 16-inch alloy wheels break up the horizontal lines.

The back is a slightly different story. Yes, it’s still made up of several horizontal lines, but this time there are diagonal lines on the taillights. The top of the trunk has a little horizontal lip which looks like a tiny spoiler. Not bad!

Overall, the Santana’s exterior is best described as simple and straightforward. That isn’t bad though as many people will love the low-key looks of this, and it’s a German thing to have simple designs. Best of all, designs like this tend to last longer or age well.

Interior

As with the exterior, there is no better term to describe the Santana’s interior as it is also very simple. Typical of Volkswagen’s both old and new, the dashboard is made up of, well, horizontal lines. A plus for this 1.5 MPI SE variant is the gray finish on the dash and chrome strip that runs along the door panels and the dashboard itself, including the climate vents. It adds a lot of class and breaks the monotony of the otherwise dark cabin. A power sunroof is also standard on this top-spec variant which is a big plus in the segment. This adds a lot of light into the cabin and makes it feel very airy.

For its price, materials are, as expected, hard touch plastics everywhere. The materials themselves feel very good and build quality is great as well. I just noticed some minor vibrations while driving. The door armrests are covered in faux leather which is actually quite comfy. The seats on the other hand are wrapped in a nice combination of faux leather and fabric which makes them cool down better on a hot day. In addition, as someone who drives an Audi, I’m happy to see many of the switchgear I’m used to in the Santana. I was also really happy to hear a very familiar sounding rear parking sensor.

What I did notice is that the cupholders are placed a bit too much into the dashboard. This limits the height of what you can put in them. We had a drive-thru meal on our way to our shooting location for this review and the straws of our breakfast orange juice were hitting the bottom part of the center stack. I also noticed that the center armrest looks and feels more like an afterthought as it blocks your arm when using the parking brake. I did find a way to use the parking brake unobstructed and the armrest itself is retractable. In addition, the USB port (or cord rather) is located inside the glove compartment which makes them difficult to access. These days too, most, if not all cars have a USB port accessible somewhere on the center stack or in the center console.

As for cabin space, the Santana is a good performer. I stand at 5 feet and 7 inches and rear legroom is not a problem at all. Comfort is also really good as the seats are comfortable and not once during our 1 week test did I complain about the seats.

Storage

Storage is not something the Volkswagen Santana lacks. Inside the cabin, this is already plentiful with large door bins and lots of different storage areas in the center console. Trunk space on the other hand us at around 466 liters which is good enough for about three pieces of medium-sized luggage. I did not find any way to fold the rear seats to expand the trunk so I’m not really sure if you can store even more items when the backseats aren’t in use.

Technology and Safety

Technology is not something you really associate with the subcompact sedan segment but the Santana does still give. The specific test unit we had is equipped with an option 7-inch Blaupunkt touchscreen infotainment system which costs Php 31,000. While it does not feature Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, it does have the usual USB and bluetooth connectivity and other common infotainment features. The system itself is responsive and easy to use except for the steering wheel volume controls which seemed a bit slow. The speakers also sound a bit average and can be better.

As for safety, this top-spec Santana 1.5 MPI SE is equipped with Dual Front Airbags, Front Side Airbags, Anti-lock Braking System, Anti-slip Regulation, Electronic Stability Programme, Hill Hold control, Engine Immobilizer, and ISOFIX Childseat Anchor Points.

Engine

Under the hood, the Volkswagen Santana MPI SE is powered by a 1.5-liter Multi-point injection gasoline engine. It produces 110 horsepower at 6,000 RPM and 150 Newton-meters of torque at 4,000 RPM. It beats all its rivals by having a traditional automatic transmission with six gears. Most of the competition make do with CVTs or 4-speed automatics.

Driving and Comfort

When driving the Santana, you’ll definitely notice the good acceleration which is definitely thanks in part to the 6-speed transmission. Both in city and highway driving, the Santana can easily get up to the speed you need it to be in. The engine also sounds good for a subcompact and is quiet at highway speeds thanks again to the extra gear.

What I must say is that the steering feel is a bit too heavy for city driving especially for a small car. There are times that I had some difficulty parking and making u-turns because of the steering. That heavy steering does translate to excellent highway manners as the Santana remains very stable at higher speeds.

As for ride quality and comfort, the Santana is average. Ride quality is definitely something that can be improved. It’s not bad by any means but driving on bumpy Metro Manila roads did not really feel really good. On smoother roads, the ride quality was definitely really good. Road noise is also minimal which is good for its segment.

My real gripe with the Santana is the BlueMotion technology which is the auto start/stop system. What this does is it shuts off the engine whenever the car comes to a stop like at an intersection or in standstill city traffic in order to save fuel. It lacks smoothness in its operation making it look like you stalled the car. In fact, one time while I was parking, the engine turned off when I was gonna switch to reverse. Someone in another parked car was looking at me (the test unit is untinted) and laughing. I found myself just switching the system off whenever I got in the car.

Fuel economy is one of the Santana’s strongest points. In light city traffic, I was able to achieve up to 15 km/l which is definitely good. Driving in heavy traffic yielded around 8 km/l. On the highway we were able to reach a maximum of 18 km/l which is good as well but could probably still be better as our highway drive was mostly in heavy rain.

Conclusion

Most people complain about how the Santana isn’t made in Germany. Well, most Volkswagen models sold in our market before weren’t. To be specific, the very popular Jetta and Golf GTS were both manufactured in Mexico. Those two were very popular until sales were discontinued. Granted that it lacks some necessary features these days like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and the fact that it has an exterior look that does not fit well with most buyers in the segment who are looking for something that looks more youthful, that does not change the fact that this is still a German car.

So to conclude whether you should or should not consider getting the Santana, sure it has its imperfections, but there isn’t any other car in the segment that gives you that German build quality and feel for such an affordable price tag. Let’s add the really good driving experience too. Those all put together is the Volkswagen Santana’s main selling point.