It is named after the hot desert blast across the Sea of Cortez better known as the Gulf of Mexico

Now this may sound like a lot of hot air but it's the truth

Meet the Santana

Know the Volkswagen set back

No drama, that's easily the first thing that comes to mind when you look at it. It's not boring. Not a mod

It's just not dramatic. It means more towards

simple for instance two lines down front

Halogen headlamps on either side and a grill nothing more nothing less

Down the side. You've got two more lines body colored side mirrors with repeaters and 14-inch wheels

Which are just about right for its engine size now looking at it from the side

It's definitely not a snazzy as its Japanese counterparts found locally

it means more towards simple neat really like like a cold Pilsner or a crisp white shirt, you know, I mean, oh,

I've knit thick in the past and I'll probably nitpick again in the future

But this time it's for the greater good plastic covers on these wheels

Not a fan as much as a submarine captain is about screen doors on his boat. Yeah, those have to go

Now on our recent drive at Volkswagen

I put Nico our hosts four on the saddle inside the trunk of the Santana to prove a point

That's his auto auto but more importantly to show what 480 litres of space looks like an affair a car of this size

That's a lot. Wait. Let me see that again

Every time

There is one more thing

I want to point out on the Santana and it's found underneath the tow hook not really the previous thing on the planet

But when the car is full and you're approaching an incline that thing is heaven-sent now

There are no toys to speak of back here. Absolutely. Zip zilch zero. No not even bottle holders on the door

You do have one cup holder in the center

Which you probably will fight for like meat loaf in an episode of The Brady Bunch

But the seats are comfortable and roomy too good enough for two average-sized adults three seatbelts in the back suggest three passengers

but really

better for two now Vincent that I did notice that even on a warm summer's day with no tent in this car and it is

Black as you've seen the air is actually pretty darn good

Now inside the interior is neat as well

Everything is simple from your analog speedometer and tachometer to your very simple trip digital display

Dear no fuss radio your air controls, even the seats are innocent

What does have a bit of a maturity in here is the steering wheel and it's flat bottom necessary

probably not what it's nice and it feels good to the touch and

The second would be these plastic actions that you can find on the dash and on the door

You know sort of like a diamond pattern in a fall carbon fiber plastic kind of material

Which I'm still trying to figure out what the call

Kluber

plot thick

rubber

Powering the Santana is a 1.4 liter 5-speed manual transmission

That produces 132 Newton meters of torque and only 89 horses a little bit low on power. You might think and you'd be right

See, I've noticed that when you're trying to go uphill

when the car is a little bit full you will have to make your foot a little bit more on the

Led-based side and put a little more grunt into it to get the car going

But I've also noticed in the other side of it is that in traffic. This thing is actually very good

In fact, it's a pleasure to drive in traffic actually

Now when your right foot turns to lit and you want to try to ring all 89 horses out of the car

You will notice that the revs will go up pretty fast what you won't notice

It's exactly how noisy it can get outside because it's pretty quiet inside for instance right now

We're on 4th and we're at 2,000 and about 500 rpm. I'm gonna bring it down to third

Now we're at 3,500 rpm now there is a hum, but it's just amazing how quiet the cabin is

Considering that the tires on this guy are economical tires. It's just so quiet in here. It's pretty cool

Now there might be folks out there with reservations about the Santana simply because of where it's built granted

It's designed and engineered in Germany, but it is built in China and there's that stigma

well

Let's flip it around shall be there is a product that you might actually already own that is also built in China

but design in cupertino

Your iPhone you wouldn't have reservations about that now would you?

This 2018 Santana

Is available at six hundred and eighty six thousand Philippine pesos now before the end of 2018

Volkswagen Philippines will release the automatic version of

This car with we figure a small bump in price now whether you get the automatic or the manual transmission

We figure that this will still be the most affordable German car in the Philippines and that is music to our ears

Tick-borne

car fin

Plus aa car bird and that doesn't make any sense