One of the two follow-up models from Volkswagen Philippines, the Santana GTS is a station wagon offshoot of one of China's best-selling subcompact sedan from the German automaker, Santana. The GTS marries the practicality of a wagon with the compact characteristics of the Santana, resulting in an upgrade in terms of utilization and travel convenience.
The Santana GTS does not go far from how the latest Volkswagen models look like. It's got the long strip grille with a large VW emblem. The headlights are a restyled version from the ones found on the late Polo subcompact sedan, so as the long strip of the bumper vent and fog lamp bezels. To justify its "station wagon" characteristics, the Santana GTS is equipped with roof rails on the roof, where a sunroof opening could also be found.
Inside, a combination of leather and fabric upholstered seats with red stitching highlights the majority of the cabin. There's a 60:40 split-folding seats found at the back row to allow trunk space extension when being demanded. For comfort, the cabin features an air-conditioning system with a pollen filter for cleaner breathable air inside. Under the hood is a 1.5-liter gasoline engine with an output capacity of 108 hp and 150 Nm of torque. The mill is paired to a 6-speed automatic transmission which then transmits power on the front axles.
Launch
The Santana GTS was launched on May 19, 2018, along with four other new models for the Volkswagen lineup. While the vehicle looks like a hatchback, its actual classification is a wagon. It is only available in one variant – the Comfortline. Powering the vehicle is a 1.5-liter four-cylinder in-line MPI gasoline engine. It is the only engine option for the vehicle. The 1.5-liter can only be had with a 6-speed automatic transmission.
Platform, Chassis and Powertrain
Powering the small wagon is a 1.5-liter gasoline engine. It produces 108hp and 150 Nm of torque. The engine is only available with a 6-speed automatic transmission. For suspension, the Santana GTS comes with MacPherson suspension at the front and Composite torsion beam semi-independent suspension at the rear. Stopping power comes from ventilated discs up front and drum brakes at the rear.
Chassis
Class
Subcompact Car
Body Style
5-Door Wagon
Platform
Layout
Front Engine, Front-Wheel Drive
Platform
Volkswagen Group A05+ Platform
Powertrain
Engine
1.5L EA211 Inline-4 Gasoline
Power Output
108 hp, 150 Nm of torque.
Transmission
6-Speed Automatic
Driving Performance
The Santana GTS is powered by a 1.5-liter naturally aspirated gasoline engine attached to a 6-speed automatic transmission. The wagon can be hesitant in stop and go traffic but otherwise, the vehicle will get up to speed easily. It’s not a fast nor is it a quick vehicle but it gets up to speed smoothly. Fuel economy figures are at 7.6 km/L in heavy traffic, while highway drives with the cruise control set at 90 km/h deliver 22.4 km/L.
Technology Features
For infotainment, the Santana GTS features a head unit that comes with Tuner, CD, and MP3 functionalities. It also features Aux, Bluetooth, SD Card, and USB connectivity. An optional addition to the vehicle is a Blaupunkt infotainment system.
Exterior
The exterior of the Santana GTS features a plain, simple, and timeless design. Large halogen reflector headlights flank either side of the vehicle, these also encompass a four-bar rectangular grille. The bottom bumper features a wide grille, it has a chrome accent that stretches from either side of the car ending at the fog light housings. At the back, it features a sloping roofline that ends with an abrupt angle with the tailgate. Horizontally-themed taillights are located on either side of the rear of the vehicle. The plain rear is broken with an accent line that separates the bumper from the tailgate of the car, that wraps around to the sides of the vehicle. The design of the Santana is topped off with roof rails which add to the wagon look of the vehicle.
Interior
The interior of the Santana GTS comes in a black theme with a light gray headliner. The black interior is accented by a red line that runs across the dashboard and red accent stitching on the seats. The rear seats can also be folded to create more cargo space at the rear of the vehicle. With the seats down cargo space increases from 372L all the way up to 1,255L. A sunroof is also present in the vehicle allowing for more natural light to enter to brighten up the cabin. Climate controls come in the form of manual dials that make operation easy. Steering wheel controls are also present in the vehicle adding to the convenience of operating the infotainment system.
Safety
The Volkswagen Santana GTS features front and side airbags. It also comes with an electronic stability program that can help you get the vehicle out of a sticky situation. It also comes standard with ABS and EBD. ISOFIX is also standard in the vehicle.
Pros & Cons
What you will like about the Santana GTS is a spacious and flexible cabin. It also has commendable fuel efficiency on the highway and has a pliant ride.
On the other hand, what you might not like about the Santana GTS is that it has a bit of hesitation when you want to move it forward. The steering leaves something to be desired as it needs improvement. For the audiophiles out there, the speakers can be a bit flat despite customizing the settings.
The Santana GTS makes its way into Caco’s hands for a proper segment of Behind the Wheel, and we’re elated because we don’t usually get wagons in this country.
Ask our team of experts any question and we will do our best to give you the best answer possible.
Does the Santana GTS comes with a sunroof?
The Santana GTS, along with the range-topping Santana SE sedan, comes with a sunroof as standard.
Does the Santana GTS's rear seats fold?
The Santana GTS's rear seats fold to reveal a bigger cargo area.
Does the Santana GTS come with a manual transmission?
In the Philippines, the Santana GTS is exclusively available with a 6-speed automatic transmission.
Is the Santana GTS a wagon or a hatchback?
The Santana GTS is a wagon, which can be seen on its D-pillar and longer rear overhang, as opposed to the short rear overhangs of hatchbacks.
Important: AutoDeal.com.ph aims to provide the most accurate and updated vehicle information as possible. However, please note that vehicle specifications, prices, and images may be changed by the manufacturers and dealerships without prior notice. Always test drive a vehicle before purchasing. If you spot a potential mistake, feel free to contact us at info@autodeal.com.ph.
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