Volkswagen Santana GTS: What makes it special?

Volkswagen Philippines has something interesting to offer from its local lineup of vehicles in the country. While it has a diverse selection of vehicles that are ready to cater to almost any readily available niche, there is one that stands out. This comes in the form of the Volkswagen Santana GTS, one of only a few wagon-type vehicles in the Philippines. With that said, this raises the question, what makes it special in a sea of crossovers and sedans?

Wagons were the hot thing back in the day when SUVs had a more utilitarian-oriented design to them. They were made to be rough and tough with little creature comforts in them. Wagons came about as a happy medium for those who wanted the comforts and features of a car but the covered cargo space of an SUV or a pickup truck. That being said, the Santana GTS offers the same package but without the crossover fluff. It also comes with an affordable price tag of between P998,000 – 1,029,000. This makes it the most affordable wagon you can get on the market today with its rivals being priced way above that price point.

The Santana GTS strikes a great balance between being a sedan with it sharing most of the same design elements as its Santana sedan counterpart, and between being a wagon with its rear SUV-like backside without managing to look like a hatchback. Its strong D pillar exudes the look of a boxier crossover or SUV but the clean lines contour well with the rest of the body. Overall it's a unique look for the wagon that helps it stand out from the rest of the traffic. This holds especially true once you put a nice set of wheels on it to give it a touch more style.

In terms of technology, the Santana comes well equipped as it has a 7-inch infotainment system that comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capabilities. Aside from this the vehicle also comes with rear parking distance control, an electronic stabilization program with brake assist, anti-slip regulation, and an immobilizer.

Just like its sedan counterpart, the Volkswagen Santana GTS offers you a comfortable and utilitarian interior. It comes with a straightforward dashboard with a red accent down the middle, along with durable plastics spread throughout the cabin. There are soft-touch materials present but these are strategically placed. The seats are comfortable and supportive but are only manually adjustable. At the back, you also get a lot of space with 372-liters available with the rear seats up. This expands further and even doubles once you decide to fold the second row. This makes the Santana GTS very versatile as you can do a lot to configure the rear to fit your cargo carrying needs.

At the heart of this wagon resides a 1.5-liter naturally aspirated gasoline engine. It produces 108 hp and 150 Nm of torque with power being sent to the front wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission. While these figures don’t seem like a lot on paper it's more than enough to get the light vehicle moving at high speeds fairly quickly. It also has enough power to move the car fully loaded with cargo or people as well. 

The Volkswagen Santana GTS is the last of a vehicle body type that has slowly been cast aside by the likes of Crossovers and SUVs. It manages to do what those vehicles do best even without a more expensive price tag. Its unique proposition is that it is a wagon, a vehicle that can do a little bit of everything. It's the jack of all trades, but a master of none, but as the saying goes, but oftentimes better than a master of none.

For the latest deals, promos, and offers on the Volkswagen Santana GTS and other Volkswagen vehicles in the Philippines you can visit our website. There you can get a free quote for any of the vehicles that have caught your attention and we can help you throughout your buying process to ensure a smooth and worry-free transaction.