What is the Santana Vista?

[MacLouis]

Santana Vista is the upgraded version of the Santana, known as Zhijun in Chinese. Taking the 2010 Santana Zhijun as an example, its body dimensions are: length 4687mm, width 1700mm, height 1450mm, wheelbase 2656mm, minimum ground clearance 115mm, and fuel tank capacity 60l. The 2010 Santana Zhijun is equipped with a 1.6L naturally aspirated engine, with a maximum power of 70kW and a maximum torque of 140Nm, paired with a 5-speed manual transmission. It features a front suspension type of MacPherson independent suspension and a rear suspension type of compound torsion beam non-independent suspension.

[PaulMarie]

I remember this car was everywhere on the streets ten years ago. I used to drive a Santana Vista too—it was Volkswagen's entry-level sedan in China. To put it bluntly, it was just an upgraded version of the old Santana, with a slightly sharper front fascia and more spacious interior—three adults could sit comfortably in the back without feeling cramped. Although most models came with a manual transmission, the 1.8L engine was more than enough for daily commuting. The best part? It was incredibly durable. I once took it to a construction site, and it didn’t let me down. Even now, seeing one on the used car market feels nostalgic—just like the boxy Jetta. That raw, mechanical driving experience is something modern cars just can’t match.

[VanErin]

This car is a typical example of practicality. Our family bought a Santana Vista in 2010, and it ran for eight years without major repairs. The body size is similar to today's compact sedans, but the trunk is exceptionally deep—easily fitting a stroller plus two suitcases. Fuel consumption is honest, barely exceeding 8L/100km in city traffic, and it runs fine on regular 92-octane fuel. The steering is on the heavy side but precise, and it feels rock-solid on rainy highways. Just remember the suspension is stiff—slow down for speed bumps. But the body panels are thick; once, a scooter scraped it and only took off a bit of paint.

[RebeccaDella]

The Santana Vista is essentially Volkswagen's localized product for the Chinese market, simply put, a facelift of the Santana 3000. It adopted the same PQ25 platform as the Sagitar, retaining the classic silhouette but with more rounded bumper lines. Power-wise, it mostly relied on the rugged EA113 engine, with some later models equipped with Volkswagen's own 6AT transmission. Interestingly, the interior layout was a direct carryover from the original Santana—hard plastics dominated, but the button placements were ergonomic, allowing for smooth blind operation while driving.