How the Volkswagen Virtus is likely to fare against the competition

Volkswagen India has just taken the wraps off the all-new, made-in-India Virtus sedan. It’s a momentous launch for the brand considering the fact that the Virtus has been in development for a while, and is key to VW India’s latest offensive in trying to carve out a major chunk of the Indian car market for itself. The Virtus’ arrival is also of prime importance because it will be built locally and exported to 25 countries across five continents, making it a landmark product for Skoda Auto Volkswagen India’s 'India 2.0' initiative.

It replaces the Volkswagen Vento and is near-identical in make-up to the recently launched Škoda Slavia (whose prices start at Rs 10.69 lakh going up to Rs 17.79 lakh). Both the Virtus and the Slavia are expected to bring much-needed growth to the diminishing sedan segment in India, which is facing tough competition from crossover SUVs. The midsize Virtus will come with a 1.0-litre TSI and a 1.5-litre TSI model, much like the Slavia, making the same levels of power (114 bhp and 148bhp, respectively). However, unlike the Slavia, VW has chosen to badge the more powerful 1.5 TSI as the Virtus GT. As such it receives a few visual flourishes like a boot-lid spoiler, blacked-out 16-inch alloys and airdam, along with black OVRMs, dual-tone roof etc.

The cabin gets treated to a 20.32cm digital cockpit, with a host of passive and active safety measures. Out of these, eight speakers, dual airbags and a touchscreen interface come as standard while the higher trims feature six airbags, wireless charging, Apple CarPlay connectivity etc. The Virtus is noticeably larger and plusher than the car it replaces, but then again, so are the cars it competes with, chief of which is its identical twin – the Slavia. Upon launch in May this year, the Virtus’ price point will most hover around that of the Slavia, differing only by a few decimal points. Keeping that in mind, it’s time to see how the car fares against its competition.

FIFTH-GEN HONDA CITY

The mid-size sedan segment has been kept afloat thanks to three sedans, with the Honda City having been the clear sales leader up until now. As the segment leader, it is the car the Virtus (and the Slavia) aim to dethrone, and therefore warrants a more detailed comparison.

Space

With its length of 4549mm, the City is now shorter than the Virtus, which, at 4561mm is officially the longest car in its segment. Same goes for the car’s width, which at 1748 is 4mm narrower than the Virtus. Boot space is also less than that of the Virtus, which offers 521 litres of space while the City gets boot space of 506 litres.

Price

The base model of the fifth-gen City is priced at Rs 10.9 lakh, a smidge higher than the price of the Slavia and therefore likely to be higher than whatever the Virtus is priced at. It also happens to feature a diesel option that’s obviously absent from the entire VW line-up. In petrol, the City offers a naturally-aspirated 1.5-litre iVEC with power levels marginally higher than the Virtus’ although the latter’s torque levels more than make up for the 4 hp power deficit. The Virtus also has the benefit of having a 6-speed torque converter optional as opposed to the City’s more frugal but less refined CVT gearbox. Unless the customer is considering a diesel powertrain, the Virtus emerges as a clear winner here. The Virtus GT, thanks to its sheer power and torque levels only finds a peer in the Slavia 1.5 TSI.

Features

The top-end City ZX CVT trim costs Rs 14.45 lakh, which is nearly a lakh cheaper than the Slavia 1.0 TSI. However, the Virtus 1.0 TSI, assuming it’ll be similarly priced, gets a lot more features including, multi-collision brakes, a bigger 10-inch touchscreen infotainment screen along with an 8-inch digital instrument cluster.

The City, however, is no slouch. It too gets a tyre deflation warning sensor, hill start assist, follow-me-home headlamps, ambient light, boot illumination, remote engine start, six optional airbags etc. that can all be found in the top-spec City ZX CVT (petrol).

Pros: Four-cylinder engine option at lower price, competitive list of features, Honda reliability.

Cons: CVT not as refined as the VW’s 6-speed AT, multimedia options comparatively less sophisticated, base-spec Virtus price likely to undercut that of the City.

HYUNDAI VERNA

The next-gen Verna is due for launch in October 2022 and this is unlikely to make the current-gen a consideration for those looking to buy a new sedan. However, in terms of powertrain, the Verna is the only non-VW Group rival that offers a 1.0 litre turbocharged engine option. While the turbocharged options offer near-identical power as the Virtus, at 118 bhp, the 1.5-litre naturally aspirated motor trails behind with only 113hp.

In terms of features, the Verna offers plenty from wireless phone charging, cruise control, ventilated seats, cornering headlamps and six airbags (as an optional extra). In terms of dimensions, however, the Verna falls short by over 100mm in length and over 20mm in width. Rear disc brakes are only available in the top-end turbocharged variant, along with hill hold, front parking sensors etc.

The biggest thing working against the Verna is its price. At Rs 14.27 lakh, the dual-clutch transmission turbo option is considerably more expensive than what the base Virtus is likely to be priced at. And given that it will offer similar power levels even in base-spec, along with added utility (sans dual-clutch transmission which is only available in GT trim) the Virtus comes out as the clear winner.

Pros: Multiple powertrain options, dual-clutch transmission available with 1.0-litre turbo option.

Cons: Likely to be outdated soon, not as spacious as the Virtus, turbo option only available in top-end, non-turbo option not particularly powerful.

ŠKODA SLAVIA

The Slavia shares its underpinnings with the Virtus and is based on the same MQB A0-IN platform. This gives the Slavia near-identical dimensions, power levels and features as the Virtus, really bringing it down the Virtus’ price and individual brand preference. In the VW stables, the Virtus stands as the lone sedan offering with neither the Jetta (the Octavia’s peer) nor the Passat (the Superb’s peer) anywhere in sight. The Slavia however, particularly in 1.5 TSI guise is considerably cheaper than the Octavia, while offering excellent levels of space and performance.

When compared to the Slavia, the Virtus is still marginally longer. However, the Slavia has the same wheelbase and width as the Virtus. For all other intents and purposes, these are very similar cars with the Slavia 1.0 TSI having the same power levels and safety features. Only the final price of the Virtus can determine the winner here.

Pros: Same as the Virtus’, really

Cons: Top-end 1.5 TSI doesn’t get visual flourishes or VRS badging while the Virtus gets GT badging and distinctly sportier looks.

MARUTI SUZUKI CIAZ

It’s not a good year to be Maruti Suzuki, and certainly not a good year to be a Ciaz. The current-gen model is getting a bit long in the tooth and is smaller, less powerful and less premium when compared to the Virtus. The petrol model’s power levels are woefully low at 103 bhp with equally underwhelming torque levels when compared to the Virtus or any other direct competitor. Where the Ciaz has an upper hand is in terms of its price point which maxes out at Rs 11.86 lakh and starts at Rs 8.87 lakh, making it the most affordable of the lot. However, its diminishing sales figures seem to suggest that people are willing to shell out a bit more for a safer and more feature-rich product.

Pros: Price, maintenance costs, access to Maruti Suzuki’s famed service network, mild-hybrid tech assisted fuel efficiency

Cons: Less powerful, doesn’t get 6 airbags as optional, not as well-equipped, outdated automatic option.