Here’s a look at the all-new Volkswagen Virtus launched at Rs 11.21 lakh
The Volkswagen Virtus has been launched in India in two powertrain options across four trim levels. Replacing the Vento in India and VW’s new sedan goes up against rivals that include its own sister car, the Skoda Slavia.
After numerous teasers and showings, Volkswagen has finally launched the Virtus starting at a price of Rs 11.21 lakh. The Virtus becomes Volkswagen’s second car to be underpinned by the MQB A0 IN platform after the Volkswagen Taigun. Within the VW Group, the Skoda Kushaq and Slavia also employ the India specific platform. (Image: Volkswagen)
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Design wise, the front has that similarity to the outgoing Vento, but there are hints of a grown-up attitude here. The fascia is more fleshed out and the headlamps are sleeker. L-shaped LED strips within the headlamp units merge seamlessly with the chrome strips on the slim grille line, at the centre of which is the 3D VW logo. Foglamps flank a larger air dam, all of it seeming to be one big, black unit. The length of the Virtus is a more apparent from the side. The roofline is raked and merges into the tail. This, combined with the sporty black alloys give the Virtus an almost coupe-like look. At the rear, the tail lights have been partially blacked out giving off a nice sophisticated vibe. (Image: Volkswagen)
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The Volkswagen Vento has had a long run in India and with a new age dawning, the aging sedan was in dire need of a refresh. Volkswagen, however, decided a plain refresh wouldn’t be enough and decided to rebrand the car almost entirely. Built from the ground up, the Virtus while sticking to its Vento roots, gets some bold design changes. The sedan is longer than its predecessor, for one, measuring 4,561 mm in length, 1,752 mm in width, 1,507 mm in height. Wheelbase, too, measures 2,651 mm. These dimensions are identical to the Skoda Slavia. The Virtus, however, is just a tad longer than the Skoda sedan, making it the biggest car in its class. (Image: Volkswagen)
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The Volkswagen Virtus has been launched with two powertrain options, both of which are petrol. The first one is the lower powered 1-litre TSI engine that produces 115 hp of maximum power and 178 m of torque. This can be mated to either a 6-speed manual transmission or a 6-speed torque convertor automatic gearbox. The thing about this engine is that it is the only one used in the Virtus’ Dynamic Line variant which itself features three trim levels, namely Comfortline, Highline and Topline. The second engine is a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol that is capable of churning out 150 hp of maximum power and 250 Nm of peak torque. This engine is exclusively mated to a 7-speed dual clutch transmission is further available only in the GT-badged Performance Line variant. (Image: Volkswagen)
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According to Volkswagen, the cabin offers plenty of room for both the front as well as rear seat passengers. The passengers in the front get a headroom of 1,021 mm and shoulder room of 1,390 mm while the rear passengers get 952 mm and 1,349 mm respectively. Additionally, the maximum legroom for the front and rear passengers measure 1,020 mm and 920 mm, respectively. The company also claims the largest boot space measuring 521 litres. Aside from the space, the interiors of the car are clean to look at. Taking centre stage on the dashboard is a 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system that is tilted, ever so slightly, towards the driver. The two-tone dash adds elegance and when opted with the red exterior paint gets a red trim as well. Behind the multifunction steering wheel is an 8-inch digital instrument panel. Other highlights include wireless phone charging, ventilated seats, sunroof, cooled glovebox, connected car tech, and automatic headlamps and wipers. These are of course, available on the top-spec variant. As for the overall finish between the Dynamic Line and Performance Line, you will see the beige and black interior scheme on the former while the latter features red contrast stitching on the seats for a sportier look along with aluminium pedals. (Image: Volkswagen)
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The Virtus also gets a full suite of safety features. Over 40 active and passive safety features include six airbags, electronic stability control, multi collision brakes, park distance control, rear view camera, hill hold, ISOFIX child seat anchors, three rear headsets as well as a tyre pressure monitoring system. As mentioned earlier, the Volkswagen Virtus is based on the MQB A0 IN platform. A derivative of the MQB A0 platform, the IN has been designed specifically for Indian streets. With this, the company has also localised most of the parts from the country itself. According to Volkswagen, the Virtus features up to 95 percent of localised components under the India 2.0 strategy. (Image: Volkswagen)
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The Volkswagen Virtus goes up against a host of rivals in India including its own sister car, the Skoda Slavia. Other competitors within the segment include the Maruti Suzuki Ciaz, Honda City and the Hyundai Verna. Now, while the Virtus gets a fairly powerful turbo powered engine, the Verna and the City also get diesel powertrain options. Honda on the other hand has also introduced the new City Hybrid eHEV featuring a hybrid powertrain. Moving on to prices, the Virtus is available in a total of four distinct trims. Starting at Rs 11.21 lakh for the Comfortline trim, prices go up to Rs 17.91 lakh for the Performance Line variant. All of these prices are introductory, however, and will go up a notch once this period ends. (Image: Volkswagen)
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