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 Taigun. Within the VW Group, the Skoda Kushaq and Slavia also employ the India-specific platform.
Design
The front has similarities to the outgoing Vento, but there are hints of a grown-up attitude here, looking more fleshed out while the headlamps are sleeker. The L-shaped LED strips within the headlamp units merge seamlessly with the chrome strips on the thin grille. The air dam below is flanked by the fog lamps all of which seem to meld into one big, black unit. The length of the car is a lot more noticeable from the side. The gently raked roofline merges into the tail and combined with the sporty black alloys, the sedan almost has a coupe-like look to it. At the rear, the tail lights have been partially blacked out giving off a nice sophisticated vibe.
Larger than the Vento
The Volkswagen Vento has had a long run in India and was showing its age. Volkswagen, however, decided a plain refresh wouldn’t be enough and decided on a complete makeover instead. Built from the ground up, the Virtus, while sticking to its Vento roots, gets some bold design changes. The sedan is bigger than its predecessor, for one, standing 4,561 mm (4,390 mm for the Vento) in length, 1,752 mm (1,699mm) in width and 1,507 mm (1,467 mm) in height. The wheelbase, too, measures 2,651 mm, almost 10 mm more than the Vento. 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.
Two powertrains
The Virtus has been launched with two powertrain options, both of which are petrol. The first is the lower-powered 1-litre TSI engine that produces 115 hp of maximum power and 178 Nm 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 and is available only in the GT-badged Performance Line variant.
Large cabin
Volkswagen says the cabin offers plenty of room for both the front and rear seat passengers. Those 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. The maximum legroom at the front and rear measure 1,020 mm and 920 mm, respectively. At 521 litres, the company also claims the largest boot space in its class. Aside from the space, the interiors of the car are clean and uncluttered. 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 with the red exterior paint option, 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.
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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 (a system that helps prevent secondary collisions), park distance control, rear view camera, hill-hold, ISOFIX child seat anchors, three rear head restraints as well as a tyre pressure monitoring system.
Locally produced
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. According to Volkswagen, the Virtus features up to 95 percent of localised components under the India 2.0 strategy.
Rivals and pricing
The 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 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 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, prices go up to Rs 17.91 lakh for the Performance Line variant. All of these prices are ex-showroom and are introductory, however, and will go up a notch once the offer period ends.
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