After months of waiting, Volkswagen India has finally launched its latest sedan today. The VW Virtus, which serves as a replacement for the Vento, is available in three variants. The base comfortline MT starts at Rs 11.22 lakh, the Highline MT trim costs Rs 12.97 lakh, and the top-shelf Highline AT is priced at Rs 14.28 lakh (all prices, ex-showroom). Pre-bookings of the sedan have been underway for a while now.
The VW Virtus shares its platform with the Slavia, Kushaq and the Taigun. Hence, many mechanical components and the feature list predominantly remain the same across the four models. The obvious difference here, though, is in the body style design.
Compared to the Slavia, the front end of the Virtus sports a more assertive and aggressive look. It is dominated by a sleek pair of headlamps and a relatively smaller grille. The bonnet itself looks cleaner and more “rounded” so to speak, with the lack of any character lines seen on the Slavia.
At the rear things are quite clinical, with a fairly conventional-looking rear bumper. However, if you do opt for the top-spec GT variant, VW will also pack in an extra boot lid spoiler, which would go well with blacked-out bits sprinkled across the design. Other GT specific design elements here include red brake callipers, all-black wheels and a black roof.
On the inside, things look quite similar to the VW Taigun, with a 10-inch infotainment centre being in focus. Additionally, the sedan boasts quite a list of creature comforts, including an electric sunroof, an 8-speaker audio system, ventilated seats, a reverse parking camera, wireless phone connectivity and more. Of course, being a sedan, the leg room on offer looks comfortable even for tall passengers. Although, we’re reserving our judgement for the full road test review.
Safety features here include six airbags, multi-collision braking, tyre deflation warning, hill-hold control, driver aids and an electronic differential lock.
Under the hood, you can either pack the 1.0-litre TSI engine or the 1.5-litre TSI EVO engine with Active Cylinder Technology (ACT), which depending on the car’s performance can run on two cylinders, for maximising efficiency.
In terms of power, the former makes 116.5hp and 178Nm of torque, while the latter churns out 152hp and 250Nm of torque. The 1.0-litre TSI gets a 6-speed torque convertor, while the 1.5-litre motor opts for a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic. Both come with VW’s idle Start/Stop feature, which turns off the engine when not in use.
The VW Virtus’ aggressive pricing puts it in a face-off against Honda City, Hyundai Verna and the Skoda Slavia.
(Image credits: Volkswagen India)
