The Volkswagen Virtus Sold In South Africa Gets More Than A Name Change

• Volkswagen Virtus is being sold in South Africa as Polo sedan. 
• Gets a 1.6-litre MPI petrol engine instead of turbo-petrol options offered here.
• Doesn’t get a top-spec trim, so misses out on some niceties like a sunroof.
• Still gets a 10-inch infotainment, wireless phone charger and dual airbags. 

Volkswagen has introduced the Virtus compact sedan in the South African market. It’s called the Polo sedan there and gets a naturally aspirated petrol engine instead of the turbo-petrol hearts offered here. There are a couple more changes to the sedan sold there, so let’s get cracking to see what’s different in the South African model. 

The main change for the Polo sedan is underneath the hood. It gets a 1.6-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine putting out 110PS and 152Nm from the now discontinued Vento and Rapid. This engine can be paired with either a 5-speed manual or a 6-speed torque converter automatic.

In contrast, the India-spec model comes with a choice of either a 115PS 1-litre or a 150PS 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine options. 

Coming to the next big difference, the South African model misses out on a fully loaded Top Line / GT Plus trim that’s offered in India. So it doesn’t get niceties such as a sunroof, ventilated front seats, digital driver’s display, dual-tone alloy wheels, projector LED headlamps and even six airbags. 

However, it still gets all the necessities, including a 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, a wireless phone charger, automatic climate control, cruise control, and LED headlamps (reflector type). On the safety front, the sedan gets dual airbags, ABS with EBD, rear parking sensors with camera, electronic stability control and hill start assist. 

The Volkswagen Virtus sold in South Africa retails from R 332,400 (Rs 14.79 lakh approx.) In contrast, the sedan in India retails between Rs 11.48 lakh and Rs 18.57 lakh (ex-showroom). And down the line, VW will introduce more variant and colour options for the Virtus in India which has been showcased recently.

On our shores, the sedan locks horns with the Honda City, Hyundai Verna, Skoda Slavia and Maruti Suzuki Ciaz.