Volkswagen Virtus Launched In Brazil: 5 Key Differences From India-spec Honda City Rival

The Volkswagen Virtus has now been introduced in Brazil and other South American countries and is being exported from India. In our market, the Virtus is a Honda City rival that gets all the features and equipment that we’ve come to expect from cars in the segment. But, how does the Brazil-spec model compare with the one sold on our shores? We find out. 

1: Exterior styling 

At first glance, the Brazilian VW Virtus is instantly recognisable as its namesake sedan sold in India. However, there are some small differences. For one, the Brazilian sedan has LED reflector headlights with the different LED DRL insignias placed at the top edge of the headlamp assembly, while the Indian sedan gets LED projector headlights with a DRL at the base of the assembly. Other than that, the Brazilian Virtus also has different and larger alloys, giving it a better stance.

Like the India-spec model, the 1.5-litre TSI engine (limited to the GT here) gets a bespoke Exclusive Edition with dark alloys and exterior bits, giving it a much sportier look than the already good-looking standard model. 

2: Interior 

Stepping inside, the two Virtus sedans have similar interior with minor trim and colour changes to differentiate them. The Brazilian sedan gets a matte-finish brown dashboard soft-touch material, but this trim piece is silver in the India-spec Virtus and red/dark grey in the sportier Virtus GT. The Latin-spec sedan also gets different upholstery options and gets a black-themed interior, whereas the Indian Virtus has a beige-black theme, giving the cabin an airy feel. 

3: Features and safety 

The Virtus is well-equipped for its segment in India, and that should hold true with the Latin model as well. However, the Brazilian model misses out on creature comforts such as a sunroof and ventilated front seats offered on the India-spec sedan. 

That said, the Latin Virtus gets an important safety feature missing from the sedan in India – driver-assistance tech (ADAS) – which includes features such as forward collision mitigation and adaptive cruise control. It also gets a larger digital driver’s display, giving it a more complete and premium look on the inside. The rest of the features are the same as the India-spec model, about which you can read in our Virtus variants explained story. 

4: Powertrains

Both the India-spec and Latin-spec Virtus sedans get the same 1-litre TSI and 1.5-litre TSI turbo-petrol drivetrains. In India, the Virtus gets a six-speed manual transmission as standard with the option of a six-speed, torque converter automatic. The range-topping GT model gets a DCT automatic transmission. 

5: Exclusive vs GT variants 

The splendid Virtus GT model gets the more powerful 150PS 1.5-litre TSI powertrain, racy red trim bits and black alloys. A sportier Virtus will also be offered in Latin American markets, called the Exclusive edition in Brazil, with snazzy black alloys and a classier leather-like finish on the dashboard. We hope further down the road, Volkswagen gives us the exact spec here, as it looks too good. 

• Made-In-India Volkswagen Virtus Secures 5 Stars In More Stringent Latin NCAP Crash Tests

• Volkswagen Virtus vs Honda City: Performance And Fuel Efficiency Compared

The Virtus is an impressive overall package in India that caters to enthusiasts as well as comfort-oriented buyers. Meanwhile,active competition and government regulations will likely push VW to introduce ADAS in its sedan here as well. 

VW retails the Virtus between Rs 11.32 lakh and Rs 18.42 lakh (ex-showroom) and rivals the Hyundai Verna, Skoda Slavia and the aforementioned Honda City sedans.