Volkswagen Drives In The Virtus At Rs 11.22 Lakh

• Offered in four trims: Comfortline, Highline, Topline and the sporty GT Plus.

• Sports a Jetta-like silhouette, Polo-like face and identical dimensions to its cousin, the Skoda Slavia.

• Features include a 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system, 8-inch digital drivers display, wireless charging, ambient lighting, and ventilated front seats.

• Offered with 115PS 1-litre TSI and 150PS 1.5-litre TSI turbo petrol engines with manual and automatic transmissions depending on the engine.

• Will rival the Hyundai Verna, Maruti Suzuki Ciaz and the Honda City, aside from the Skoda Slavia.

Three months after breaking cover in April, the Volkswagen Virtus is finally on sale in India. Priced at an introductory range from Rs 11.22 lakh to Rs 17.92 lakh (ex-showroom), it's the second VW MQB-AO-IN model after the Taigun and completes the VW Group’s India 2.0 strategy which includes the Skoda Kushaq and Skoda Slavia. It’s also a successor of sorts to the VW Vento.

 

So what does the Vento successor have to offer? For starters, it looks unconventional and premium at the same time with a sleek front grille, LED headlights, distinct alloy wheels, and split LED tail lamps. Meanwhile, the GT Line replaces the ‘bling’ with a blacked-out finish as well as a small rear spoiler to give a sporty look. You’ll also notice a bit of a mini-Jetta presence when looking from the side profile. Since it is a cousin to the Skoda Slavia and based on the same platform, it measures the same at 4561mm long, 1752mm wide, 1507mm tall, and a 2651mm wheelbase.

The cabin is pretty much a straight lift from the Taigun which is minimalistic with all the necessary bits in the right places. Spec it in the red shade in the GT Line, and you get a matching insert in the dashboard. It’s packed with features such as digital driver’s display, a 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system, ambient lighting,  wireless smartphone connectivity, an 8-speaker sound system, ventilated front seats, connected car tech, and steering-mounted controls. Up to six airbags, electronic stability control, ISOFIX child seat mounts, a tyre pressure monitoring system, and a rear parking camera with sensors cover passenger safety.

Under the hood, it shares the same powertrains as its other MQB-AO-IN siblings which includes a 115PS 1-litre and 150PS 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine. The 1-litre can be paired with either a 6-speed manual and automatic gearbox, with the 1.5-litre motor limited to a 7-speed DSG automatic transmission.  

We’ve already had our first taste of the VW Virtus, which you can check our opinion on in our first drive review. Aside from the Skoda Slavia, it’ll take on the Honda City, Maruti Suzuki Ciaz, and the Hyundai Verna.