Volkswagen Virtus

The Volkswagen Virtus’s lineup has undergone a few changes, now divided into three distinct trims: Chrome, Sport, and GT Edge. The 1-litre turbo-petrol engine is now available in the Sport GT Line variant. The Sport and Edge trims are exclusive to the GT variants, whereas the Chrome trim remains accessible across the entire lineup. Additionally, the Virtus GT Plus Sport, although currently a concept, is scheduled for launch in the second half of 2024.

The Volkswagen Virtus falls into the category of a compact sedan. It sits in the same segment of cars as the Skoda Slavia, Honda City and Hyundai Verna. While it looks very different from the Skoda Slavia, both these cars have been built on the same MQB-A0 IN platform that has been developed specifically for India. This same platform is also shared with the Volkswagen Taigun and Skoda Kushaq compact SUVs and all four cars have scored the full 5 stars for child and adult occupant safety in Global NCAP’s crash tests.

Looks

The Volkswagen Virtus is a sedan with a sleek and modern design that looks classy and typical of Volkswagen cars. In fact, you will be able to see similarities with bigger Volkswagen sedans like the Jetta. Those who prefer simple car styling that will not look old very quickly will appreciate the design of the Volkswagen Virtus. 

Features that you will be able to spot outside include LED headlights, LED day-time running light strips, 16-inch alloy wheels and LED tail lights. While colours such as grey, silver or white are available, for those who like brighter or more attention grabbing colours, the Virtus can be purchased in light blue or bright yellow as well. 

Interior

The design of the dashboard is clean and simple, with the centre console slightly tilted towards the driver. The beige and black interior colour combination looks premium but to give the cabin a slightly sportier edge, the use of black is a lot heavier than beige. 

The Volkswagen Virtus’ interior has been perfectly designed to seat 4 adults comfortably. Not only is there enough space for a 6ft tall passenger to fit behind a driver of the same height, the seats themselves have been shaped to offer strong support for each user. While this does make it suitable for average-sized adults, the seats may seem a little small for you if you have broad shoulders or are heavy in weight. 

There are practical storage areas for water bottles, cans, cups, keys, phones and wallets throughout the cabin and the boot is large enough to fit multiple large suitcases, making the Virtus a good car for airport drops or weekend trips with the family.

Technology

Features in the Volkswagen Virtus include auto AC with rear AC vents, USB Type-C charging ports in the front row and rear row, ventilated front seats and wireless phone charging. It also gets a sunroof and a 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system with support for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay possible wirelessly. Volkswagen now also offers the Virtus with electric seat adjustment for both the driver and the front passenger.

The Virtus also gets an 8-inch digital instrument cluster, where you can choose between an analogue or digital instrument cluster and view driving information such as the average fuel efficiency and trip meters. 

Safety

The Volkswagen Virtus has scored the full 5 stars for adult as well as child occupant safety from Global NCAP. The Virtus gets up to 6 airbags, ABS with EBD, stability control, hill-hold assist, ISOFIX child seat mounts (rear) and tyre-pressure monitoring system.

Drive

The Volkswagen Virtus is offered with two turbocharged petrol engines - the 1-litre, 3-cylinder TSI and 1.5-litre, 3-cylinder TSI. Both versions are front-wheel drive and offer strong performance whether your driving is in city traffic or if you like driving on open highways. 

The 1-litre TSI is the more affordable engine option, in no small part, because it is made in India while the bigger engine is imported. The 1-litre TSI is offered with 6-speed manual and automatic transmissions. While you can tell it’s a 3-cylinder engine because of some vibrations felt when the car is stopped, the experience is smooth when you get moving.

It’s also an engine that can put a smile on your face because its performance is quick. However, there is a slight urgency to the power delivery that some people may need some time to get used to while others may enjoy it. Simply put, the non-turbocharged petrol engine options of cars like the Hyundai Verna and Honda City, which are offered at a similar price point as the Virtus 1-litre TSI, deliver power in a smoother and more gradual manner.

The 1.5-litre TSI is the engine option that should be considered only if you want extra punchy performance, particularly for highway driving and high-speed overtakes. This engine is also more refined and sounds smoother than the 1-litre TSI. Additionally, while it is available with a 6-speed manual transmission, it can also be purchased with a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission that offers extremely smooth but also very responsive gear changes.

The Volkswagen Virtus delivers good road comfort. It feels planted when driven at high speeds but also absorbs bumps from potholes easily, ensuring good comfort. Also it has 179mm of ground clearance and it doesn’t face issues like scraping over speed breakers very easily.

Verdict

The Volkswagen Virtus is a good family car that is also suitable for individuals who want a classy looking car to drive to their corporate job. While it isn’t the most feature-loaded car in its segment, there are no deal-breaking features misses either. A bonus with this car is that it delivers a fun to drive experience, irrespective of which engine or transmission you buy.