Virtus with 17 inch rims looks interesting

The Volkswagen Virtus is one of the nicest and most proportionately designed sedans in the business right now. With an elongated and low-slung stance, the overall look of the Virtus is graceful. However, there are many people out there who want the Volkswagen Virtus to look sportier, and they have already started adding their personalized touches to the sedan. One such owner of the Virtus added larger and sportier-looking 17-inch alloy wheels to his car.

A YouTube video from the channel of Ashish Kashyap shows a white-coloured Volkswagen Virtus with an after-market set of 17-inch five-spoke alloy wheels. Finished in a shade of silver, these alloy wheels look very different from the multi-spoke machined alloy wheels which the top-spec Topline version of the Volkswagen Virtus comes equipped with. These 17-inch alloy wheels are here shod with lower profile tyres, which make the stance of this Virtus even sportier.

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In the even higher-spec GT version, the Volkswagen Virtus comes with the same multi-spoke design for its alloy wheels, though in a shade of black. While these new 17-inch alloy wheels add a sense of sportiness and make the car look like it is on stilts, one must be assured of the fact that the overall dynamics of the sedan also change with the upsizing of alloys and tyres.

The Volkswagen Virtus was launched in 2021 in two different versions – 1.0-litre TSI and 1.5-litre TSI. The 1.0-litre TSI version is the volume-oriented version of the sedan and comes powered by a 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine. Available with both 6-speed manual and 6-speed automatic gearbox options, this engine produces 115 PS of maximum power and 175 Nm of maximum torque output. The top-spec GT variant of the Virtus is powered by a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine. Available exclusively with a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, this engine produces 150 PS of maximum power and 250 Nm of maximum torque output.

Upsizing alloy wheels

With larger alloy wheels and lower profile tyres, the overall handling and driving dynamics of a car become sharper. However, it should be noted that with the inclusion of lower-profile tyres, the ride quality takes a slight hit. All carmakers tend to avoid upsizing or downsizing tyres different from the tyre sizes mentioned by them. Many car makers even cancel the warranty of a car if it is equipped with larger alloy wheels and tyres.

While it is legal to change the stock tyre size of a vehicle by a couple of inches, be aware that the manufacturer may void the warranty of the suspension. Upsizing the tyres do make the vehicle look sportier and also add a great stance to the vehicle. However, bigger tyres have a negative effect on the suspension system.

Due to the larger size of the tyres, the suspension is much more loaded and can create problems in the longer run. Since manufacturers tune the suspension according to the size of the tyres, it is always recommended to remain within the limits of upsizing.

Another bad effect that the upsized tyres can create is proving wrong readings on the instrument cluster. Since the circumference of the new upsized wheel and tyre is different from the stock version, the car takes wrong readings for speed and distance travelled. The error remains small but it is more than the vehicles with stock tyre size. Interestingly, upsizing also brings down the handling abilities and fuel efficiency of the car.

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