Volkswagen unveils Virtus sedan: Pre-bookings open

Volkswagen has finally unveiled its second product under INDIA 2.0 strategy. It is called Virtus and is a mid-size sedan. The manufacturer has also revealed the variant options and they have also started accepting bookings of the upcoming sedan. The prices have not yet been revealed but are expected to follow the normal Skoda-VW pattern of being in the same ballpark, with some variants priced slightly higher and some lower, with slightly different feature-sets.

Dimensions and platform

Volkswagen Virtus measures 4,561mm in length, 1,752 mm in width and is 1,507 mm in height. The wheelbase is the same as the Skoda Slavia, Volkswagen Taigun and Skoda Kushaq. It measures 2,651 mm. All four vehicles have the same wheelbase because they are based on the same platform. It is the MQB-A0-IN platform. The boot space of the Virtus is 521 litres.

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Engine and gearbox

As expected the engine and gearbox are also shared with other VW and Skoda vehicles. There are two turbocharged petrol engines on offer. There is a 1.0-litre TSI that produces 115 PS of max power and 178 Nm of peak torque. It comes mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 6-speed torque converter automatic transmission.

Then there is the 1.5-litre TSI that puts out 150 PS of max power and 250 Nm of peak torque. It is offered with a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 7-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic transmission. This engine also comes with Active Cylinder Technology so the system can shut down some of the cylinders of the engine under ideal conditions to save fuel.

Variants and features

Volkswagen will offer the Virtus in two trims. There will be a Dynamic Line and Performance Line.  The Dynamic Line will be offered only with the 1.0-litre TSI whereas the 1.5-litre TSI will offer the Performance trim.

The Dynamic Line is for the people who will be using the sedan as a chauffer-driven vehicle and who want a more comfortable sedan. The Performance Line is clearly for the enthusiasts who like to drive the vehicle themselves and enjoy corners. Moreover, the Performance Line will also look more sporty with a dual-tone roof, red-coloured brake calipers, boot-lid spoiler, and blacked-out alloy wheels. The interior also gets red stitching on the seats and aluminium pedals.

Other features that we know Virtus will offer are cruise control, digital instrument cluster, LED projector headlamps, a touchscreen infotainment system with AppConnect, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay and an electric sunroof. Moreover, there will be connected car technology, multi-function steering wheel, wireless charger, cooled glovebox,  automatic climate control, 8 speakers and 16-inch alloy wheels. You also get ambient lighting, ventilated front seats, automatic headlamps, rain-sensing wipers and a cooled glovebox. For safety, there would be Electronic Stability Control, ABS with EBD, Multi-collision braking, Tyre Deflation Warning, Hill Hold Control and up to 6 airbags.

Rivals

Volkswagen Virtus will go against the recently launched Skoda Slavia, Hyundai Verna, Maruti Suzuki Ciaz and Honda City.

Colour options

Virtus will be offered in six different colour options. There is Rising Blue Metallic, Carbon Steel Grey, Reflex Silver, Wild Cherry Red and Curcuma Yellow. Moreover, there will also be dual-tone paint schemes on offer.

Who should wait for the Volkswagen Virtus?

Those who trust VW service over Skoda’s are one group who should wait. Those who are not entirely satisfied with the variant-trim-feature set combos of the Slavia could wait to see what tweaks VW offers in the Virtus.

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