Volkswagen India replaces the age-old Vento with the new Virtus in the compact sedan segment, and we got a chance to test the two turbo petrol units in its automatic avatars. Read on to know exactly what we think of the newest contender vying for the throne.
In the day and age of SUVs of all shapes and sizes, sedans, more importantly, compact sedans are starting to make noise, as the segment is undergoing an influx of fresher models with the Skoda Slavia and the Honda City e:HEV hybrid sedan taking the fight straight to Maruti Suzuki Ciaz and the Hyundai Verna. Volkswagen India now has brought in the replacement to the Vento and yes it looks gorgeous! With us, is the Volkswagen Virtus that comes in 1.0-litre and 1.5-litre TSI turbo petrol units, but we will be driving only its automatic avatars, specifically the Virtus 1.5 TSI with the 7-speed DSG unit and the Virtus 1.0 TSI with the 6-speed torque convertor. Read on to know exactly what we think of the newest contender vying for the throne in the compact sedan segment.
Design
There’s generous use of chrome on both the versions, be it in the profile, or the face. But there’s enough to differentiate between the 1.0 TSI and the 1.5 TSI Virtus’. For starters, the Virtus 1.5-litre receives GT badging on the grille, in profile, and even at the back. It is, without doubt, a sporty-looking car, as the single slat grille with chrome surrounds, LED headlamps, and L-shaped LED DRLs all come together quite nicely. And it even reminds you so much of the Volkswagen Jetta! The Wild Cherry Red and Carbon Steel Grey paint scheme on our test vehicles look gorgeous, but there’s also the Curcuma Yellow from the Volkswagen Taigun, and a new Rising Blue Metallic paint scheme. The wide air dams and the fog lamp housing look edgy while the sloping roofline and a stout character line add to its overall road presence.
And of course, the big change is the alloy wheels, they are both 16-inches but the 1.5 TSI receives blacked-out alloys, while the 1.0 TSI receives a dual-tone treatment. The gentle splash of chrome on the door handles, contrast black on ORVMs and roof, wrap-around LED taillights, Virtus lettering on the boot lid, and boot-mounted number plate recess round-up rest of the sporty design. Lastly, the 1.5-litre Virtus receives a faux spoiler at the rear.
The larger displacement Virtus also gets a dual-tone scheme with black roofs while the smaller displacement Virtus receives a mono-tone colour scheme. It’s based on the same platform as the Slavia and there’s a lot that both cars have in common but really, the VW Virtus just looks a class apart!
Tech and Interior
Now the cabin of the Volkswagen Virtus is extremely spacious, as the quality of the materials used is on the premium side. But the first things you would notice on the 1.5 TSI Virtus are the Red highlights on the dashboard, which are specific to the Wild Cherry Red paint scheme. Apart from this, most elements are common on the top-spec versions of the Virtus 1.5 TSI and the 1.0 TSI, such as the 10.1-inch Play infotainment system, and automatic climate control, but a specific feature on the top-specs is ventilated seats for the front passengers. You also get an all-digital instrument panel which is again on offer with the top-spec version and so is the electric sunroof.
Like the Taigun, the Virtus’ Dynamic Line will come in three trims- Comfortline, Highline, Topline, and a single-spec Performance Line. However, it is worth mentioning that most of these features are limited to the top-spec as the mid trims miss out on the larger display, ventilated front seats, and digital instrument panel. Nevertheless, the cabin is possibly one of the best in the segment with plush leather. Wireless connectivity for Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto, as well as wireless charging, are a few tricks that the Virtus has up its sleeve but then again it is limited to the higher trims.
Dimensions
With respect to the dimensions, the Virtus is the longest and the widest in the segment, but does that translate to more space for the second-row passengers?
| Volkswagen Virtus | Length | Width | Height | Wheelbase | Ground Clearance | Boot Space |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In mm | 4,561 mm | 1,752 mm | 1,507 mm | 2,651 mm | 179 mm | 521-litre |
The second row on the Virtus is quite good on space, and we like it, as there’s a decent amount of headroom and good enough knee room. The under-thigh support is also not bad and gives us a nice feeling to be here. The seats are also quite comfortable, and you also get a centre armrest here, as well as AC vents for the second-row passengers here, and two Type C charging ports.
Seating three passengers here could be a squeeze, but all the seats do receive a 3-point seat belt, with adjustable headrests. If you plan for a weekend getaway, then the class-leading 521-litre of boot space should be adequate for the family’s luggage and can be even further expanded to 1,050-litre with second-row seats split 60:40.
Volkswagen Virtus 1.0 TSI 6-Speed AT
We have both 1.0-litre and 1.5-litre TSI versions in automatic avatars. First up, is the lower displacement turbo engine. Now, we’ve seen this 1.0-litre powerplant before on the Volkswagen Taigun, as well as on its siblings, the Skoda Kushaq, and the Skoda Slavia. It punches out 114 bhp and a strong 178 Nm of peak torque. Most notably, the torque kicks in between 1,750-1,800 rpm, and stays till 4,500 rpm, which is ideal for city driving. The NVH level is low, and you don’t get any heavy vibrations, with very minimum noise that sweeps into the cabin, only adding to the overall driving experience.
Our initial impression of driving the 1.0-litre Virtus is that the engine performs at its optimum between 1,800- 1,900 rpm and that’s when the car is fun-to-drive. Even at the lower spectrum of the rev band, the power is ample, even though the turbo doesn’t start spooling till 2,000 rpm. The engine noise is sweet and sort of music to our ears as is rev-happy. The in-gear acceleration is sprightly and even under strong duress, the engine does not run out of breath. On highways, the Virtus manages to reach the triple digits quite comfortably and wants to stay there all day long.
