Volkswagen launched the Virtus sedan for the Indian market in 2022, and since then, its sales performance has been impressive. The design language is appealing to Indian users, as is the abundance of features and performance it offers. We had the chance to take this sedan for an extended drive, and in this article, we aim to provide you with a comprehensive review of why this sedan is a highly enjoyable driving experience in its segment.
So, unlike the Skoda’s Slavia, Volkswagen has opted for a very sporty and grown-up look with the Virtus, and it’s noticeable quite easily. You can see how wide the sedan looks especially the chin; looks stretched to enhance its sporty appeal. You can how they’ve used chrome cleverly to highlight the sedan’s details like the front grille is surrounded by chrome but if you notice the chrome spreads inside the headlamps unit merging with the L-shaped LED DRLs. The chrome is also used from the fog lamps to the lower section of the bumper.
The side profile is so sporty that one may regret not buying this sedan. It gets all black 16-inch alloy wheels with red brake callipers, creases on the body, body-coloured door handles, and a 179 MM ground clearance practically giving it off-road abilities. Moving to the rear section, it gets a very thin spoiler on the boot finished in contrasting black; T-shape LED element inside the tail-lamps; the rear bumper finished in carbon black with chrome surrounds, and on top the shark fin antenna is finished in black.
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| Dimension | VW Virtus | Skoda Slavia | Hyundai Verna | Honda City | Maruti Suzuki Ciaz |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length | 4561 MM | 4541 MM | 4535 MM | 4583 MM | 4490 MM |
| Width | 1752 MM | 1752 MM | 1765 MM | 1748 MM | 1730 MM |
| Height | 1507 MM | 1507 MM | 1475 MM | 1489 MM | 1485 MM |
| Wheelbase | 2651 MM | 2651 MM | 2670 MM | 2600 MM | 2650 MM |
| Turning Radius | 5.05 M | 5.05 M | 5.2 M | 5.3 M | 5.4 M |
| Ground Clearance | 179 MM | 179 MM | 165 MM | 165 MM | 170 MM |
| Boot Space | 521 L | 521 L | 528 L | 506 L | 510 L |
| Fuel Tank Capacity | 45 L | 45 L | 45 L | 40 L | 43 L |
| Kerb Weight | 1100 – 1275 KG | 1160 – 1278 KG | 1140 KG | 1107 KG | 1035 – 1065 KG |
Jumping to the inside, the first thing you’ll notice is the fit and finish, and the quality of the materials used inside. More importantly, the steering wheel carries such an elegant sporty design that it feels really good to hold onto. More importantly, it feels good to sit inside the beautifully designed, and sporty cabin sedan. The highlight of the sedan is that Volkswagen managed to integrate the 10.25-inch infotainment system and the piano-black finished dashboard as a one continuous seamless look.
Below the display there is touch-sensitive controls for the automatic climate control; the pedals are finished in black with chrome inserts, dual-tone finish for dashboard, and the red trim surrounding the whole dashboard. On top there is single-pane sunroof, the rear seats are split in 60:40 ratio; and importantly, Volkswagen equipped Virtus with 8 Speakers so can feel the music while travelling at higher speeds or longer journeys.
The Virtus measures 4.56 Meters in length which translates into more practicality inside the cabin; and to be honest Volkswagen has done a good job in this section. The driver seats are comfortable or it’s more like the driver gets hugged on the seat which helps you with the driving. The driver gets electrically adjustable seat and they can adjust the seats all the way down or as per the driver needs. The co-passenger however has to manually adjust its seat whether its recline angle or height adjusting.
The rear seats are comfortable and can easily traveled for long journeys. The floor is almost flat which makes is enough for 3 people to sit comfortably as the cabin is wide enough giving you more room. There is plenty of leg room and knee room to spare which is useful for people to stretch themselves. There are storage spaces all over the cabin like in the doors, centre console, glovebox, two cupholders in armrest and centre console, etc. The Virtus comes with a 521 Litres big room which is technically huge to store around 10 Medium Size Suitcases.
| Turbo Petrol | VW Virtus | Skoda Slavia | Hyundai Verna | Honda City | Maruti Suzuki Ciaz | ||
| Engine | 1.0 L 3 Cylinder | 1.5 L 4 Cylinder | 1.0 L 3 Cylinder | 1.5 L 4 Cylinder | 1.5 L 4 Cylinder | – | – |
| Drive-type | FWD | FWD | FWD | FWD | FWD | – | – |
| Power | 113.98 BHP | 147.51 BHP | 113.98 BHP | 147.52 BHP | 157.57 BHP | – | – |
| Torque | 178 NM | 250 NM | 178 NM | 250 NM | 253 NM | – | – |
| Transmission Choice | 6 Speed MT / AT | 6 Speed MT, 7 Speed DSG | 6 Speed MT / AT | 6 Speed MT, 7 Speed DSG | 6 Speed MT, 7 Speed DCT | – | – |
| Fuel Efficiency | 18.12 – 20.8 KMPL | 19.4 – 19.62 KMPL | 18.07 – 19.47 KMPL | 18.41 – 19.47 KMPL | 20 – 20.6 KMPL | – | – |
| Petrol | VW Virtus | Skoda Slavia | Hyundai Verna | Honda City | Maruti Suzuki CIaz |
| Engine | – | – | 1.5 L 4 Cylinder MPi | 1.5 L 4 Cylinder i-VTEC | 1.5 L 4 Cylinder K15 Smart Hybrid |
| Drive-type | – | – | FWD | FWD | FWD |
| Power | – | – | 113.18 BHP | 119.35 BHP | 103.25 BHP |
| Torque | – | – | 143.8 NM | 145 NM | 138 NM |
| Transmission Choice | – | – | 6 Speed MT, 6 Speed IVT | 6 Speed MT, 7 Speed CVT | 5 Speed MT, 4 Speed AT |
| Fuel Efficiency | – | – | 18.6 – 19.6 KMPL | 17.8 – 18.4 KMPL | 20.04 – 20.65 KMPL |
So, we had the chance to take the Virtus for a very long drive. We drove the GT line which has all the features, safety tech, and very importantly, the 1.5 L Turbo Petrol Engine. It has two transmission choices – 6 Speed Manual and 7 Speed DSG Gearbox. The engine used here also powers their SUV, the Taigun. We drove the automatic version and the gearshifts weren’t as quick as one may expect but still the performance on offer is still incredible.
The manuals are always in a league of their own and so if the car enthusiasts want to experience a very sporty drive, wants to achieve that 200 KMPH top speed and the thrills you get driving this thing at a affordable drive, opt for manual. Other than that, the Virtus is also a very good car that can be used as daily driver as it easily returns mileage between 18 – 21 KMPL. But one thing Volkswagen misses to offer is rear disc brakes. For a sedan that is as huge as Virtus, rear brakes should’ve been offered but what’s interesting to note here is that tuning of the rear drum brakes is done superbly.
We brake tested the humongous sedan at 70 KMPH and surprisingly, the sedan came to an halt almost instantly. Moreover, you get Tilt and Telescopic steering which makes it easy to steer around the corners as the steering wheel is very light and even at high speeds, you start to feel the weight but still the confidence boost you get is really amazing, you can actually steer the vehicle without applying too much pressure.
Now talking about the suspension setup, it’s incredible. It goes over the potholes, and speed bumps very easily. If you driving very fuel efficiently, one may find it hard to understand whether the car has gone over bumps or not, it’s almost as if you don’t feel it. At the front, the Virtus is equipped with McPherson suspension and stabiliser bar while at the rear it’s fitted with Twist Beam Axle Suspension. The tuning has been perfectly done by Volkswagen and at high speeds, it stays very stable and nothing to worry about.
In the end, a big question arises, should you opt for the Volkswagen’s Virtus or not? Well, the first thing is that the Virtus may be the only sedan in the segment to offer such fun-to-drive experience and while it’s rival, Verna, may have the powerful turbo engine, the Virtus is much fun to drive on roads. For it’s price, it offers so many features, safety, and performance that not buying may seem like a big regretting move. Driving both the Automatic and Manual version is exciting, and whichever one you choose to opt for is a good choice.
1.0 L Turbo Petrol MT – Rs. 13.31 L
1.0 L Turbo Petrol MT – Rs. 15.63 L
1.0 L Turbo Petrol AT – Rs. 17.12 L
1.0 L Turbo Petrol MT – Rs. 17.57 L
1.0 L Turbo Petrol AT – Rs. 19.06 L
1.0 L Turbo Petrol MT – Rs. 17.94 L
1.0 L Turbo Petrol AT – Rs. 19.38 L
1.5 L Turbo Petrol DSG – Rs. 19.19 L
1.5 L Turbo Petrol MT – Rs. 19.94 L
1.5 L Turbo Petrol DSG – Rs. 21.72 L
1.5 L Turbo Petrol MT – Rs. 20.17 L
1.5 L Turbo Petrol DSG – Rs. 21.95 L
1.5 L Turbo Petrol MT – Rs. 20.31 L
1.5 L Turbo Petrol DSG – Rs. 22.09 L
1.5 L Turbo Petrol MT – Rs. 20.54 L
1.5 L Turbo Petrol DSG – Rs. 22.32 L
1.5 L Turbo Petrol MT – Rs. 20.61 L
1.5 L Turbo Petrol DSG – Rs. 22.39 L
| Model | On-road Price |
|---|---|
| Maruti Suzuki Ciaz | Rs. 10.45 – Rs. 14.09 L |
| Hyundai Verna | Rs. 12.89 – Rs. 20.26 L |
| Skoda Slavia | Rs. 13.14 – Rs. 22.07 L |
| VW Virtus | Rs. 13.31 – Rs. 22.39 L |
| Honda City | Rs. 13.53 – Rs. 18.60 L |
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