Exclusive: Volkswagen's Compact Sedan To Make Global Debut In March; Launch Details Out

Volkswagen India will showcase its brand-new compact sedan as early as the first week of March this year, followed by its market launch here in May 2022. Ashish Gupta, Brand Director, Volkswagen India, confirmed this development to carandbike in a recent interaction on Freewheeling With SVP. The new global compact sedan will be based on the new MQB-A0-IN platform, as well as share its underpinning with the Skoda Slavia. The new compact sedan, which could likely be called Volkswagen Virtus, will be manufactured from the company's facility in Chakan, Pune. Internationally, the Volkswagen Virtus is on sale only in Brazil, replacing the Vento, and is essentially the sedan version of the sixth generation Polo hatchback.

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The Volskwagen Virtus replaced the VW Vento in Brazil.

Ashish Gupta, Brand Director, Volkswagen India, said, “We will give you a first glimpse of the car (compact sedan) in the first week of March. If circumstances permit, you'll be able to see the car physically or in whatever way is possible. It will be a world premiere.”

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Gupta also added, “We are currently looking at the market introduction in May 2022. So, there's a good two, two and a half months between the world premiere and the market launch.”

Expect the cabin of the new VW compact sedan to be similar to the Skoda Slavia. (Image for representational purpose only)

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The new compact sedan will also carry a 93 per cent localisation of components, similar to the Taigun SUV and will take on the likes of the Honda City, and even its sibling, the Skoda Slavia. The compact sedan will sport a very typical Volkswagen design, coupled with twin-pod headlamps, a sleek grille, and five-spoke alloy wheels among other notable elements.

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The India-spec Volkswagen Virtus was recently caught undergoing tests ahead of its imminent debut. Photo Credit: TeamBHP

In terms of dimensions, expect the new compact sedan to replicate the numbers of the Slavia, which measures 4,541mm in length, 1,752mm in width, 1,487mm in height, and sits on a wheelbase of 2,651mm. Under the hood, the new compact sedan will feature the same powertrain options as its sibling, so it will be powered by a 1.0-litre turbocharged TSI three-cylinder engine and a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder TSI unit. While the smaller unit will develop 113bhp and 175Nm of peak torque, the larger engine will produce 148bhp and 250Nm. Transmission options on offer will consist of a 6-speed manual gearbox, a 6-speed automatic torque converter, and a 7-speed DSG automatic unit as well.