Believe it or not, the Volkswagen Virtus is the highest-selling C-segment sedan right now. Yes, it's outselling the Hyundai Verna, its sibling the Skoda Slavia, and even the legendary Honda City. But what is it that makes the Virtus click? Well, to find an answer to this question, we clocked close to 2,000 km in the range-topping Sports Plus trim. So here are three reasons why you should, too, buy yourself the Virtus right NOW! And three reasons why you shouldn’t.
Being a proper German sedan, the Virtus is good to drive. This 1.5-litre engine from the TSI family is refined for the starters. But what’s exciting is the way it delivers power right from the bottom of the rev range all the way to the top. More importantly, it gathers speed rather swiftly and can hold highway speeds effortlessly, so you might have to keep an eye out for the speedometer, which has a lot of speed cameras. No, it's not crazy fast, but it is fast enough to keep the boy racer in all of us jump with joy every time you and i grab the wheel.
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With close to 150 horsepower, this is a cracker of an engine. But more importantly, it's paired with a dual-clutch automatic. And this DSG gearbox is not exactly what you experience in the more expensive VWs for some reason, but it does the job well. With this latest update, you can also get the 1.5 with the manual and i am dying to try out that combination over a longer period. And this engine and gearbox might be really quick and responsive when you let it stretch its legs. But sometimes, in stop-go traffic, it feels a bit crude, slow and jerky. Another downside is the not-so-impressive fuel efficiency. In my 2000 km of drive - which was a mix of 60 per cent highway and remaining city runs - it returned around 13kmpl. There are fuel-saving measures here though like the cylinder deactivation and very rigorous engine start-stop function.
That brings us to the 1.0-litre three-cylinder and this one doesn't feel as unrefined as an imbalanced three-cylinder usually feels. Its performance is decent too as it never leaves you wanting for more when you want it to be grunty at city speeds or responsive at highway speeds. However, the rather sedentary feeling torque converter automatic does not go well with the overall sporty character of the Virtus.
Overall, the Virtus, is still a good driver’s car, like all the other VWs before it.
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The next good thing about the Virtus is the way it looks. It’s like one of those extraordinarily good-looking guys in the class who is genetically blessed and all the girls fall head over heels for him. Yes, that’s how good-looking the Virtus is - be it in pictures or flesh.
It has a very sobre styling which is understated but never underdressed. And when you get the GT trim, the sportier blacked-out alloy wheels, red callipers, side skirt and diffusers, lip spoiler and blacked-out roof make your heart racy right? I remember first seeing the Virtus almost two and half years ago. It looked exactly like the Euro-spec Jetta and I was one happy fanboy. This design will age gracefully, don't you think?
Handsome looks aside, this cabin is more like Art Deco! Very geometric, very ergonomic and yes, like its exterior, will age well. I particularly am a fan of the GT Plus Sport trim because this is where you get this badge on the steering wheel. And it looks and feels special. But even if you aren't spending that much on the range-topping trim that i have here, fret not cause the basic cabin layout remains the same.
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The third reason for getting the Virtus is that it's made for India. No, I am not talking about the AO IN platform. Yes, it was made on a very Indianized global platform, but overall, the Virtus is made with Indian conditions in mind. Take the almost 180mm of ground clearance for instance. It's SUV territory, right? Over my past week with it, i went up and down the NH66 where construction is in full swing and at places for kilometres and kilometres, there’s barely an inch of paved road. And over such surfaces, the Virtus soldiered on like it was nothing. No other sedan gave me as much confidence as this one did.
And the ride quality, it has a bit of firmness, like a proper European car. Its steering is also well weighted, not light but very user-friendly. Both of these are helpful when you are driving long distances and have some ghat sections to encounter on the way.
That said, older Volkswagens are notoriously famous for their high maintenance cost. But now with the new India-focused models, they have a lot of transparency about their service plans, costs and even parts. You can check the official Indian website for all the details. Moreover, there are also extensive Service Packages that you can opt for that will bring a lot more peace of mind for owning a new Volkswagen.
After taking a look at all the reasons why you should buy the Virtus, let us move on to the reasons why you should steer away from the Virtus. Firstly, the cabin - it may look art deco as i said earlier, but it looks more mechanical with fewer emotions and bits and pieces that look generations old. Look at these stalks, for instance, we have seen them on older VW models and they need to look the part in a modern car like this.
The infotainment screen is all digital. But it doesn't get the tachometer and speedometer together as you would in a driver’s car. And there’s a lot of negative space here wasted where it could have offered more information - more trip metres for instance.
This steering looks beautiful, i admit. With buttons well placed, and meaty feel and tactile buttons too. But it doesn't have a button for receiving or ending calls nor does it have a mute button for media and the paddle shifters are small and made of plastic.
Then we come to the AC unit which is very odd to operate. Proper buttons would have been nice. But that's nothing compared to the AC performance. The blower is noisy and every time the engine is killed for the engine start-stop function, it turns off the AC which thus increases the in-car temperature and then the AC takes time to cool it up and the cycle repeats. Even the wireless charging gives up on you and suspends the charging for no obvious reason.
The space of 520 litres is amazing. It's deep and wide. But there’s a weird issue with the tailgate, which, if not pushed all the way back, tends to come down on you. And it has injured our cameraperson on more than one occasion.
And lastly, the simple interface of the touchscreen feels very large generation, and it doesn't have a 360-degree camera either, which i think should have been offered at this price. Sure both the City and Verna come with ADAS hardware which is given a miss over here.
All of these complaints might appear small and insignificant but come to affect the overall ownership experience.
After all the complaints about the front, let's come to the second row and this place is not fitting to be chauffeured around. The seats are a bit upright, which is fine it's contoured to fit in people who regularly hit the gym. For me, i find the back support just about right and if i was a bit wider and taller, this would have been a very tight space, especially for longer distances. So, if you want to be chauffeured around, go for the Honda City, it’s the one for you as this one is made for those who prefer the driver’s seat.
And lastly, and sadly, the reason why you should avoid the Virtus is because its a sedan. Demand for sedans is falling rapidly and Indian car buyers are preferring SUV body style for some time now and not without reason. SUVs give them a rugged appeal and better ride when roads tend to become horrible, which they do so often wherever we drive.
Secondly, and this is a very niche problem for sedan owners since you are sitting lower driving at night you get more glare from the headlamps of the oncoming traffic more prominently, which usually isn't the case if you too are driving an SUV.
And both my parent didn't find getting in and out of the Virtus very comfortable owing to their aching knees and backs. For this reason, sadly many car buyers must steer away from a fantastic sedan like the Virtus. But honestly, between you and i, nothing beats a three-box design, and sedans are the original cars. So, if you get one, please, you should get one before they stop building them anymore.
All in all, the Volkswagen Virtus is one of those cars that has your heart, but you have a hard time convincing your mind. It has a cracker of an engine, which is genuinely entertaining to drive. The gearbox is smooth and easy and the manuals aren’t too bad. Then there’s SUV-like ground clearance, but honestly, i would love to see a lowered and slammed Virtus which will make it drool-worthy. The driving dynamics are right up there. And it looks drop-dead gorgeous no argument there.
However, the cabin has a lot of irks which makes it hard for the owner to fall head over heels. It’s a driver’s car sure, but bartering it as a family car, which it fails to attain fully, makes it fall short on both the front. The fuel economy isn’t great and it's not a car that you’d love to be chauffered around either.
So, the Volkswagen Virtus. It's a difficult case of heart over mind. Heart says BUY IT. Right Now. The mind, it begs to differ.
