Volkswagen Virtus sedan breaks cover, to challenge Skoda Slavia, Maruti Ciaz

Volkswagen India on Tuesday has unveiled its new mid-size sedan Virtus, which will replace Volkswagen Vento. The new midsize sedan comes competing with rivals such as Maruti Suzuki Ciaz, Hyundai Verna, Honda City and Skoda Slavia as well. The German automaker claims that it will be built locally in India and will be exported to more than 25 countries across five continents. While sedans are witnessing a shrinking footprint due to the rising demand for SUVs, the German car brand has cleared that it will continue to focus on sedans and the new Volkswagen Virtus comes as part of that product strategy.

Volkswagen claims that the Virtus sedan comes with an advanced level of safety and engineering alongside offering high-level comfort and convenience for the driver and other occupants as well. Dimensionally, the Volkswagen Virtus measures 4,561 mm in length, 1,752 mm in width, and has a wheelbase of 2,651 mm. The sedan also comes with 521 litres boot storage capacity. Volkswagen claims that the all-new Virtus sedan is the biggest in its segment. It is available in two different trims - Dynamic Line and Performance Line. Bookings for the car is open now across 151 Volkswagen touchpoints.

Speaking about the Volkswagen Virtus visual appearance, this midsize sedan comes with a sharp look that is in line with the automaker's contemporary design philosophy. It gets sharp-looking LED projector headlamps with integrated LED daytime running lights, a sleek front grille with shiny chrome lining. The bumper gets black mesh and chrome accents.

Moving to the side profile, it gets sporty 16-inch razor black alloy wheels, turn indicator integrated ORVMs, a clean sheet visual appearance and character lines at the lower body. Volkswagen Virtus sedan will get a glossy black rear spoiler, dual-tone roof and GT badge as well. The red brake callipers at the front add more sportiness to the sedan.

(Also see | Volkswagen Virtus breaks cover, to rival Skoda Slavia in sedan segment)

Moving inside the cabin, the car gets a premium feel through the styling and features. The dashboard features a layered appearance with a 20.32 cm digital cockpit, a large 25.65 cm touchscreen infotainment display, flat-bottom steering wheel. Along with a dual-tone interior theme, it also features red accents adding more sporty charm. It gets a host of connectivity features and an eight-speaker audio system inside the cabin.

Volkswagen claims the Virtus sedan comes with more than 40 safety features including six airbags, electronic stability control, multi-collision brakes, hill hold control, tyre pressure deflation warning. The side impact protection beam in doors, and impact-absorbing body components make it much safer, claims Volkswagen.

For the powertrain, Volkswagen Virtus will be available in two different engine options - a 1.5-litre TSI EVO engine with ACT and a 1.0-litre TSI engine. Transmission options include a six-speed manual gearbox, a six-speed automatic torque converter and a seven-speed DSG. The Performance Line is capable of churning out 150 PS of power and 250 Nm of torque, while the Dynamic Line variant will generate 115 PS of power and 178 Nm of torque.

Speaking about the launch of the Volkswagen Virtus, Ashish Gupta, Brand Director, Volkswagen Passenger Cars India, said that the car carries VW's global sedan lineage selling over 129 models.

“The New Volkswagen Virtus offers nothing but brilliance in the premium midsize sedan segment. Being the longest car in the segment, spaciousness is no longer a compromise for our customers. With its confident character, the New Virtus is loaded with best in class features in both the Dynamic and Performance line that will appeal and impress the aspirational Indian customer. Enhancing the personality of the Virtus further on the Performance line are the iconic GT elements that provide a unique character to the car," he further said.