German automaker Volkswagen India, on Tuesday, unveiled its mid-size sedan, the Virtus, replacing Vento. Being the second car under the India 2.0 project from the brand, the sedan will be built on the MQB-AO-IN platform at the Chakan facility and exported to 25 countries across five continents, in addition to catering to the domestic market.
With a strong focus on the Indian market, Ashish Gupta, Brand Director, Volkswagen Passenger Cars India, confirmed that 60% of the units produce will be sold in the Indian market while the rest 40% will be shipped to international markets like Mexico, South Africa among others.
With a length of 4,561mm, wheelbase of 2,651mm, a height of 1,507 mm, a width of 1,752 mm and 521 litres boot, the company claims that the sedan is the biggest in the segment.
The sedan will be offered in two variants with engine and three transmission options. The Dynamic line will be powered by a 1.0 TSI petrol unit mated to a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic churning out 110PS of power and 178 Nm of torque. In comparison, the Performance line will feature a 1.5L TSI unit mated to a six-speed manual or a seven-speed DSG transmission with a power output of 150PS and 250Nm of torque. Moreover, the 1.5L TSI unit will also feature cylinder deactivation for better fuel consumption.
On the features side, it gets a 20.32cm digital instrument cluster, 25.65cm infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless mobile charger, front ventilated seats, four USB ports, eight speakers and My Volkswagen Connect app, auto headlights, electric sunroof, cooled glove box, rain sensors among others.
The sedan gets a set of 16-inch alloy rims in dual tone finish for the Dynamic Line, while the alloy rims in the Performance line are painted black. Moreover, the higher trim also gets a dual-tone paint option along with a rear spoiler and a couple of GT badges placed around the car.
Available in six colour options including Wild Cherry Red, Carbon Steel Grey, Rising Blue, Candy White, Reflex Silver and Curcuma Yellow, the car comes with 40 safety features including six airbags, ESC, Hill Hold Assist, TPDW, Multi-Collision brakes, Electronic Differential Lock, three-point seatbelts for all the seats, hydraulic brake boosters among others as standard.
Pitted against the likes of the Honda City, Hyundai Verna, Maruti Suzuki Ciaz and the newly launched Skoda Slavia, the new car is open for booking from today across the company’s 151 dealerships and the online portal.