2022 Volkswagen Virtus review - It's almost a Jetta! | First Drive | Autocar India

Jul 27, 2023

2022 Volkswagen Virtus review - It's almost a Jetta! | First Drive | Autocar India

The new Volkswagen Virtus is here to give you a distinctly European sedan experience. How’s it different to its cousin the Skoda Slavia, and what’s the VW sedan like to drive? Gavin D’Souza tells you all.

Cameraperson: Shreyans Chordia
Editor: Siddhesh Kadam

0:00 - Introduction
0:55 - Virtus dimensions and styling
2:08 - Virtus interior
4:04 - Features
4:29 - Rear seat space and comfort
5:40 - Virtus boot
6:18 - Engine options
6:30 - Virtus 1.5 TSI DSG performance
8:55 - Virtus 1.5 TSI fuel economy
9:08 - Ride and handling
10:50 - Braking
11:00 - Virtus 1.0 TSI AT performance
13:53 - Virtus 1.0 TSI AT fuel economy
14:35 - Virtus price expectation and verdict

#GoProHero10Black #SonyAlphaIn #Virtus

SUBSCRIBE to Autocar India for the hottest automotive news and the most comprehensive reviews ► http://bit.ly/AutocarInd

Autocar India is your one-stop source for test drive reviews \u0026 comparison tests of every new car and motorcycle launched in India. We also offer a great mix of other automotive content, including weekly news, motor show reports, travelogues and other special features.

Website: http://www.autocarindia.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/autocarindiamag
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autocar_india/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/autocarindiamag

New car reviews ►http://bit.ly/ACI-NewCarReviews

Comparison tests ►http://bit.ly/ACI-Comparison

New bike reviews ►http://bit.ly/ACI-BikeReviews

Features ►http://bit.ly/ACI-Features

Content

19.84 -> suvs everybody loves them and everybody is making them and that includes volkswagen who

25.36 -> a few years ago even coined the term suvw they did make a big push with those cars

31.36 -> but they also haven't forgotten that sedans are very important and now there is this

36.64 -> it's called the volkswagen virtus it is the second product from vw's india 2.0

41.92 -> onslaught and it's available in two engines the 1.5 tsi and the one liter tsi both of

48 -> which we have with us today and we're going to tell you what they're like to drive

55.2 -> but first while we're out here let's take a moment to appreciate the looks it's certainly grown a

60.08 -> size compared to the bento and unsurprisingly there is a hint of the bigger jetta in here

65.44 -> in fact in almost every dimension this is the largest car in the class it's easy of course

70.64 -> to draw parallels to the slavia but much like with the tygon volkswagen has gone for a bolder

76 -> more chrome heavy look the huge air dam in the front bumper is lined with the shiny stuff

80.88 -> and makes a big impression but the downside of this is that the small 16 inch wheels look

85.68 -> even smaller the big gaps in the wheel arches only emphasize this but it does give the vertices

90.88 -> an suv like 179 mm of ground clearance there's more chrome in the rear bumper and this along

97.36 -> with the large blacked out tail lamps do a good job of distracting you from what is quite a bulky

102.72 -> rear end the gt trim exclusive to the 1.5 tsi engine gets a few differences too like gloss

108.96 -> black alloy wheels a subtle lip spoiler on the boot and gt badging which do you like better the

115.12 -> vw vertice or the skoda slavia let us know down in the comments and if you are new here why not

120.88 -> subscribe to autocad india and click the bell icon we publish great new automotive content every day

128.72 -> thankfully they've done quite a bit to distinguish the interior too

143.52 -> the interior of the vw vertus will be very familiar if you've ever seen the interior of a vw

148.72 -> tiger i should tell you right of the outside that this is a 1.5 gt with a red exterior paint and

154.8 -> that means these red accents here on the dashboard it's similar yes to the tiger but they've done a

161.92 -> slightly different treatment for this gloss black trim on the sedan and i like that quite a lot it

167.76 -> looks quite classy plastic quality is generally very very good build quality is very solid

173.36 -> but like the tiger there are a few bits that give away the cost cutting that's gone into this car

181.04 -> things like the knitted roof lining that this time around at least does have a nice texture to it

185.76 -> and some plastic bits that stick out for just being a bit too basic to look at and touch the

191.52 -> gt version gets black leatherette upholstery with red contrast stitching but what i like is that

196.56 -> they haven't made the whole cabin black there is still beige bits at the bottom on the doors

201.68 -> and the roof lining which livens things up just a little bit doesn't make it seem too dark things

207.2 -> that do return are this lovely new volkswagen steering wheel it's very well built it's very

212.24 -> handsome looking in my opinion and it has all the controls you need right here it's also got the

218.72 -> digital dyes they don't stretch all the way to the outside just as before that's a bit of a shame but

224.24 -> what you get in the center is quite informative so i would have liked two round traditional dials

229.68 -> another thing i'm not so much of a fan of in these cars is the touch operated climate control it is

235.84 -> a bit fiddly to use on the move but on the subject of features the vertis like its suv counterpart is

242.4 -> rather well equipped top spec variants get a 10 inch touchscreen 8 inch digital dials

247.52 -> wireless carplay and android auto ventilated front seats wireless phone charging and a sunroof and

254.48 -> though we don't have the variant wise split yet vw seems to have learned from the tygon and improved

259.36 -> the features in lower models too for example you get led headlamps even in the base model

269.6 -> there's a good chance you'll be chauffeur driven in this sedan so let's hop into the back seat now

274.88 -> now volkswagen says this is the largest car in its class and it's got a pretty long wheelbase

278.96 -> too so it's no surprise that in the back seat there is plenty of space now i won't

283.76 -> draw comparisons to its rivals just yet we'll wait to get all these cars together for a proper

288.24 -> comparison before i do that what i can tell you is compared to the car it replaces the vento

293.84 -> there is vastly more room back here i'm just under five foot eight and as you can see there's

298.96 -> a lot more wiggle room for taller passengers in terms of knee room and headroom i think by

303.44 -> standards off sedans is rather good as well there is a bit of a caveat though these seats very

310 -> comfortable very supportive but they are contoured more for two a third passenger can fit here but

316.48 -> it's a little on the uncomfortable side because of the raised cushioning and the raised backrest you

321.92 -> will like though that there are three individual headrests and three individual three-point seat

327.12 -> belts for all the passengers back here ac vents return two type-c usb ports but one thing i do

333.6 -> miss from the vento is that lever that let you push the front passenger seat forward for more leg

338.4 -> room at the back you don't get that in this car a massive highlight of this car is the boot which at

345.04 -> a class leading 521 liters the same as the slavia of course can really swallow up a lot of luggage

352.16 -> and if you need more still you can even split fold the rear seats so it's good looking practical and

358 -> well equipped yet somehow that's not even the best part oh no that would be the driving experience

378.08 -> now as i mentioned in the start the vw vertus comes with two engines a one liter tsi and a

383.92 -> 1.5 liter tsi that's much the same as what you get in the tygon suv the one i'm driving

391.6 -> right now is the 1.5 tsi 150 horsepower 250 nmf dock and a 7 speed dsg double clutch automatic

402.4 -> now unlike the tiger this vertus doesn't get a manual gearbox for the 1.5 tsi engine not right

408.32 -> now at least it's not listed on their website but volkswagen does hint that it will be available by

414.4 -> the time the car launches and if the tiger and indeed the slavia are anything to go by the 1.5

421.12 -> with the manual gearbox will be the enthusiast choice however you can't really go wrong with the

427.28 -> 7-speed dsg either vw were of course one of the pioneers of the double clutch automatic gearbox

433.68 -> and although initial versions of it did have some issues they've really come a long way and

438.88 -> this one feels much smoother and much quicker to respond to inputs and if you really go for

445.76 -> it the gear shifts themselves are of course instantaneous helping things along of course

451.68 -> if you want to take manual control are paddle shifters behind the steering wheel and also

457.12 -> a tiptronic mode on the gear lever itself now this 1.5 tsi evo from volkswagen we've seen it not just

464.8 -> in the tiger but also in the t rock the power outputs are very very healthy of course but it

471.6 -> also has clever tech like cylinder deactivation which means that when you are on a light

477.68 -> foot with the engine it will deactivate two of its four cylinders and help you save a bit more fuel

483.84 -> this power train also has engine stop start so if you can bear with the

488 -> ac cutting out a bit when you're at a traffic light you will save a lot more fuel that way too

494.32 -> so while this car doesn't have full-on drive modes what it does let you do

497.68 -> is knock the dsg gearbox into sport which makes it a whole lot more responsive

508.48 -> flatten your foot and it will drive to 6000 rpm

513.6 -> in fact it revs quite freely for a turbocharged engine and that only adds to the fun quotient

519.76 -> vw says this 1.5 gt will do 0-100 kph in 9 seconds flat and go on to a top speed of

526.72 -> 190 kph and with a relatively light curb weight of just 1 275 kg we feel that might just be the case

535.92 -> incidentally that lightweight should also help with fuel economy and this 1.5 tsi with its

541.44 -> stop start and cylinder deactivation tech is rated at a claimed 18.67 kilometers per liter

548.8 -> on the dynamics front the volkswagen group always does a pretty good job they did a tremendous job

554.32 -> off the tiguan and we really rated it as our favorite driving suv in its segment

560.16 -> and well that only translates better to the sedan body style the steering is really well judged for

565.92 -> a mix of heft at high speeds and lightness at low speeds it gives you a good amount of

571.52 -> feedback from the road and it's also quite sharp making this car quite a bit of fun around corners

577.92 -> but the real triumph of this dynamic package is the ride quality

582.24 -> this car has high ground clearance for a sedan and that's very good because of course it means

587.44 -> you can clear large speed breakers without anybody but just also the suspension setup yes

594.48 -> there's a little bit of underlying firmness just as you'd expect from a european car

599.6 -> but it hasn't come at the cost of low speed right it rides on 16 inch wheels that do look a little

604.72 -> bit small frankly but the op shot is that it allows this car to ride over bumps really really

610.64 -> well and much like the tygon that slight firmness in the suspension has allowed this car to behave

617.28 -> really really well at high speeds out here on a highway like this at three digit speeds it tracks

623.6 -> nice and true doesn't move the car around too much and will keep your passengers very very happy and

631.2 -> even when you introduce it to a set of corners it comes good with handling that is truly enjoyable

637.28 -> that suspension setup combined with the steering makes it agile makes it fun and makes it really

642.8 -> well controlled yeah this powertrain and this chassis it is a great drivers package

651.76 -> the brakes too feel really strong there aren't discs at the back but stamp on

656.08 -> the pedal hard and it will haul this car down to a heart very confidently

661.92 -> so the absolutely tremendous 1.5 tsi is undoubtedly the driver's choice

667.04 -> but hold on because the lesser 1.0 tsi might actually end up being the one you want to buy

676.96 -> so here we are in the 1 liter tsi version and much like in the tygon it makes 115 horsepower

684.4 -> 178 newton meters and here is mated to a six-speed torque converter automatic

690.56 -> you can have this engine with a six-speed manual as well but

694.24 -> we don't have that on test today stay tuned for that later

698.32 -> as the numbers suggest this engine doesn't have quite the highest rung performance of the 1.5 tsi

704.64 -> and the gearbox this stock converter isn't quite as quick or responsive to your inputs as the dsg

713.04 -> so yeah much like in the tiguan then this is the more relaxed power train of the two but don't mark

719.76 -> it down for that because i suspect much like in the tycoon this will end up being the far more

726.08 -> popular choice the first reason is because much like in the slavia and the kushak and the tygon

732.4 -> the 1.5 tsi version is likely to be quite a bit more expensive to the point that only serious

738.96 -> enthusiasts would want to opt for it and the other most significant point is that the power

744.48 -> and torque figures though not as much as the 1.5 are more than enough by segment standards

750.4 -> for the majority of people this car's more relaxed nature will be rather appealing it's

755.36 -> the better city car and i'm sure this car will spend a lot of its time in the city

761.6 -> perhaps the only thing you have to be aware of is the torque converter's tendency to make the

765.12 -> car leap off the line when you lift off the brake pedal that aside though it's a brilliant gearbox

772.08 -> even though the 1.5 dsg gearbox has improved a great deal there is a little bit of jerkiness

778 -> in the shifts whereas this one is no jerkiness at all it is incredibly smooth with the chips it too

784.24 -> gets paddle shifters if you really want to get a move on and even the power delivery at low speeds

790.32 -> and light throttle inputs is incredibly smooth with this powertrain in fact this one liter tsi

796.72 -> powertrain only starts to show signs of hiccups when you push it a bit too hard so it's probably

802.16 -> best not to do that and drive in a more relaxed manner for instance even if you floor it in sport

807.84 -> mode the gearbox takes a second to respond the shifts aren't quite as smooth anymore and the

814.16 -> engine starts to make that three-cylinder thumb that so far wasn't that audible on the dynamic

821.28 -> front nothing really has changed except that with less weight over the nose from this smaller engine

826.32 -> it actually feels a little bit more eager to turn in which only adds to the sense of agility

833.68 -> curiously vw recently introduced the fuel saving engine idle stop start deck on the 1 litre tsi

840 -> engine in the tygon suv which improved its fuel economy figure this vertice we're driving today

846 -> doesn't have that tech but still managed to score an impressive 18.12 kpl claimed rating which will

852.96 -> only get better if this feature is added later on so again for most buyers this car will be more

861.52 -> than enough you don't need to stump up for the 1.5 tsi unless you really want that performance

875.68 -> let's face it at this stage there really wasn't much we didn't already know about the vertus

879.92 -> apart from the way it drove which proved to be as expected the highlight of the experience the only

886.32 -> other missing piece of the puzzle now is the price which going by skoda and vw strategies

890.96 -> with their mid-size suvs should be right on par with the slavia we peg it at around 11 to 18 lakh

897.84 -> ex-showroom without the might of its sublime tdi diesel engine volkswagen has really leaned

903.6 -> into its tsi turbo petrol tech and delivered two stunning powertrain options to buy us a relaxed

909.36 -> one that suits everyday needs and a racy powerful one for enthusiasts the vertis has a tremendous

915.04 -> ride and handling package too but what sets it apart from rivals is the way it looks which takes

920 -> the clean and understated vw design and jazzes it up with a bit of chrome and gloss black trim

926.4 -> the interior is spacious comfortable pretty well built and well equipped too

930.24 -> but there's no escaping the fact that higher spec variants will likely get expensive

935.04 -> one thing's for sure these india 2.0 cars have been a huge hit with indian customers and the

940.4 -> boost pun intended that the tycoon gave vw sales is only going to get stronger with the voters you

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22Nwt9ED_bY