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
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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