Volkswagen Virtus India Launch In Early 2022

News Highlights

• Volkswagen Virtus is based on the MQB A0 platform.
• The India-spec Virtus to rival the likes of Honda City, Hyundai Verna
• The new Virtus sedan is larger than the Vento.

Volkswagen is planning to introduce a mid-size sedan called Virtus in the Indian market in early 2022. It will basically replace Vento in the country. Furthermore, it has already been spied testing on Indian roads earlier this year. Once launched, it will rival the likes of Hyundai Verna, Honda City, and Maruti Suzuki Ciaz.

The new Virtus will be based on the VW group’s modular MQB A0 platform. Dimensionally, it will be larger than the Vento available in India. Design-wise, it borrows bits like grille, headlamps, bumper, and hood upfront from the pre-facelift sixth-gen Polo. Due to its longer wheelbase, the rear doors are longer in comparison to the Polo. The rear end boasts of sleek wraparound taillights and a small ducktail spoiler. 

Talking about the Volkswagen Virtus on sale in the global market, it comes equipped with a plethora of features. These include a large touchscreen ‘VW Play’ infotainment system compatible with Apple CarPlay & Android Auto, a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, automatic climate control, connected car technology, rear parking sensors, driver fatigue monitor among many others. The India-bound model is likely to share its interior features with Taigun SUV. 

In the global market, the Virtus is offered with two petrol engine options -  a 1.6-litre, four-cylinder MSI engine, and a 1.0-litre, three-cylinder, turbo-petrol TSI engine. The former belts out 115 bhp power and 162 Nm peak torque. While the latter churns out 126 bhp power and 200 Nm peak torque. Both engines come with 6-speed automatic gearbox as standard. However, the 1.6-litre MSI unit can also be availed with a 5-speed manual gearbox. As for the India-spec Virtus, it is likely to carry forward the current Vento’s 1.0-litre TSI turbo-petrol engine. However, a  larger 1.5-litre, four-cylinder TSI engine might also be on cards. The 1.0-litre TSI is likely to come with a 6-speed manual and 6-speed torque converter automatic transmission. The 1.5-litre TSI motor, on the other hand, is expected to come with a 7-speed DSG automatic gearbox.

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