Volkswagen Virtus shares its platform with the brand’s own Taigun and Skoda’s Kushaq and Slavia
Volkswagen and Skoda have been doing very well ever since the implementation of INDIA 2.0 strategy. With this strategy, they have forayed into SUVs and Sedans. Volkswagen has the Taigun SUV and Virtus sedan and Skoda has the Kushaq SUV and Slavia sedan. Most hardware and electronic & electrical components are shared with each other to bring the costs down.
All four vehicles are based on the MQB A0 IN platform that was specifically designed for India and Indian road conditions. Skoda Kushaq was the first to come out of this INDIA 2.0 strategy and yesterday, Skoda commemorated its one-year anniversary too with a few updates. Volkswagen Virtus sedan is the newest product to come out of this strategy and Volswagen’s second product is based on this platform.
Both Skoda and Volkswagen are doing well for themselves in terms of sales figures. As found in our car sales chart, Skoda is the 9th highest-selling PV manufacturer and VW stands at 12th position. But all the products that are based on this new INDIA 2.0 strategy, have some or the other niggles, failures and faults being reported time and time again. Most frequent culprits are the AC system and fuel pump failures.
Volkswagen Virtus Quality Concerns
These failures raise the question of German cars’ “tank-like build quality”. Recently, a VW Virtus owner took to social media to share his experiences with the car. He drove his Virtus through a bad patch of road. And at the end of a painful 6 kms of jolts and wiggles and shocks and thuds, the rear ceiling light panel just came off.
He posted a picture in Volkswagen Virtus India Owners group, showing the roads he went through and the result of that monstrosity beside it. Owner claims that those bad roads he went through are the sole reason for his ceiling-light panel to come right off.
The car in question is a top-spec GT variant with a 1.5L TSI engine and DSG gearbox finished in Blue. For India, both Volkswagen and Skoda have given 180 mm of ground clearance for both Virtus and Slavia. As a result, Virtus in question, didn’t bottom out even in such harsh terrains. In fact, the owner lauds suspension quality as it held on to its own very well.
The factor where he is upset about is interior fit and finish. And when the ceiling light panel comes off on its own due to some bad roads, it doesn’t provide a whole lot of confidence now, does it? Owner also claimed that he fixed the light all by himself in just 5-minutes. But it shouldn’t have popped out in the first place.
Specs & Pricing
Both Skoda Slavia and Volkswagen Virtus get two engine options. A 1.0L TSI and a 1.5L TSI. The former is a turbo-petrol unit making 114 bhp and 178 Nm. The latter 1.5L turbo-petrol unit makes 148 bhp and 250 Nm. Virtus gets a 6-speed manual, 6-speed torque converter and 7-speed DSG gearbox options.
Right now, Volkswagen Virtus range starts from Rs. 11.22 lakh (ex-sh) for base Comfortline variant with a 1.0L engine and goes all the way to Rs. 17.92 lakh for top-spec GT Plus 1.5 TSI EVO DSG. In terms of size, it competes with Skoda Slavia and All New Honda City.
