Volkswagen has launched the Virtus in India today, which comes in as a replacement to the Vento sedan in VW’s India range. The Virtus now finds itself in a revived midsize sedan segment which has seen other recent launches such as Skoda Slavia and also the Honda City e:HEV.
Apart from its sibling, the Slavia, the Virtus will have to compete against the likes of Hyundai Verna, Maruti Suzuki Ciaz and regular Honda City. Read on to see how the all-new sedan compares with its rivals in terms of specifications on paper.
- Virtus is the largest sedan in size
- 1.5 TSI makes the VW and Skoda the most powerful sedans
- Verna is the only other rival with a turbo-petrol engine
Volkswagen Virtus vs rivals: dimensions
| Virtus vs rivals: dimensions | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volkswagen Virtus | Skoda Slavia | Honda City | Hyundai Verna | Maruti Ciaz | |
| Length | 4561mm | 4541mm | 4549mm | 4440mm | 4490mm |
| Width | 1752mm | 1752mm | 1748mm | 1729mm | 1730mm |
| Height | 1507mm | 1507mm | 1489mm | 1475mm | 1485mm |
| Wheelbase | 2651mm | 2651mm | 2600mm | 2600mm | 2650mm |
| Boot space | 521 litres | 521 litres | 506 litres | 480 litres | 510 litres |
| Tyre size | 16-inch | 16-inch | 16-inch | 16-inch | 16-inch |
The VW Group sedans are the largest overall in this comparison. Being based on the same MQB A0-IN platform, the Virtus and the Slavia are near identical as far as dimensions go. The Volkswagen and Skoda measure the same in width, height, wheelbase, boot space and tyre size. But, the Virtus is slightly longer overall (20mm), which could simply be down to the difference in both models’ bumpers.
Honda City is the next biggest sedan here, being only 12mm shorter in length and 4mm slimmer than the Virtus. The Verna is the smallest competitor here, in terms of overall length, width, height and boot space. The Ciaz has the second longest wheelbase and the second largest boot space. Meanwhile, all models here ride on 16-inch alloy wheels in their top-spec form.
Volkswagen Virtus vs rivals: engine and gearbox
| Virtus vs rivals: powertrains | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volkswagen Virtus | Skoda Slavia | Honda City | Hyundai Verna | Maruti Ciaz | |
| Type | 3 cyls, turbo-petrol/4 cyls, turbo-petrol | 3 cyls, turbo-petrol/4 cyls, turbo-petrol | 4 cyls NA petrol-hybrid/4 cyls, NA petrol | 4 cyls, NA/3 cyls, turbo-petrol | 4 cyls, NA petrol |
| Displacement | 999cc/1498cc | 999cc/1498cc | 1498cc, two electric motors/1498cc | 1497cc/998cc | 1462cc |
| Power | 115hp/150hp | 115hp/150hp | 126hp/121hp | 115hp/120hp | 105hp |
| Torque | 175Nm/250Nm | 175Nm/250Nm | 253Nm/145Nm | 144Nm/172Nm | 138Nm |
| Manual gearbox | 6-speed | 6-speed | 6-speed | 6-speed | 5-speed |
| Auto gearbox | 6-speed Torque converter/7-speed dual-clutch | 6-speed Torque converter/7-speed dual-clutch | eCVT/7-step CVT | 8-step CVT/7-speed dual-clutch | 4-speed Torque converter |
Since the Virtus is a petrol-only model, we’ll be considering just the petrol engine options of all the competitors here. However, it’s worth noting that the Honda City and Hyundai Verna do come in diesel variants.
The new Volkswagen Virtus comes with two turbo-petrol engine options, which it shares with the Skoda Slavia. The Virtus’ Dynamic Line variants will come with the 1.0-litre, three-cylinder TSI unit which makes 115hp and 178Nm and will be available with either a 6-speed manual or torque converter automatic gearbox.
Like the Slavia, the Virtus will also come with a larger 1.5-litre, four-cylinder TSI unit that puts out 150hp and 250Nm in its Performance Line variants. This engine makes the Virtus, along with the Slavia, the most powerful midsize sedan on sale. The 1.5 TSI features fuel-saving cylinder deactivation tech as well, but can only be had with a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. This engine on the Slavia is also offered with a 6-speed manual gearbox that's an enthusiasts's delight.
The next most powerful sedan is the City in its new e:HEV strong hybrid guise. The petrol-electric powertrain that comes mated to a eCVT gearbox puts out 126hp of power and 253Nm of torque (the most torque in this class), but more than engine outputs, it's the City e:HEV's fuel efficiency that really stands out. Honda claims a fuel economy figure of 26.5kpl and 1,000km of range on a single tank of fuel. The City is also available with a 121hp, 1.5-litre naturally aspirated motor which can be had with a 6-speed manual or a 7-step CVT automatic gearbox.
Meanwhile, the Ciaz is available with 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine, and is the only model in this segment to be offered with a single engine option. The Maruti Suzuki is the oldest model in this comparison and you can tell that by just the engine and gearboxes it offers. The Ciaz’s 1.5 unit puts out 105hp and 138Nm (the lowest output here) and is available with either a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed torque converter.
Other than the Virtus and Slavia, it’s Hyundai’s Verna that offers two petrol engine options. The entry-level engine is the naturally aspirated 1.5-litre unit that makes 115hp and 144Nm and comes with 6-speed manual and 8-step CVT gearbox options. The Verna is also the only other car to come with a turbo-petrol option, featuring a 1.0-litre three-cylinder unit putting out 120hp and 172Nm. The Verna Turbo can only be had with a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox though.
Volkswagen Virtus vs rivals: price
| Virtus vs rivals: price (ex-showroom, | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Model | Voplkswagen Virtus | Skoda Slavia | Honda City | Hyundai Verna | Maruti Ciaz |
| Petrol MT | Rs 11.21 - 14.41 lakh | Rs 10.99 - 16.79 lakh | Rs 11.46 - 13.91 lakh | Rs 9.40 - 13.05 lakh | Rs 8.99 - 10.89 lakh |
| Petrol AT | Rs 14.27 - 17.91 lakh | Rs 13.89 - 18.39 lakh | Rs 12.86 - 19.49 lakh | Rs 12.46 - 14.35 lakh | Rs 10.83 - 11.98 lakh |
Prices for the Volkswagen Virtus are currently introductory, however, it's already more expensive than most of its rivals. In fact, the Virtus' introductory price is more expensive than the Skoda Slavia's was at launch.
The Maruti Suzuki Ciaz continues to be the most affordable in the segment, but that’s only reasonable given that it is the most dated sedan here. The Ciaz is followed by the Hyundai Verna, which has a compelling starting price of Rs 9.40 lakh and tops out at Rs 14.35 lakh even with a turbo-petrol-DCT powertrain.
Similarly, on a variant-to-variant basis, the Virtus 1.0 TSI variants are marginally more expensive than corresponding variants of the Skoda Slavia. And while the Honda City may have a higher starting price than the Virtus, each corresponding variant of the City is more affordable than the Virtus.
The Virtus, however, saves some grace with its 1.5 TSI AT variant, which is more affordable than the Slavia 1.5 TSI AT by a fair margin. However, buyers of the Slavia 1.5 TSI have a more affordable option with the manual gearbox, which the Virtus misses out on. Lastly, the Honda City e:HEV is the most expensive offering in the entire segment, but that’s because it packs in both an IC engine and a sophisticated hybrid system, making up for the premium with class-leading fuel efficiency.
Despite being on the pricier side, the new Volkswagen Virtus seems to be a promising package on paper, seeing as it is the largest, best-equipped and most powerful sedan in the segment. However, it can only be crowned king of the segment once we’ve compared it to the others on the road. Stay tuned.
Will the Volkswagen Virtus be your midsize sedan of choice? Let us know in the comments.
Also See:
Volkswagen Virtus: price, variants explained
Watch our Honda City e:HEV hybrid video review
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