Vice & Virtue

If sedans are an enthusiast's drug then the new Volkswagen is a vice you'd want for the many virtues it has to revive the lost glory of exhilarating sedans

- Abhik Das

VW Virtus 1.0 TSI / 1.5 TSI

Engine 999cc, 3-cyl, turbopetrol / 1.5-litre, 4-cyl, turbo-petrol

Power 115bhp@5,000rpm / 150bhp@5,000rpm

Max torque 178Nm@1,750rpm / 250Nm@1,600rpm

Gearbox 6-speed MT & AT / 7-speed DSG

Wheelbase(mm) 2,651 LxWxH (mm) 4,561x1,752x1,507

Ground clearance 179mm

Boot space 521-1,050 litres

Fuel efficiency 19.4 & 18.12 / 18.7kmpl

Price: Rs 11-18 lakh (estimated) On sale June 2022

An 80s or 90s kid would resonate with the aspiration of their ideal car. It was most definitely a sedan; the sleek, elegant, classy and even sporty sedan is what you wanted to see yourself in once you were all grown up. But the turn of the millennium saw the sedan fade away as other forms of cars became popular and all hope was lost for the sedan... until now. Hot on the heels of the Skoda Slavia’s launch, comes in the VW counterpart christened, the Virtus and it shouldn’t take you long to realise that this could very well be that ray of hope you were looking for, that perfect silhouette of a sedan that the Virtus seems to flawlessly mould itself into.

Let me make things very clear right at the beginning. Yes, this is the same car as the Skoda Slavia, they share the same mechanical bits under the skin but despite the cars sharing the same factories and subcomponents, the individual identities of the badges the cars adorn have to be maintained. The essence of sitting and driving each of these cars have to resonate with what people have come to expect and associate with their respective brands. Thus, VW put in a good deal of effort into making sure that the Virtus stands out.