Volkswagen Virtus World Premiere Next Month; India Launch In May

Volkswagen Virtus front three quarter
Representational

Volkswagen Virtus will be underpinned by the localised MQB A0 IN platform; to be powered by 1.0-litre and 1.5-litre petrol engines

Volkswagen will host the global premiere of the Virtus midsize sedan in India on March 8, 2022 and it will be introduced in the third weeks of May domestically. The Virtus is already sold in LATAM markets over the last four years and the upcoming model will essentially be the facelifted version of the existing sedan.

The 2022 VW Virtus will be launched in India first before reaching international markets and the India-spec version will have plenty in common with the soon-launching Skoda Slavia (February 28 with the 1.0-litre engine and March 3 with the 1.5-litre engine). The Virtus will act as a replacement to the long-serving Vento that has been around for more than a decade.

The Virtus is based on the heavily localised MQB A0 IN platform and it has larger proportions than the Vento. The exterior is expected to boast a sharp-looking front fascia with chromed grille section, sleek headlamps and LED Daytime Running Lights, aggressive fog lamp assembly with wide central air intake, etc judging by the spy images.

skoda slavia sedan-9

It will compete against Honda City, Hyundai Verna, Maruti Suzuki Ciaz and the upcoming Skoda Slavia. The MQB A0 IN architecture is shared with the Volkswagen Taigun midsize SUV, Skoda Kushaq and Skoda Slavia and is part of the India 2.0 project with more than one billion euro investment from VW Group over the last three years.

The interior will also have several commonalities with the Skoda Slavia as a 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, an all-digital instrument cluster, cruise control, steering wheel with mounted controls, wireless charging facility, automatic climate control, six airbags, TPMS, etc are expected.

As for the engine lineup, the familiar 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo TSI petrol and the 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbocharged TSI petrol engines will be utilised. The former develops a maximum power output of 115 PS and 175 Nm while the latter delivers 150 PS and 250 Nm. The smaller gasoline unit will be paired with a six-speed MT or a six-speed AT. The 1.5-litre mill could be offered with a six-speed MT or a seven-speed DSG.