Volkswagen Virtus vs rivals Comparison of specifications

In terms of dimensions, engine specifications, and price, the new Volkswagen Virtus is compared to its peers. The Virtus has been launched in India by Volkswagen, which is intended to replace the Vento sedan in VW’s Indian product line. Virtus competes in a revived midsize sedan segment that also includes the Skoda Slavia as well as the Honda City e:HEV.

Besides competing against its sibling, the Slavia, the Virtus will also have to contend with vehicles like the Hyundai Verna, Maruti Suzuki Ciaz, and regular Honda City. You can compare the specifications of the all-new sedan to those of its rivals by reading on.

Dimensions of the Volkswagen Virtus vs. its rivals

In this comparison, the VW Group sedans are the largest. As both are based on the same MQB A0-IN platform, their dimensions are nearly identical. There is no difference in size or shape between the Volkswagen and Skoda in terms of width, height, wheelbase, boot space, or tyre size. However, the Virtus is slightly longer overall (20mm), which could simply be due to the different bumpers on the two models.

Dimensions comparison
	Volkswagen Virtus	Skoda Slavia	Honda City	Hyundai Verna	Maruti Ciaz
Height	1507mm	1507mm	1489mm	1475mm	1485mm
Wheelbase	2651mm	2651mm	2600mm	2600mm	2650mm
Boot space	521 liters	521 liters	506 liters	480 liters	510 liters
Tyre size	16-inch	16-inch	16-inch	16-inch	16-inch
Width	1752mm	1752mm	1748mm	1729mm	1730mm
Length	4561mm	4541mm	4549mm	4440mm	4490mm

Only a few millimeters shorter in length and four millimeters slimmer than the Virtus, the Honda City is the next biggest sedan in this class. In terms of overall length, width, height, and boot space, the Verna is the smallest competitor. In terms of wheelbase and boot space, the Ciaz is second in the segment. However, all top-spec models on this list are equipped with 16-inch alloy wheels.

Engine and gearbox comparison between Volkswagen Virtus and its rivals

In this section, we’ll only consider the petrol engines of the competitors since Virtus only comes in petrol. It’s important to note, though, that both the Honda City and Hyundai Verna are available with diesel engines.

Both the new Volkswagen Virtus and the Skoda Slavia are equipped with turbo-petrol engines. A 1.0-liter three-cylinder TSI will power the Virtus’ Dynamic Line variants, making 115hp and 178Nm and available with a torque converter automatic or 6-speed manual transmission.

Engine and gearbox comparison
	Volkswagen Virtus	Skoda Slavia	Honda City	Hyundai Verna	Maruti Ciaz
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
Manual gearbox	6-speed	6-speed	6-speed	6-speed	5-speed
Power	115hp/150hp	115hp/150hp	126hp/121hp	115hp/120hp	105hp
Torque	175Nm/250Nm	175Nm/250Nm	253Nm/145Nm	144Nm/172Nm	138Nm
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

In its Performance Line versions, the Virtus will also have a 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder TSI engine that delivers 150hp and 250Nm. Due to this engine, the Virtus is one of the most powerful midsize sedans on the market, along with the Slavia. Similarly, the 1.5 TSI uses fuel-saving cylinder deactivation technology, but it comes only with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. It’s also available on the Slavia with a 6-speed manual gearbox, which is a dream for enthusiasts.

City’s new strong hybrid e:HEV is the next most powerful sedan. The City e:HEV comes equipped with a petrol-electric powertrain that produces 126 horsepower and 253 Newton meters of torque (the most torque in this class), but more than its power outputs, it particularly impresses with its fuel economy. In addition, Honda claims to have a fuel economy of 26.5kpl, and a range of 1,000km with just one tank of fuel. The City is also offered with a 121hp, 1.5-liter naturally aspirated engine that is available with a 6-speed manual transmission or a 7-step CVT automatic transmission.

Also Read: Hyundai Venue prices increased by Rs 12,100

Currently, the Ciaz is offered with a 1.5-liter naturally aspirated petrol engine, which is the only engine option in this segment. With just the engine and gearboxes it offers, you can tell that Maruti Suzuki is the simplest and oldest vehicle in this comparison. With its 1.5-liter engine, the Ciaz produces 105 horsepower and 138Nm of torque (the lowest output here). It comes with either a 5-speed manual transmission or a 4-speed torque converter.

Hyundai’s Verna is the only vehicle with two petrol engine choices, aside from the Virtus and Slavia. There are two options for the entry-level engine — the naturally aspirated 1.5-liter that makes 115hp and 144Nm. It is coupled with a 6-speed manual transmission and an 8-step CVT. Only the Verna is equipped with a turbo-petrol option, featuring a 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine that produces 120 horsepower and 172 Nm. However, only the 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission is available with the Verna Turbo.

VW Virtus vs rivals: price

Volkswagen’s Virtus is still in its introductory phase, but it currently costs more than most of its competitors. At launch, the Virtus is more expensive than the Skoda Slavia.

Virtus vs rivals: price (ex-showroom,
Model	Volkswagen 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

However, given that it’s the most dated sedan in the segment, the Ciaz remains the most affordable option in the segment. The Maruti Suzuki Ciaz is followed by the Hyundai Verna which has a competitive starting price of rs 9.4 Lakh and a top end of Rs 14.35 Lakh but even with a turbo petrol-DCT Powertrain.

Similar to the Virtus 1.0 TSI, the Skoda Slavia variants with corresponding TSI versions are marginally more expensive. Although the City is more expensive than the Virtus for the base model, it is more affordable across the range of models.

In contrast, the 1.5 TSI AT variant on the Virtus is significantly more affordable than the 1.5 TSI AT on the Slavia. On the other hand, the Slavia 1.5 TSI offers a more affordable manual gearbox, which the Virtus cannot offer. Finally, the Honda City e:HEV is the most expensive model in the segment, but that’s not surprising given its combination of a powerful IC engine and a sophisticated hybrid system, which helps offset the extra cost with a class-leading fuel economy.

Also Read: Hyundai Venue prices increased by Rs 12,100

The new Volkswagen Virtus, despite being pricier than its predecessor, is an attractive package on paper, considering that it’s the largest, best-equipped, strongest sedan in the segment. But it can only be crowned king of the segment if it is compared to the others. Stay tuned.

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