[SaiChaithanya]

Originally Posted by maverick81

I wanted to check if anyone else is facing any issues with Apple car play in the infotainment system.

I have experienced disconnect from Apple CarPlay while it is on wireless connection. Music stopped as it is disconnected from infotainment.

I even face this music disconnection when phone is connected to infotainment via Bluetooth.

I started using Apple CarPlay over wire and have not experienced disconnects so far.

Yes, the screen sometimes freezes and there won't be any response for couple of minutes. But after I started connecting over wire, have not experienced screen freeze as of now.

[redcruiser]

On checking the manufacturer recommendations for Tyre pressure , For full load conditions , 4 pax and packed boot, the tyre pressure should be 48PSI . Don't you think this is way too high !! But i would give the benefit of doubt to the manufacturer.

For 3 pax I am going with 40PSI in my continental UC6 tyres. Is this ok?

[PB65]

Just returned from the PDI of Virtus 1.0 Highline. The car had just landed half an hour ago from the transit vehicle and had 8 kms done on the odo. The dealership PDI was yet to be done. I request the assistance of fellow BHPians on whether the listed issues are Major ones:
- Driver side window rolls up and down, much slower than other 3 windows.
- AC was giving out hissing sounds, upon start as well as after some intervals.
- Boot was not opening completely. Had to open the last 20% of the Boot manually.
- Warning lights for CHECK ENGINE and EPC were lit even upon starting the vehicle.

The reason stated by the dealership person was (and sounded genuine) that the car had just gotten off the transit vehicle. It was dirty and dust might have accumulated around the windows and the Boot. For the EPC and engine check light, he clarified that some wires of the EPC are connected when the dealership will perform their own PDI. He stated that these wires come disconnected from the factory and are connected by the dealership.

Are these any major concerns? Is the reasoning of the dealership satisfactory? Please advice.

[Shanksta]

Originally Posted by redcruiser

On checking the manufacturer recommendations for Tyre pressure , For full load conditions , 4 pax and packed boot, the tyre pressure should be 48PSI . Don't you think this is way too high !! But i would give the benefit of doubt to the manufacturer.

For 3 pax I am going with 40PSI in my continental UC6 tyres. Is this ok?

40PSI is too high. 32PSI is more than sufficient and offers a comfortable ride. Moreover any pressure over 32PSI if your running in majorly on the highways is a strict no-no.

Originally Posted by PB65

- Driver side window rolls up and down, much slower than other 3 windows.
- AC was giving out hissing sounds, upon start as well as after some intervals.
- Boot was not opening completely. Had to open the last 20% of the Boot manually.
- Warning lights for CHECK ENGINE and EPC were lit even upon starting the vehicle.

Are these any major concerns? Is the reasoning of the dealership satisfactory? Please advice.

Hi PB65,

The first two issues you observed is normal, atleast it is the same in my Slavia. The driver side window is pretty loud and slow during operation when compared to the other 3 windows. It is a known flaw in the Virtus/Slavia.

Similarly, the AC compressor sound can be a little unnerving while using the car initially, you will get used to it. The hissing sound is just the compressor turning on/off.

However, the third and fourth issue you have mentioned is something I have never heard of. In my Slavia the boot opens fully when I press the physical button on the boot or use the remote. Not sure if there is a slight variation in the way it works on the Virtus, however should not be a great concern for you to worry about.

Lastly, the cars are usually shippedin transit mode and hence the warning lights might be lit up on the cluster, would suggest you to give the dealer the benefit of the doubt and not worry too much about it. Standard warranty of 4 years will easily cover any issues that arise.

I would suggest you not to think too much about these issues and just enjoy the new car. Congratulations on the new car.

[SaiChaithanya]

Originally Posted by PB65

- Driver side window rolls up and down, much slower than other 3 windows.
- AC was giving out hissing sounds, upon start as well as after some intervals.
- Boot was not opening completely. Had to open the last 20% of the Boot manually.
- Warning lights for CHECK ENGINE and EPC were lit even upon starting the vehicle.

In addition to what Shanksta shared, below is the experience with my Virtus PDI:

1. Driver side window up & down roll is in line with other 3. If it is more concerned, ask your SA to check and some workaround should help.
2. Exactly same what Shanksta mentioned. And we’ve to live with it, eventually you’ll not think of it.
3. Ask SA to adjust boot lid spring, they’re aware of the matter and post adjustment, you should see the boot not coming back/falling down.
4. Because of transit, few cables are disconnected at factory and dealer PDI would cover all these error messages/warning lights when they connect back.

Congratulations on your new car & enjoy your ride

[PB65]

Originally Posted by SaiChaithanya

Congratulations on your new car & enjoy your ride

Thanks for the feedback @SaiChaithanya.

I was just concerned because in the previous PDI of a Silver Virtus (was planning for that at first) none of the issues were present. Although it was a model manufactured in August, with 33km on the Odo. And I guess it was marked as PDI OK.

[SaiChaithanya]

Originally Posted by PB65

Thanks for the feedback @SaiChaithanya.

I was just concerned because in the previous PDI of a Silver Virtus (was planning for that at first) none of the issues were present. Although it was a model manufactured in August, with 33km on the Odo. And I guess it was marked as PDI OK.

Mine was Aug manufactured as well and maybe that’s the reason I didn’t face the window issue like the silver one which you have seen.

My PDI happened within few hours of unloading from truck & the ODO was at 5 kms.
SA mentioned that dealership will perform a road test before okaying PDI from dealership end and ODO could go upto 50 kms, this must be the standard process across I believe.

[raycers_honda]

Went for the 1.5-year checkup. The car has covered 11,000 kms so far. After the AC update, there was an issue with the driver-side window, got that seen to and rectified. Also, got the boot opening issue solved; earlier, it was not opening fully. Another issue was the steering alignment, and that was resolved through wheel alignment. I then had the usual wash and interior vacuuming done.
I had asked for the under hood insulation but service advisor didn't seem to know what it was and had no idea on the availability for the virtus.
Sometimes I feel these service advisor are not well informed.

Overall, the service was satisfactory. They also replaced the owner's manual. I'm not sure what is new or what is added, but I'm guessing someone here knows about it and can provide insight into that.

[dieselOmaniac]

Originally Posted by dieselOmaniac

Folks, want your expert opinions regd my recent dilemma of choosing Virtus variants / engine options, I am sure to get genuine and constructive viewpoints through this forum.

Above was my original post 3 weeks ago

Originally Posted by fhdowntheline

If you still like the Virtus, please go for the top end with 6 airbags.

Originally Posted by Newtown

Having cars with both these engine variants in them these are my thoughts. My Virtus is a 1.0 TC and I really enjoy driving it.

Originally Posted by CoconutCar

My suggestion - 1.0 Topline TC Electric Seats

Thanks to you All for your precious and timely inputs, finally booked the 1.0 Topline TC with Electric Seats MY2024 (Lava Blue), delivery expected by mid of January. Really excited!

Decided to buy the following during/before 1st service
1) SVP 4 years (33K for the toplineAT). I see most of the members opted for it so they all must have done the math therefore will oblige.
2) 5th year / 5+6 years Ext warranty - 13.6K / 24.5K. I think this is given as I intend to keep it 5 years at least.

Other than those above, as the Topline is already loaded with bells and whistles, not much scope of accessories (VW basic accessories pack is already included by default) before delivery, what do you guys think?

I could still think of the following accessories to go for
1) During delivery from VW dealership - Dual tone Horn (3800) / Puddle lamp (5000) / scuff plates (1500) / Door edge guards (500). Also was considering the Trunc-Lip Spoiler (which comes with GT by default) - is it worth 7K ? And I am not sure whether spoiler will look good or not with Lava blue. And the fog lamp from stock halogen to white LED - is it worth 10500 or i should live with halogen only? And what about Active TPMS - VW quoted 7K, is it worth? Also plan to do under-hood insulation , need to ask VW for its quote
2) Post delivery in next one month (from a good accessories shop - outside VW) - Dashcam (using the 12V socket) / Front+Side film

Any other accessories you guys think which are must-have over the toplineAT? Request your inputs.

[SaiChaithanya]

Originally Posted by dieselOmaniac

what do you guys think?

Congratulations!
And, wow what a matching! This is the same list of add ons & accessories I had. Let me share my opinions for your better call.

Add ons:
1. SVP - in case if you have not paid them any amount other than booking amount, you can negotiate overall quote getting this included in final quote.

2. Extended Warranty for 5th & 6th year - Check with them if there’re any discounts on offer, I got it during festive season for 20.2k. If this is not on any offer, add this also in your quote & you can negotiate. If not, you anyways have time to buy later and can do so once offers are available.

Accessories:
1.
a. Dual tone horn: It is a nice upgrade.

b. Puddle lamps: They’ll drill & fit in door pockets which means these lamps are helpful only when door is opened, other manufacturer models will have puddle lamps under the ORVMs which will actually help during night to reach car but this doesn’t serve the purpose in my opinion & asked them not to install.

c. Scuff plates: These are good but I felt not required as I have not seen myself stepping on the footboard area being it a sedan whereas in our Crysta I have to be cautious to not have scratches.

d. Door edge garnish: Dealer quoted me ₹400 per piece & yours is a decent deal, along with my friends I also felt this accessory is not looking great on Virtus, have a look at any Virtus which have this already installed to imagine on your car.

e. Trunk lip spoiler: It adds aesthetic look to the car, I love mine with trunk lip spoiler. I got it for 5.9k. Check other Lava Blue cars & you can decide how it looks. I would suggest to also change ORVM caps to black ones if you opt for trunk lip spoiler.

f. Fog lamp upgrade: Dealership said me there’s not much improvement in the throw, it is too costly as well & didn’t opt for it.

g. Active TPMS: I bought & got it installed on my Virtus from VW considering a safety device. I’m still monitoring the device before I wanted to write a review on it. So far my observation is that sometimes app doesn’t call out readings & I couldn’t make it when the readings are last refreshed. But one change I noticed on MID is that now along with tyre deflation warning, position of tyre having low pressure is also getting highlighted. If I recall my memory correctly, I believe position of tyre having low pressure was not getting highlighted and it was only tyre deflation warning when there’s no Active TPMS installed. Others please help how deflation warning is showing on MID when there’s no Active TPMS. At the moment I couldn’t conclude VW active TPMS is good or bad.

h. Under hood insulation sheet: I was told it costs around ₹1500 and it is in back order with my service centre. I read some post on Slavia page that one user got it for around ₹800.

2. Nowadays Dashcams are helpful in evidence during unforeseen circumstances. After reading ph03n!x’s post (Dashcam is a Must-Have | Saved me legally and financially) I’m in the process of ordering Viofo A229 Pro.

So, I would suggest you to negotiate harder with dealership to give discounts on SVP & Extended Warranty. If they give you that’s well & good but if they can’t make it, I would encourage you to divert that money on a good dashcam in case if you’re on a budget at the moment as Extended Warranty can be purchased anytime before current warranty expires (as per what dealership told me) plus you might get discounts on this add-on.

Other accessories I considered:
Emergency Hammer: After seeing this product in service centre, I wanted to bang this on ground. It’s a lowest grade ever plastic material with uneven finishes and I’m surprised how VW quality team passed it. Website image is excellent but in reality it is equivalent to a less than ₹20 plastic item.

Kids rear view mirror: I wanted this to monitor my baby if only we both are on board. Not sure how it will be but it is in back order.

Active carbon air filter: I don’t know why I asked them to install this and I don’t notice any difference either. If someone noticed any difference can please shed some light here.

Boot mat: Material is good but doesn’t cover entire boot area. Space inside the boot between rear wheel and bumper is exposed. I felt it doesn’t serve any purpose and too costly. So didn’t buy it.

[vinodbollini]

So our (Wild Cherry) Red Virtus GT Plus DSG came home a few months ago!

Before I talk about our story, a huge shoutout to all the folks on this thread, and otherwise on the forum: I have spent hours learning from your adventures.
Super thanks!

And also for some context, this was my last car:
Polo GT (Ritu - My 2014 VW Polo GT TSI Update: SOLD!)

Now back to the main attraction.

We booked the car from VW Downtown, Prabhadevi and super happy with them accommodating all the requests that I had, including the weird ones. They already had an August manufactured car, so it was all moving super quick. I did the entire process remotely, and almost everything was clear and smooth.

Did a PDI at their Sewri workshop a week before the handover. Had to send a friend for this, and he was very thorough. I have my own advanced checklist, so this process was painful for my friend, but thankfully straightforward. Grateful to him for doing this!

Purchase and Delivery

This is the first time I was taking delivery of a car in the monsoon, and I wanted to get the car to the detailer ASAP. So I was in a hurry and everything seemed to move so slow. The unveiling was with a wet cover, and ironically the silhouette looked quite good under that drenched cover.



As for the purchase, here are the things I included apart from the car, registration, etc.:
1. Insurance - they matched my quote, and got me Tata AIG which I am happy with
2. Extended Warranty up to year 6 (VW has an official discount on this) - will extend this to 7th year later
3. Specifically these genuine VW accessories and nothing else (and not the standard pack):
- Hood Insulation - 5JN-863-831
- Sun Blinds for Rear Windscreen - 5JP-064-361
- Sun Blinds for Windows - 5JP-064-364
- Textile Boot Mat - 5JP-061-210
- 3D Rubber Floor Mats - 5JP-061-500-A
- Mud Flaps - 5JP-075-110
- Bag Hooks - 000-061-126-B (Eventually did not get this, since it never arrived from the factory)



I did not take the service value packs, for these reasons:
1. Totalled up the costs on the VW site, and there was not much of a difference - ~2-3K more when paying directly, without accounting for future inflation
2. I am very particular about what is done in the service, and I don't like the dealership changing the wheel alignment, or other seemingly easy but high skill jobs; so I feel more in control paying at the time of service
3. I will probably upgrade brake disks, calipers and wipers anyway to better ones, and a better replacement battery
4. I also would like to change to better oils/filters so might not always use the VW parts
5. I end up driving a lot, so might anyway need to do services more frequently than normal

The folks at Downtown also accommodated my requests to have absolutely nothing fitted, stuck or applied on the car, so that my detailer could get everything virgin to work on.

After taking possession of the car, drove around to the IOC petrol pump and filled up with XP95. Mostly crawled to Opera House to pick up a pair of Osram H8s (50w x2, 6000K) to replace the stock 35w halogen fog lights. Got these from Harsh Auto, who I located by coming down the chain from Osram Germany.

Unfortunately an extremely rowdy two wheeler dinged the back of the car and the rear bumper has a little scratch. Other folks say that you have to pay close attention to notice it, but it's big enough to be grating inside my head. Will be a few months before I get this out of my head, or maybe never.

Next took the car to Saifee in Santa Cruz for an upgrade to the shoes.
I had pre-ordered a set of Momo Revenge Matt Black 16in alloys, and got it delivered to them a few days earlier - since they could not find it within their own network. Shod those with Continental UC6, 205/55/R16. The Momo package was missing the spacers, but the Saifee folks had them. The only thing I was a bit scared of was that the car was not on a hydraulic lift - the old school stands made me very uncomfortable. But overall super-fun with the crew there, and a few laughs also.



The stock tyres were noisy, and uncomfortable, and possibly over inflated. So the change up was even more evident. Got the new wheels balanced but due the festivities on the roads, could not get alignment done. Shelved that for after the detailing.

Then took the car to Redline Autohaus and got some features coded/unlocked. I had sent the list in advance, and while there's not much new to say, I did a lot of functional things and decided not to do some of the vanity ones. Had compiled the list from this thread and a bunch of YouTube videos.

And then took the car to Optimum Detailerz and dropped it off. It was a bit late, but they rightly wanted a cold engine in the morning so they could start their work immediately. I had already got instructions from them on what to avoid during delivery of the car - and except for the front number plate, there was nothing else on the car, not even the stickers on the windshield.

I wanted to do a de-chrome, but dropped the idea eventually. Scared of taking out the bumper(s) and generally averse to the idea of an irreversible change.
Will live with the bling-bling!

Set the car up for STEK Dynoshield PPF for the whole car, including my dinged bumper, and STEK NEX70 window film.

Also set-up a car accessories fitter to come and install the fog-lights I had bought and do the cabling for my Viofo A139 PRO 4K single channel dash cam. For the dash cam, I had pre-ordered and tested the camera, to make sure what cable types work, and wanted it set up with a USB-C to USB-C cable that is powered the USB-C port in the centre console. I also intend to use this cable end to "transfer data" to my laptop. This does not work, so used the cigarette lighter adapter initially. Eventually, I just hardwired and added the rear camera.

I have spent more than my share of time researching the choices I made. So AMA about:
1. Osram H8s
2. Continental UC6s and touring tyres
3. Momo's in India
4. Coding VWs, particularly the XDS+ and steering response settings
5. PPF, Ceramic, Window Film - particularly STEK
6. 4K Dashcams, Viofo in particular
7. BH series registration



Also later I have added a few things:
- Osram LEDguardian Saver Light Plus: Emergency light, seatbelt cutter, hammer with magnetic attachment
- Rear Camera and Hardwire Kit for the Dashcam
- 3M Noodle mats for the 4 footwells
- VW Original Scuff Plates
- A small dustbin
- Hamaan wipers
- Eureka Forbes Firegaurd Fire-extinguisher
- Bosch Easy Pump Inflator


I have also added a set of jump start leads, and list of cleaning stuff that I put together from Amol at Optimum Detailerz. Apart from the Fastag and the registration sticker, the other society stickers are on a transparent film so that I don't have to scrape of the stickers from the film.



Driving it around










We started with a drive down from Mumbai to Bangalore on October 1.
Drove sedately, in keeping with what the manual stated - all the way till the ODO hit 1,500 a few days later. Then opened up a bit on the way back from a trip to Chennai.



We have now done about 11,500 km in less than 3 months. So living up to the GT in the badge! 

Done Bangalore-Mumbai a couple of times, Mumbai-Ahmedabad, multiple trips from Bangalore to Chennai and Hyderabad. Some of these with 5 people on board also. The car is comfortable spacious tourer. Among family and friends, those who thought we should buy an “SUV”, have all come around to the comfort and fun of a sedan that doesn’t bounce around and drives well.

Driving sedately I have peaked at between 22-23 kmpl. But it is really hard to resist the temptation to have fun. Most of your trips are around the 18 kmpl mark. When I really decide to give it the beans, I have done about 16-17kpml as well.

The 2 cylinder mode is a huge plus for me, and I now have a sense of what it takes to put the car in sipper mode when cruising.



In the city, on cold start short runs (<5-6 km) I tend to get 9-10 kmpl. But for longer runs, it gets up to ~13kmpl.

I think I have a predictable formula for how the fuel efficiency varies with average speed over a journey, but will validate this with a bit more city running this month.

With the updates on the steering and vectoring, done during the coding, the car is so much more fund to drive. Have never really worried about an overtake. I also switch in to S a few times to just keep the engine on boil when in a ghat.



Some things I have discovered and loved over the many miles driven:
- The spare tyre well has enough storage so that I can keep all my cleaning, emergency stuff
- Have used and loved the tyre angle and fuel-to-fill indicator
- The seat ventilation is such a massive difference in comfort
- The slight driver orientation on the head-unit and controls is small tweak but awesome
- The cruise control with its 10km increments is perfect, when you can find the roads for cruising, the cruise control is also not aggressive on the throttle and braking
- The film on the car has been a life saver already against rock chips and foliage, and minor skirmishes
- The film on the glass is just a huge plus for comfort when driving in the sun

Of course there is so much more I love about the car, but there’s enough that people have said about it, so not going into the details here.


A few things I don’t like:
- The auto-start stop is a bit aggressive to cutout sometimes, and in start-stop crawl, I actually disable it. The big problem is that the button is right next to the actually start stop button, so have accidentally turned off the engine a couple of times in the early days.
- The gear box does get a bit jerky occasionally in crawling traffic initially, but the foot has learned the ways of the car, and this is not longer an issue.
- The boot lid does not open fully with the springs and needs a further push, it actually drops down a bit and hit my head a couple of times
- The harder plastics in the bottle storage are mean that there is a little bit of noise from rattling some times, and I am planning to damp this with some 3M furniture damping tape
- The rain sensing wipers are not perfect and about 10% of the time, I have to toggle up the wipers to make them react appropriately

I got the first inspection done at 1,200 km, because of the long distance travelling happening, and was a really neat experience at VW Whitefield. I could not get the 7,500 km inspection done yet, again because of the touring around, but will get it done now. Also tried to get a wheel alignment done, but the shop did not have the Virtus in the list of cars in the software - will get this done after the inspection. Have pre-emptively done an oil change at 7500km, which is my benchmark interval for oil changes to protect from the grubby fuel quality in India. 
Also needs a decontamination run for the film from all the travelling dust.

Overall, this car has brought many smiles over 3 months. It has arguably been one of the most joyful things in our lives this year. It’s a stunner that keeps turning heads wherever we go, and I love how much bang for the buck this is.

[dieselOmaniac]

Originally Posted by SaiChaithanya

Congratulations!
And, wow what a matching! This is the same list of add ons & accessories I had. Let me share my opinions for your better call.

Thanks SaiChaithanya for your detailed suggestions for the possible accessories. Based on your feedback (and my needs), I decided to go with the following:

From the dealership before delivery: 1) Dual Horn, 2) Active TPMS, 3) Hood installation , 4) Scuff plates, 5) Door Edge guards

Immediately after delivery (within a day or two): A decent dashcam from a reliable accessories store. I was zeroing on this one:
https://www.amazon.in/70mai-A500S-Pl.../dp/B08X2RTJJJ
Do you think VW guys will agree to fit this if I buy it from Amazon..?

Long Term - before summer sets in: Front+Side film

And one more thing I noticed during my visit to stockyard that they gave MRF Ecotred tyres in my car..:-( never heard of it..are these any good? I recently watched few youtube videos of latest deliveries, same case there, tyres are coming as MRF Ecotred for MY2024 Virtus! Any suggestions - should I change them right away after delivery to something like Continental UC6 etc or live with Ecotred..?

[CoconutCar]

Originally Posted by dieselOmaniac

what do you guys think?


.

1) Dual Horn - Yes take it. I didn't take it and now I regret because I don't have time to visit again.
2) Puddle Lamps - No. I didn't take because I didn't like the design of lights. Do see them how they look, before getting them installed
3) Scuff Plates - Yes, Good thing in my person opinion. But make sure the price they quote is worth to you
4) Personally, I recommend to not change stock fog halogens because halogen performs better in fog. The main headlight is still white. I guess they have purposefully kept fog lamps as halogen.
5) Under Hood Insulation - I am Planning to have it. It will make a noticeable difference to inside engine noise when the engine is revved hard
6) Dashcam - Yes. Try to get it installed by Service centre folks and discuss about warranty impacts if any.

Regards, And Congratulations

[Katryks]

The car looks gorgeous. Congratulations on the getting home the Virtus.

This is my first post and would like to apologise for any mistakes grammatical or otherwise. I took delivery of mine in the first week of December 2023 and would like to share my buying experience. But first let me share my ownership experience of my 2014 Honda City.
I have been planning to change my 9.5 years old Honda city for a while. The car was driven for around 80,000 Kms and was a beautiful car to drive. The reason I wanted to replace was because it was a manual and I contemplating switching over to an automatic. It’s horrendous to drive around Bengaluru these days and I have seen the advantage of driving an automatic.
I own a 2021 Honda Jazz (I was and continue to be a loyal Honda fan). Except for the regular service, I had not replaced a single part except for the battery and tyres. The OEM battery lasted just a year and had to change it to Exide which lasted a good 6 years with absolutely no issues. I had replaced the tyres once with Michelin tyres couple of years back. Barring these replacements, I had not replaced even a single part of the car. Speaks volumes about the reliability of Honda.

Few parting shots of my Honda City on the day I sold it to VW Mysore Road (part of Bangalore Motors/VST Motors).





I had shortlisted the following cars (all automatic)
1. Hyundai Creta- Found the car to be quite good with all bells and whistles and loaded with features. I found the car to have a lot of body roll. Not sure if this was with the specific test drive car or generally for all the mid-size SUV’s. I also read that Hyundai was on the verge of launching the new Creta in 2024. With a global NCAP rating of 3, this was not something I could compromise. I am fine to let go of quite a few features in the car, but cannot compromise on the safety aspects of the car.

2. Kia Seltos- Seltos was a lot planted on the road compared to Creta but found the 1.5 DCT to be quite expensive with safety being as good or bad as Creta. The on road price of 1.5 DSG was close to Rs. 26 lacs and felt it was not a value for money option.

3. Tata Harrier- Was way beyond my budget and no option of a petrol engine. I don’t drive more than 1000-1200 kms in a month and had to strike off my shortlisted list.


4. Mahindra XUV 700- Beautiful car. I was interested in the AX7 version but was told that there was a waiting period of more than 6 months. My cousin owns a petrol version in Pune and he very strongly advised not to go for the petrol version as the mileage is quite bad.

5. Hyundai Verna – Looks was quite polarising, and both my wife and daughter vehemently vetoed the car. In fact, I owned the first generation Verna which was a good car but was quite bad in drive and build quality.

6. Honda Elevate- Test drove the Elevate on the day the car was available at Magnum Honda, Kanakapura Road. Beautiful car with an excellent drive quality with the reliability of the tested Honda CVT engine. Interiors was a bit disappointing and was actually not an upgrade from my City. Dropped the idea of buying the Elevate.

7. Skoda Slavia/ VW Virtus- I was open to the idea of both Slavia and Virtus and was blown away with the 1.5 TSI DSG engine. It was a class apart from the rest of the competition and immediately decided to go for one of the two European twins. The only negative of the Slavia was that the infotainment system was an 8 inch one and the VW 1.5 had the 10-inch infotainment system.

Having driven the Honda City Manual and the Jazz CVT, Virtus and Slavia were a fabulous car to drive. The build quality and the smooth gear shift was a notch above competition and immediately decided to book the Virtus 1.5 DSG.

I booked the car in October ’23 and was told that the car would be available within 3 weeks. The Sales executive from VW Mysore Road called and informed that there was a newer version of Virtus with ambient lighting, electric seats, sub-woofer and amplifier with a price difference of Rs. 36000. I changed the model and opted for the new and added features of the Virtus. For more than a month, there was no news of the car and they finally informed that the variant which I had opted for would be available only in last week of January’24 with a potential increase in the price.

I decided to not to go for the 2024 variant (that’s what they mention in their catalogue) and stuck to 1.5 DSG GT plus Carbon Grey color. The car was immediately available and decided to get the documentation completed. Did a detailed PDI at their yard and was quite satisfied. The car was September manufactured and must have been at their yard for couple of months. I checked with couple of people I know from the automobile industry and they suggested I go head and not to bother about this.

The entire process was smooth and the documentation to delivery period was just 5 days with the HSNP getting delivered within 2 days. Hatts off to the salespeople and I took delivery on 3rd December on a rainy Sunday evening. Distributed sweets and chocolates to the people present in the showroom. It was quite late by the time I took delivery and thanked them for staying back so late.

I took my car to Sai Colorium in J.P.Nagar the next day for graphene coating and was extremely happy with their quality of work. Hats off to Bharath and Ananth who ensured that car looked stunning. Have shared couple of pictures of my car after the graphene coating.










Attachment 2553146



I have done around 1400 kms in the first month of delivery with 2 long trips to Mulbagal and Mantralaya. It was fabulous drive and the car was superb on the highway fetching an average of 17.5 kms/ltr which includes city (K.R.Puram, Hoskote & Hebbal junction) as well as highway drive.

The only cons so far was the service experience. VW calls the first service as Swagatham service. It was no way welcoming in any was as they kept the car for 2 days for no rhyme or reason. The service executive was a newbie and was quite uncomfortable for the small niggles I had with the car. Just to list couple of niggles.

1. The car is sometime jerky at slower speeds (D1 & D2) with the engine revving quite a bit
2. Nagging alert while driving. Got to know that it was because of the Sygic maps. The service executive advised that I uninstall the app. The problem seems resolved for the moment.
3. The driver side window was quite noisy. They cleaned the assembly of the window unit. It’s a lot better.
4. AC was quite noisy in the beginning but now seems a lot better. I would still rate my Honda City and Jazz’s AC to be far better in cooling compared to the Virtus.
To summarise, I have been quite happy and hope to drive the car for many more years to come. Virtus has been fabulous so far and has been a worthy upgrade from my Honda City.

[tsi_niks1989]

Originally Posted by Katryks

1. The car is sometime jerky at slower speeds (D1 & D2) with the engine revving quite a bit

Congrats on the Virtus, it certainly is a looker . Regarding the D1-D2 engine over revving, this is something you will have to live with, it is the default behaviour of DSG. Switching to manual mode during low speeds will help.

Wish you many happy miles .