Dealership Experience:
There isn't much to say and nothing negative to report. The 1.0 MT HL test drive was immediately available upon my arrival. I took the test drive, and the salesperson also showed me their stockyard and the white 1.0 Comfortline. We paid the amount by 2 or 3 pm, and as promised, the car was available for delivery by 5 pm.
Exterior:
I've been pondering this for a long time. Whenever I see another Virtus, even in white, it always seems to look better than mine. I'm not sure why that is. Could it be the missing items like the chrome on the grille or the DRLs that extend over the sidelines? I'm not sure if it's a psychological effect or if the top variants actually look different from the base model. I believe small details like the bottom chrome, full DRLs, and alloy wheels make a significant difference overall. What are your thoughts?
Driving Dynamics:
Being a sedan, it has its own set of advantages. Coming from a Vento, there's not much difference in its dynamics—it corners properly and there's not much body roll. Bumps don't feel as pronounced as they do in my Kodiaq, which is a welcome change. I have no complaints in this aspect of the vehicle. It offers a smooth and comfortable ride, maintaining the quality and handling I appreciated in the Vento.
Interior Quality and Cabin Feel:
This is where I believe I made a mistake by choosing the base variant. There are a lot of hard plastics used, and the seats are not as comfortable as those in my Vento. When I took the test drive, I loved the interior, and the factor that made me choose the Virtus over the Slavia was lost with the base model. So, yes, I have a bit of regret that instead of saving a few lakhs, I could have gone with a higher variant. But then again, I feel that I might still not have been completely satisfied. I've heard from many people who owned a Vento or Rapid and switched to the Virtus or Slavia that the overall quality has deteriorated. The Vento still has better quality overall, and my Virtus Comfortline doesn't even come close. I realized that many of the minute details that make a car feel premium are removed in the base variant, and I didn't notice this even during the PDI. This is why I haven't listed the pros and cons. I made a mistake assuming that the base model would have the same interior quality and cabin feel as its more expensive counterparts. The cabin just feels dull with plastics all around. I don't know what other cars offer at the same price, but for me, the comparison point for the Virtus is my Vento, and the Virtus doesn't come close to that standard. However, the car is not bad at all in terms of what you actually need, especially considering that it's your secondary car and you are not going to use it much.
Lights:
One of the reasons I chose the Virtus over the Slavia was its inclusion of LED headlights in the base variant. While they’re not as powerful as the LEDs in my Kodiaq (which isn’t a fair comparison), they get the job done. Driving at around 80-90 km/h on highways, they provide sufficient confidence. The spread and throw of the headlights are also decent.
A/C:
It's brilliant! No issues at all. Despite the fact that there are no rear AC vents, the cabin remains chilled, and we never need to set the temperature to the lowest or use the fan at full speed, even when the outside temperature is 40 degrees.