[emperor]

It’s been over a month since we purchased the Virtus 1.0 Comfortline and it’s been driven about 1000 kms till now.

Before diving into the car, I’ll start with a background

Why?
Before the Virtus we had three cars (still have all three) in our garage: Kodiaq 2018, Vento 2011, Tavera 2014 and all three diesels. With the 10 year old diesel car ban being enforced into Jaipur as well ment we needed a replacement for our secondary car.


Background
We are a family of 6. My dad is a doctor and runs his own hospital. Our monthly run, all cars combined, is atleast 6k kms primarily on highways. Our cars are all driven by drivers and it is only me other than one specified driver who drives our Kodiaq. Vento and Tavera are driven by multiple drivers as per need and both have been very well bullied (review on the Vento some other day). Kodiaq and Vento primarily are used only by our family and Tavera is used for hospital purposes. We live in a town about 80 kms outside of Jaipur so the Diesel rule does not apply there but weekly we have to travel to Jaipur/Delhi at least four or five times.

PS: I have already reviewed my Kodiaq, in case you missed it here is the link:
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-...ownership.html (Skoda Kodiaq Review | 1,46,000 Km and 6 years of Ownership)


Requirements?
A secondary car is a must for us. Many times Kodiaq is not available, or the driver to drive it is not available. Until now we used Vento as our secondary car. Kodiaq will always be our primary car which satisfies all our wants. So our replacement for the Vento had to be a manual (so we don't have to depend on a driver who has experience with AT), comfortable, a decent AC with no compromises on safety. This was practically what the requirements were. Moving on to wants: we wanted a Sedan with decent ground clearance and good and stylish looks. Driver assist features like Reverse/3D cam, park assist were never required as drivers were only going to drive it and other good-to-have gimmicky features like big touch screen, sunroof etc were also not required as Kodiaq provided us with that luxury.


Which car?
The search was fairly simple. First and foremost, there were not many options available in the sedan segment, and my dad and I wanted to get a Skoda or Volkswagen because they have been in our garage for 13 years. Yes, their maintenance costs might be high (Kodiaq 35k and Vento 15k), but there are absolutely no questions about their safety, quality, engine refinement, or the types of plastics used. The overall cabin feel is also a class ahead. Moreover, we never really have had a very bad experience with Skoda or VW except a few instances which I have mentioned about in my Kodiaq review. I read reviews of people complaining about the VW 2.0 AC, so that became a concern. We rejected the Verna because of its looks and did not bother to test drive the City. It then came down to Slavia or Virtus. Except for the looks and interior, everything was identical. We liked the Slavia’s exterior and the Virtus’ interior. Regarding the AC, I contacted a friend who had the Slavia base model with the manual AC, and he said he never faced any problems. So, taking a risk, we decided to go with Slavia or Virtus. Choosing between the two came down to which dealership could give us a better deal and the quickest delivery. The Virtus was available the same day, while the Slavia would take 2-3 weeks. We couldn't wait that long, so we finalized the Virtus and took delivery the same day.

[emperor]

Cons

• No one-touch up/down function for the windows
• No option to roll down or close the windows from the key
• No armrest
• No adjustable recline in the back seats
• Interior quality does not come close to the standards set by the Vento/Rapid
• The seats are not as comfortable as those in the Vento

Pros

• The exterior design is appealing and has started to grow on me
• Very well-refined 1.0 TSI engine that provides a smooth driving experience
• Decently equipped touchscreen with CarPlay and Android Auto
• LED headlights in the base variant, which are adequate for highway driving
• Good cornering ability with minimal body roll
• Adequate performance as a secondary car, meeting our basic needs effectively

[emperor]

[emperor]

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.

[emperor]

The primary reason we bought this car was due to the diesel ban, and we had no other car except the Kodiaq that we could use. Considering what we NEEDED in a car, the Virtus checks all those boxes. I would have loved the premium feel, and if I had realized it before, I would have gone with the higher variants. A few features that VW should have retained in the base model are the one-touch up and down functions for the windows and the ability to roll down and close the windows using the key.

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[chiranjitp]

Nice review, short & crisp. Also good to see review of a base variant, generally people over here tend to buy top variants. We have a 2019 Polo TDi & a 2016 Ecosport D, for the last few months we have been thinking of replacing the Ecosport with an automatic car, mainly because the need of an automatic for my father.

Since we have in the last decade preferred only European cars (had a Punto D before the Ecosport), VW 2.0 cars are in the top of the shortlisted candidates. Though as many have said, they don't have the solid build quality of the older VAG cars.

Regarding diesel ban in Jaipur, from what I could find online, it seems only the public transport vehicle are effected by the ban, not private vehicles. https://www.google.com/amp/s/auto.ec...aipur/51174737

[emperor]

Originally Posted by chiranjitp

VW 2.0 cars are in the top of the shortlisted candidates. Though as many have said, they don't have the solid build quality of the older VAG cars.

I cannot say much of the exterior build quality, but interior quality is definitely a downgrade from my Vento. It might be better than what others offer but surely not close to the older VAGs.

Originally Posted by chiranjitp

Regarding diesel ban in Jaipur, from what I could find online, it seems only the public transport vehicle are effected by the ban, not private vehicles. https://www.google.com/amp/s/auto.ec...aipur/51174737

Thanks for looking up online but the article you shared was last updated on Feb 28, 2016. You can refer to this one https://www.patrika.com/jaipur-news/...aipur-18761189

[TorquePull]

Thanks for sharing. Share more about the engine performance, like turbo lag and also mileage.
Do they offer seat covers as accessory? Share some interior pictures, so that we can visualise how comfortline is.

Originally Posted by emperor

Cons
[list][*]No one-touch up/down function for the windows[*]No option to roll down or close the windows from the key

These features are absent even from top variants. One of the cost cutting done in these 2.0 cars. They even miss the motion sensor found in Vento, which sounds alarm if there is any movement inside cabin after locking the car.

[emperor]

Originally Posted by TorquePull

Thanks for sharing. Share more about the engine performance, like turbo lag and also mileage.
Do they offer seat covers as accessory? Share some interior pictures, so that we can visualise how comfortline is.

Absolutely! I am taking this car on a long-trip this week and will be posting an in-depth review covering all details soon.

[flywheels]

Enjoyed the post and the review, especially on its ac.
However, let me clarify that the ban is only for PUBLIC DIESEL vehicles and not for the PRIVATELY owned.
Cheers and enjoy!

[negativeH]

As a Vento user for over a decade, I agree to all of that. Honestly, I felt the quality started deterioating around mid 2010s - most likely cause their suppliers started subsourcing and the QC levels would have been relaxed. I always felt my 2012 Vento's plastic was better than my brother's 2016 one, but that could also just be a bias at my end.

Given your requirements, this makes for a good choice. though most people would have bought the City, without any second thoughts I feel.

Did you not consider the any mid sized SUVs like the Elevate or Creta? Better headroom and slightly more clearance?

[emperor]

Originally Posted by negativeH

Given your requirements, this makes for a good choice. though most people would have bought the City, without any second thoughts I feel.

Did you not consider the any mid sized SUVs like the Elevate or Creta? Better headroom and slightly more clearance?

The first priority was safety. Our major drive is on highway where the car is constantly driven on 80km/hr+ speeds and hence wanted no comprises on that factor. Going for a sedan was more of a personal choice.

[TheGearBox]

Originally Posted by emperor

Whenever I see another Virtus, even in white, it always seems to look better than mine.

Definitely because of the cosmetic differences between yours and the other variants, especially the alloy wheels. But that should be an easy fix, should you choose to do so.

[pv5]

Originally Posted by emperor

A few features that VW should have retained in the base model are the one-touch up and down functions for the windows and the ability to roll down and close the windows using the key.

Assuming its the same in Slavia and Virtus, I have the top variant, they have removed this feature for 3 windows and its only available for the driver's window. Also closing of windows from key fob is absent now. What a way to cut corners & tells us that they were quite good with finer details which made living with the car experience so much better.

Congrats on your car!