My Volkswagen Virtus 1.0L Highline AT: Pros and cons after 1000 km

The Auto Start/Stop system does not behave consistently. The one in my Maruti Ciaz diesel was supremely well-implemented.

BHPian Prabodh recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

My Virtus 1.0 Highline AT Reflex Silver: 1000 kms update

I got this car delivered on 5th August, 2024 but started driving just 10 days back. Have crossed 1000 kms on the odo, thanks to my daily commute from Noida to Gurgaon.

I will share my observations in these 1000 kms in the form of cons, pros and neutral bits.

Cons:

1. Brake Noise: The brakes are too noisy for 'any segment'. This noise completely takes away the feeling of driving a made-for-enthusiast chassis.
2. Vibrations: Although the engine is not much noisy but the vibrations are felt right on the front centre armrest, not only during cold-start but throughout my one-side journey of ~50 kms. I never used to feel this on my diesel Ciaz but this car is making the armrest useful just for storage.
3. Wireless Charging: Apart from being wire-less, the charger placed in the front console is use-less too. Too slow, frequent drops and heating issues.
4. Android Auto: Another wire-less thing which bothers me is Android Auto which disconnects at least once during the day.
5. Jerks: There are jerks while picking up speed in stop-and-go traffic. Even while coasting, the car is behaving jerky.
6. Start/Stop system: Auto start/stop is best left off when you first ignite the engine. It doesn't behave consistently. The one on my Ciaz was supremely well-implemented.

Pros:

1. Handler: Handling is at another level. Can't do justice to the feeling with my vocabulary.
2. That Pull: The pull from a 3-pot 999 cc engine is very good if you are in the right revs.
3. Steering: Steering is just awesome for city driving. I am yet to hit a long open expressway at triple-digit speeds, but I am looking forward to seeing the high-speed manners of the steering.
4. Interiors and Features: The interiors are more than decent for a car at this price point. It has almost all the features which I needed.
5. Fabric seats: Fabric seats are really good and thank God I held my decision to get leatherette covers installed. So far I have not gone on any long trips with my family. So time will tell whether these fabric covers are kid-proof.

Neutral bits:

1. Value for money: I feel that the price at which one can buy this car (after discounts) is just the appropriate price. It's just hitting that value-for-money equation at that point and anything nearer to the actual price of the car is just too much money for this car considering the flaws it has. This equation might change for me during a longer ownership.
2. Fuel efficiency: I am consistently getting 11ish kmpl tank-to-tank in my commute with bumper-to-bumper traffic, open roads at times and pot-hole-laden flooded city roads most of the time.
3. N(V)H: Apart from the vibration which I mentioned above, Noise and harshness is just ok for this segment. Got my tyres swapped to Yokos immediately after seeing the OE Ceats, so the road is non-existent on the city tarmac (whatever is left after being washed out this monsoon).

I hope my experience improves as I drive more and drive through more diverse terrains.

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