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Hello all,
I am looking for advice/suggestion for my case here.

I test drove Virtus 1.0 MT yesterday, with a bit of expectations.

What I liked in order:-

1. Steering feedback (Have de-listed Xuv700 solely on this)
2. Suspension set-up and ride quality.
3. power + acceleration after turbo kick
4. Build quality overall.

What I did not like:-

1. Power delivery at low speeds(before turbo kick in), since I am used to swift NA. It takes bit of time in 2nd gear in low speeds.
2. Overall power, I did not feel wow !!, though my son felt it pushed him into his seats.

Currently I own/drive Swift P MT (3rd gen, 2018) Will this engine + gearbox be a logical upgrade after swift 1.2 P MT ?

Note:-
Though I want MT, I am planning to test-ride 1.5 DSG, since 1.5 MT TD vehicle will not be available anywhere, as per dealers.

Thanks
Harsha

I would recommend the 1.5 MT over the 1.0, it is a much powerful and better engine and should meet your requirements. If you can't get the test drive of the 1.5 MT on the VW Virtus, try to get a test drive of the 1.5 MT on the Skoda Slavia to get a feel of the engine and gearbox.

In a conundrum of choosing between Honda Civic CVT and KIA Seltos GT line 7DCT, having booked both, I had ended up with the latter in October 2019.

It was all a hassle-free experience with Seltos all these years with a plan to upgrade it to something worthy and performing (a 3 series or a C class, perhaps) in 2026. However, I sold off my KIA last month, and wanted a sober, family-type car for my better half. From Skoda Kylaq and XUV 3XO to Mahindra BE6, the mind jumped from one tree to another just like our ancestor does. Then Virtus GT happened! Of course, I checked the 1.0 litre one, but knowing the enormity of 1.5 litre DSG, I did not have to weigh my options anymore.

The 3 series or C class can wait for a year or so, hence taking a back seat. The booking amount (refundable) was 20k, and I did not have to wait for long. In a matter of two weeks, the GT arrived at the dealership. Yes, I was in a dilemma to choose between lava blue and cherry red. VW presented lava blue as the new colour in the block.

I also checked it in person; however, I observed a not-so-old Kushaq of the same colour in my campus, and it looked very old than it really is due to the accumulation of dust on the body. Or perhaps, the dusts were seen prominently due to this colour. I had to then immediately inform the dealership that I wanted cherry red, thanks to the touring video shared by Faisal Khan on YouTube. And cherry red it is now with a scintillating road presence, best complemented by the black rims, black grill, and black finishes wherever it was possible. I remember the 1.5 litre A4 which now does the job in A3 with 1.4 litre, 150 PS power and 250 Nm torque. If you replace the VW logo with that of Audi, one can easily be baffled up without a close observation. I feel between D1 and D2, she’s confused at times!

Quick observations:

• The music system is better than the so-called BOSE in my Seltos. I call it so-called because I have a BOSE home theatre and a QC-II noise-cancelling headphone, and I know what they are capable of. No offense meant to any Seltos owners here.
• The infotainment system is the best with zero lag.
• I miss the 360-degree camera in Seltos. Driven by the habit, I have to be both conscious and cautious during parking and all. It will be there in the next upgrade, and the showroom personnel assured me I could install it. Let’s see if it is going to be possible!
• The sports mode option could have been given in the form of a circular knob. It would have been operational-friendly while enhancing the aesthetics of the interior. These small things that would make customers happy, VW can really think of. They have this in the Tiguan R line anyway.
• Dual exhausts – if they could express themselves! Dual exhausts are something to boast of or to flaunt. Why in the world VW would think of concealing it!
• Deafening sound it is inside. Since I started from the Seltos, the difference is very apparent. The GT oozes quality from left, right, top and bottom.

Here are some pictures taken during the delivery.










I got the 3M ceramic coating (product code: 39901) done last week, and today morning, I wiped the body using a micro-fibre cloth. The shine brought a smile on my face. I was advised to not water-wash the car for 20 days. The 3M ceramic coating was for 35k after a discount of 5k with 3 years warranty and free check-up and re-layering in every six months. I did this in the showroom itself for palpable reasons even though I could have availed it for 20k outside. The pictures are as follows:

I am respecting the break-in period now with only 200 odd kilometres on the odometer. Two of my office colleagues have come forward to become new VW customers post my purchase. I am trying to form a GT lovers group within Odisha. Anyone from Odisha, reading this post, may respond, please.
By the way, I got MRF Ecotred tyres on my GT. Did anyone notice the reverse small arrow marks on two tyres? It may be a design pattern, though.

P.S. None of the pictures shared with you here are edited.

Many congratulations on the purchase. The cherry red in blacked out elements in surely a looker. On the color, I have a 1.5 year old Lava Blue Kushaq and it does look dated when in dust. Sure it requires an effort to keep it clean, and it really shines through in a classy understated manner.

On tyre arrows, the MRF Ecotreds are directional tyres with a specific direction of rotation, as indicated by these arrows.

Wishing you many happy and safe miles on (arguably) the best sedan money can buy under 50 lacks.

For 1.5 MT TD, check with PPS Hebbal and Palace Cross dealers. I did TD of both 1.5 MT as well as DSG last year.

Thanks SRS !
Though I am unwilling to stretch my budget for 1.5 (considering its 5 seater only), but I will surely TD Slavia 1.5MT.

Thank you so very much!

I was guessing if the tyres could be directional. Thanks for confirming the same, mate.

Hello BHPians,

I need some help choosing between the Volkswagen Virtus GT Sport DSG and the Skoda Slavia 1.5 Monte Carlo.

I have been in love with the Virtus ever since its launch, mainly because of its design. Now that it's finally time to buy a new car I have started visiting showrooms and checking out options. I checked out Virtus, Slavia, and Verna. Performance-wise, the Verna felt almost on par with the others but I personally didn’t like its front-end design, speedometer layout & the steering wheel is really confusing so I have ruled it out.

The Slavia Monte Carlo came into the picture for two main reasons:

1. Looks – The Monte Carlo edition especially in the red and black combination looks stunning. I have a soft spot for this combo. I currently own a red Figo with black alloys and grille. While you can get a similar look with the Virtus I feel the shade of red on the Slavia is slightly better.
   
2. Price – In Pune, the on-road price of the Virtus GT Sport is around ₹22.90L, while the Slavia Monte Carlo is about ₹21.32L. Even after factoring in discounts the difference remains close to ₹1 lakh.

Second point is where my confusion really escalated.

I’m still about 60% inclined towards the Virtus again because of the design as I feel it will age well but then Skoda upped the game with Monte Carlo. From a technical standpoint I feel both cars are about 90% identical except for differences in the front and rear design, and the dashboard layout.

Now I’m unsure whether I should ignore the price difference and go ahead with the Virtus. Is it really worth paying ₹1 lakh extra or should I just go with the Slavia?

Looking forward to fellow your views on this. Also, please let me know if I’m missing any other key differences between the two.

Do check out the Kylaq while you are at it. The car is well made for the price with the same 1.0-litre TSI engine, and considering it's a sub-4-metre SUV, you could get an AT at the price of the 1.0 MT of the Slavia/Virtus.

I think if the decision is based purely on design and looks standpoint, the opinions from each one of us would be extremely personal. It would in the end probably come to you that whether that 20% difference in inclination is worth 1 lakh rupees. Fully agreed that the Slavia Monte Carlo red just pops better compared to the darker cherry red on the Virtus.
Food for thought - You could also look at any extended warranty, service pack discounts on these models. Also check for the authorized service center proximity (trust me this really helps).

Also, you are asking this on Virtus thread. Try giving a shot on Slavia thread. I am sure will get even more confused after reading through respective replies.

The 1.5 MT combination is now only available on Virtus and Taigun.
Skoda has discontinued this engine-gearbox combination in August/September-2024.

Though its rare to get TD cars for 1.5 MT, you can ask around all dealerships of your city.

Since customers usually want to get a hang of the top model, they usually prefer to keep the 1.5 DSG for a Test drive.

Even I was looking out for 1.5 GT+ MT but eventually went with 1.0 AT due to budget constraints and no discounts on 1.5 models.
How I wish there was a GT MT (1.5 base model MT) available in Virtus, like there is in Taigun.

Even in Pune during December 2024, they told me 1.5 MT isn't available for test drives, and that there was a waiting period for MT :)

We found that B pillar in the Slavia makes it difficult to ingress/egress wrt the feet while Virtus seemed to have more room. So, one hit the door sill, B pillar trim on the Slavia more easily than the Virtus. However, if you would primarily be in the front seats, this isn't a big deal.
The Virtus suspension is also tuned firmer, and that may improve its handling dynamics.

With respect to my previous post requesting help from fellow members attaching images on my phone and Virtus head unit. The phone auto connects and seeks Internet via Wi-Fi on infotainment as a result of which Internet stops working as shown in Amazon music app. I am really frustrated with this problem that my phone starts seeking Internet from car and whole purpose of using wireless CarPlay is lost with phone without Internet and not using my mobile data . Can someone suggest a solution ?

This is very interesting. Can you also share what wifi network the phone is getting connected to. Could this be the network signal from the OBD dongle?

I have the Polo 1L MT, and the problem actually is the tall gearing, if you shift to the tall first gear at crawl speeds, there's no problem, but the VW clutch is too heavy to keep doing it in stop and go traffic, so you're often stuck between first and second gears. On open roads, the same tall gearing is a joy, with second very comfy between 60-80kph. This engine wasn't made for the city, despite the small capacity.