[lazyboy8134]

Originally Posted by apramey

Hey.
I recently learnt some facts about the ventilated seats. So the ventilated seats do not have their own AC duct. They basically have a fan that sucks the cabin air and pushes it through the seat. So if you have set the cabin temperature low, the seats will feel cooler when u turn on ventilation. If cabin temps are high, turning on seat ventilation will only make the seats warmer. I don't know if you already knew this. I suggest you to lower cabin temps and then try.

I had also read about this point, but I feel there is a reduction in terms of the air flow/out which comes out of the seat as well. So does that mean I'll have a better effect from the seats if the fan speed is higher?

Also, has anyone gotten any form of ambient lights instilled in their Virtus and changed the interior LEDs?

I was considering to install some footwell lighting and maybe some LED strips along the doors. Any opinions?

And also I feel the output of the interior cabinet LEDs is a bit on the lower side. What is the appropriate voltage bulb I can upgrade to, to increase the light?

[gaurav_3000ad]

Hi guys

Two days back I got the chance to drive the Volkswagen Virtus and the Hyundai Verna back to back. The TDs were longish (approx 10kms each) so got a decent grip on what to expect from both of these offerings. For context my vehicle is the S-Cross 1.3L which I’ve been using since 2016 and its got close to 90k on odo but still runs like a charm.

Models driven :-

1. Hyundai Verna 1.5 turbo SX variant (manual)
2. Volkswagen Virtus 1.5 turbo DSG

Exteriors and Looks

I know the verna is supposed to have this futuristic and edgy look but it just doesn’t work for me. The front just looks like a toad face with a unibrow. The same design elements look really elegant on the sonata though. The sportback rear with the lightbar look quite good. The best angle to view the verna is from the rear 3/4th. However I cant help but wince whenever I see that front end.

In contrast the Virtus just smashes it out of the park. The elegant, timeless 3 box design, perfect hints of sportiness with the smoked out lights and black alloys do lend it a whole lot of panache. The strong shoulder line and the proportionate profile are eyecatching and despite having almost 180mm of ground clearance, it doesn’t come across as ungainly.

Build quality

Another area where I feel that the Virtus has an upper hand. The doors and boot felt heavy and closed with a satisfying thud. Although the short time that I spent with both the vehicles doesn’t let me make a assured statement but the knowledge of the GNCAP rating in favour of the Virtus tilts the scales here a bit. Going by their track record I doubt that Hyundai can make a massive gain on the safety front with the verna. (I’d love to be proven wrong though!).

Space

I’m a tall guy (6’5” of humanity) so space really matters a lot. I think both the vehicles are quite spacious with the front seats having acceptable levels of fore and aft travel to accommodate my tall legs. The Verna does have more in-cabin space and has an edge when it comes to rear legroom. But I found the Virtus front seats to be more comfortable especially the squab which offered better under thigh support.

Headroom is lacking in both the vehicles when I compare them with the S-cross and it didn’t help that both variants which I test drove came with a sun-roof. I would gladly sacrifice this for an inch more of headroom. Height adjustable seats do help out though.

Both vehicles had humongous boots, much larger than my S-cross.

Interiors and infotainment unit

Verna is a clear step ahead of the Virtus when it comes to interior feel and ambience. The ambient lighting, the soft touch material on the dash, the meaty steering with the red stitching, the angled infotainment unit, the superb AC vents – the verna oozes opulence and it was a really nice place to be in. The Virtus is let down by the abundance of hard plastics and lack of differentiating elements. It looks quite generic in my opinion. Even my S-cross has soft touch plastics on the dash which lend the interior a touch of premiumness.

The infotainment unit and the digital instrument cluster is another area where the verna scores with a much slicker unit. It is more responsive to inputs and comparable to most current gen smartphones. In contrast there is a perceptible lag on the Virtus HU. Don’t get me wrong, it responds the way you want it to – no missed touches, but just feels a step down from the Verna. I experimented with wireless apple carplay on the Virtus and it was flawless. I think even the Verna has this feature though I didn’t try it out.

I’m not much of an audiophile but both systems got plenty loud. Verna has this party trick wherein it uses the same controls for auto AC and the audio system. Its really ingenious and thoughtful.

Air conditioner

Normally this would not warrant a subheading but the Virtus was so bad that I felt I had to mak a mention. Both TDs were in lucknow summers with outside temperatures in excess of 350C. The Virtus took ages to cool down the cabin and the blower sound at max AC was irritating and annoying. The ventilated seats were on the whole time but I couldn’t feel a thing (It probably needs a cool cabin to be most effective). This could be a dealbreaker for some people. You will have to park in covered parkings or shady areas in summers otherwise the Virtus will extract its pound of flesh when you return. The ownership threads report improvements with software updates. I seriously hope its true.

Verna performed well in this area. Crisp, cool and efficient.

Performance and handling

This is one aspect which confused me. Both cars come with powerful turbo engines. Floor the accelerator and the vehicles sprint forwards with alacrity. The Virtus with the DSG is truly a match made in heaven. Slot it into Sport mode and floor the accelerator. The exhaust rewards you with a booming sound as the vehicle reaches illegal speeds in no time at all. I found myself desperately searching for open gaps in traffic to let the Virtus stretch her long running legs.

Verna was also quite similar with the engine building up speeds in no time at all. The manual gearbox was slick with short throws and a real pleasure to use.

I think what set both the vehicles apart was the handling. At higher speeds the Virtus felt rock solid, with the steering heavy with tactile feel and feedback and the driver in total control. In the Verna, I felt as though I was hanging on for dear life. At higher speeds minor road undulations make the Verna wallow around and this led to a lack of confidence to push the car. The engine deserves a more mature suspension and steering. Probably something Hyundai intends to fix with the N line.

Driving the Virtus and Verna back to back made me appreciate my S-cross a whole lot more. The vehicle remains rock solid at highway speeds with decent heft to the steering and very predictable handling.

Ride quality

I think this goes hand in hand with the handling department. At city speeds verna is a hoot to drive with light steering and a cushy ride. The same elements which prove to be its bane at highway speeds. The bridge joints and minor potholes make the Verna dance about in an unsettling manner. But I think it will be a crowd pleaser. My wife who also drove both the vehicles commented on how easy the Verna feels to drive.

The word to describe the ride quality of Virtus is ‘SOLID’. It has a very mature suspension (pardon my lack of technical) which takes bumps and undulations with ease at both slow and fast speeds. The Virtus does the moonwalk over the same bridge joints where the Verna would break into a tap dance. The additional ground clearance over the verna also helps with peace of mind while tackling bigger speed breakers.

Additional observations by the fairer sex :-

• The colour options on the Virtus are much more classier and appealing.
• The interiors on the Verna just make you go ‘Wow’.
• Verna is really simple to drive in traffic and congested areas.
• Ambient lighting on the Verna is on point.
• Verna is more spacious than the Virtus.

Final observations

An area where the Verna trumps the Virtus is the number of service centres and touchpoints available. Hyundai sells a whole lot more cars than VW but still VW/Skoda group have a disproportionately higher number of horror stories regarding their breakdowns and part availability issues. Being in a transferable job, this point matters a lot.

I am looking at a timeline of mid next year to upgrade my S-cross and at present I am heavily leaning toward the Virtus. My variant of choice would definitely be the 1.5 turbo with manual gearbox. Can’t make myself touch the DSG with a barge pole regardless of how much I enjoyed driving it.

Ending this post with a couple of pictures. The Virtus looks rather dapper in this silver shade accentuating its sharp features.

[RaiAnish]

Originally Posted by gaurav_3000ad

The infotainment unit and the digital instrument cluster is another area where the verna scores with a much slicker unit. It is more responsive to inputs and comparable to most current gen smartphones. In contrast there is a perceptible lag on the Virtus HU. Don’t get me wrong, it responds the way you want it to – no missed touches, but just feels a step down from the Verna. I experimented with wireless apple carplay on the Virtus and it was flawless. I think even the Verna has this feature though I didn’t try it out.

Didn't you feel any difference with the feel of the digital driver's display (instrument cluster) ? I think Verna is very inferior here which we look at all the time. Just digital numerics as compared to the much better one with 3 views in the Virtus.

Also, I think for now the Verna misses out on wireless CarPlay. Not 100% sure though.

[Venkatesh]

The Turbo war





Source : MotorBeam

[Cresterk]

Originally Posted by SUVolens

It was so frustrating that I could feel the sizeable difference in pedal action between the two cars and even the works manager himself couldn’t! I had to come away with their assurances that there’s nothing wrong since ‘the system says so’.

I assure you that they can notice it too. They just like to play dumb to gaslight you into thinking there is nothing wrong because there is no financial incentive for them to work on it. Go straight up to the actual mechanic on the floor and speak with them instead of the 'manager' who is only there to turn a profit. Speak very politely and in a friendly manner to them and they will generally help you out.

[iamgyan]

Originally Posted by SUVolens

I took my GT back to VW Noida yesterday since I distinctly felt a problem with the brake pedal modulation - slight depression doesn’t retard speed as effectively as originally experienced and as a result, in traffic, the braking is really jerky when the brakes bite suddenly at a higher pedal depression.

Maybe worth a complete flush and refill of brake fluid. Also check if the brake fluid reservoir cap is damaged. Your issue could be caused by air/water in the system also.

[sasmit]

Originally Posted by Kosfactor

Adjust \ inspect the rear brakes, if it has drum brakes in the rear the technicians wont bother to check.

Also check if the handbrake has play, it should not have much play and it should be firm as you start to pull.

If you park your car with the handbrake pulled and you have rear drums , it’s most probably a sticky rear brake which is causing the issue.
This used to occasionally happen in my jazz and cleaning and refitting the shoes usually did the trick for a good 7-8 months.
You’ll normally feel much more effort to brake and low speeds there will be jerky braking.

[jaysonline]

Virtus owners, any suggestions for better tires ? I have pulled the trigger and booked a Virtus GT and would like to move to better ones immediately whenever I receive the car.

[vividhavasthi]

Virtus GT Updates - Part 9

Delivery Date: 27th September 2022
ODO: ~7450 KM

Small update on the Virtus GT, took the car in for its 7,500km inspection a little early as I was facing AC issues once again… the gas was removed and refilled within the first 1200KM which reduced the hissing noise; but as summer hit north India, I felt the cooling wasn't upto the mark anymore.

List of things I wanted to be fixed/inspected
AC
Clicking noise when taking a U-turn
Regular 7500km checkup

AC - As per spec, the system should have 460gm of gas, upon checking my car, it turned out to have much less than the 460gm, it had 398gm of gas in the system. This did explain why the cooling wasn't as good as it was expected to be. The system was vacuumed again, 460gm filled + 10ml of oil, and this time around, a dye was added to the system to help identify if any leak was present. Was told to drive around for a few weeks and check if the cooling has reduced; So far I have not felt the cooling reduce as it has started to rain and get cool once again in Delhi. Will get this inspected at a later date.

Clicking Noise - This was diagnosed as the steering clock spring, was told that it is possible that some dust/debris may have entered the system (which I didn't buy), and as the part was not in stock, to continue driving the car as the noise “could” go away on its own. I will get this fixed in the coming weeks.

Regular 7500km checkup - Air filter inside and outside cleaned up, service reminders reset and not a lot else was done, I skipped the wash as it takes an hour to get that done. They did not lift the car and inspect suspension or brakes during this visit.

Took about 3 hours to get the above done at VW Noida, nothing else to report at this time. The driver window fix seems to be working, however, the driver side window is SLOW compared to the others, it takes a full 2-3 seconds more to fully open / close compared to the passenger side, VW Noida is not lubricating the window at this time as they have not got the go-ahead from the factory to do so.



Apart from this, the car continues to put a smile on my face every time I squeeze the throttle.

[raycers_honda]

Originally Posted by Venkatesh

The Turbo war

The Verna looks like someone caught its mouth and bashed the teeth out and held its lips shut. The Virtus looks like the Verna’s nightmare.
The Virtus has a timeless appeal to it. While the Verna looks fresh only the first time you glance upon it. It’s a design that’s too overdone. But maybe some people like a lot of design touches or features or even like a busy design. I really wonder how the Europeans would digest this.

[msri3here]

I just got the first checkup done for my Virtus 1.0 AT last Friday.
After this, the VW connect app is reporting ststus incorrectly.
Even though the car is parked, status says either "idling" or "Not reporting".
Anyone facing this?

[Zippy_wheels]

I need some help and I am not sure if I should start a new thread. I am out of my home city, in the coal belt of MP and a new sound/vibration has started coming from my virtus. This happens when pressing the start button (very less sound when engine stops). Also there seems to be some vibration in reverse. Otherwise its driving fine. The vehicle has scraped a few times today, but it wasn't anything major. I am new and not sure how to upload a video but the sound is audible in video. I do not have a VW service centre nearby. Will they help and connect me to a technician if I call customer care? I will be here for a few weeks and then need to travel quite a bit before I reach a city with a service centre. The vehicle is only 5k kms driven. Please help if anyone can help diagnose!

Originally Posted by Zippy_wheels

I am new and not sure how to upload a video but the sound is audible in video.

Here is a link to a video I uploaded on youtube.

https://youtu.be/v4cEZrVtVbs

[Zippy_wheels]

Originally Posted by Zippy_wheels

I need some help and I am not sure if I should start a new thread. I am out of my home city, in the coal belt of MP and a new sound/vibration has started coming from my virtus. This happens when pressing the start button (very less sound when engine stops). Also there seems to be some vibration in reverse. Otherwise its driving fine. The vehicle has scraped a few times today, but it wasn't anything major. I am new and not sure how to upload a video but the sound is audible in video. I do not have a VW service centre nearby. Will they help and connect me to a technician if I call customer care? I will be here for a few weeks and then need to travel quite a bit before I reach a city with a service centre. The vehicle is only 5k kms driven. Please help if anyone can help diagnose!



Here is a link to a video I uploaded on Youtube.
https://Youtu.be/v4cEZrVtVbs

Update : This got resolved.

For fyi: -

Symptoms: Kat sound when starting, kat-kat sound when reversing, milder kat-kat sound at slow speeds.

Root Cause : Silencer had come out of its socket. There is an rugby ball shaped plate with two holes (probably for dual silencers) with a rubber mount. The silencer had come out of the mount. A FNG mechanic went under the car and diagnosed it and fixed it - put some greese and did whatever he needed to do and the sound has stopped. Damage -150 rs. I could not see how he fixed it but he did use spanners and took 10 minutes. I am thinking of increasing tyre pressure to 38 front and 40 rear (currently 36) to try to avoid the dangerous speed breakers and potholes. No wonder everyone buys a bolero here

[gck_tourer]

Originally Posted by tsi_niks1989

The black Virtus looks hot, the signature Tiguan Blue has been brought to Virtus now, same what Skoda did-Kodiaq blue to Slavia.

I would love to have good diamond cut alloys on these black and blue shades of Virtus. They would look super classy.

[Apolo4409]

Originally Posted by SUVolens

1. The otherwise excellent brakes have taken on a late bite and results in a very jerky retardation. Feathering the pedal to cause gentle slowdown from speed, is drastically disabled. This resulted in a very jerky highway drive whenever traffic turned up ahead.

Hi, I have had a similar experience with my Polo 1.0TSI. It generally happens on long highway trips, I think it has to do with the brakes getting hotter and dirtier as we drive for extended periods at high speeds with sudden brakes every now and then.

Not a lot we can do about it I guess, other than maybe upgrade the brake rotors for drilled or slotted ones.