[naveenasubbu]

Virtus GT - my car update - completed 7,000 km. Heading for the second free service in another 700 km - started showing up on the screen.

Mileage improves quiet a lot when you drive on Cruise. The cruise control works very good with acceleration and braking +/- ; each press takes you to next 10 km or reduces by 10 km. Ride quality is fantastic.

My earlier mileage was around 10 -11km till about 4,000 km. Now I am getting up to 15.5 km/L using cruise as and when possible.

If anyone has crossed more than 10,000 km in the GT variant and please let us know how is mileage improved post this range.

[VRSriram]

Originally Posted by naveenasubbu

Virtus GT - my car update - completed 7,000 km. Heading for the second free service in another 700 km - started showing up on the screen.

Mileage improves quiet a lot when you drive on Cruise. The cruise control works very good with acceleration and braking +/- ; each press takes you to next 10 km or reduces by 10 km. Ride quality is fantastic.

My earlier mileage was around 10 -11km till about 4,000 km. Now I am getting up to 15.5 km/L using cruise as and when possible.

If anyone has crossed more than 10,000 km in the GT variant and please let us know how is mileage improved post this range.

How is the AC in 1.5 since many people have complained about weak and ineffective AC in 1 litre variant.

[raycers_honda]

Originally Posted by VRSriram

How is the AC in 1.5 since many people have complained about weak and ineffective AC in 1 litre variant.

I think 50% find fault and 50% find it excellent.
I'm part of the 50% that loves the ac in the 1.0 litre Tsi highline variant.
Many have said is because of the manual ac that I had opted for. However of late after the Ac update I have been facing two issues, one is low mileage. I am getting around 8 to 9.5kmpl. Earlier I use to get 10 to 11kmpl.
And another peculiar issue is with the driver side window button. The window goes down when I press up. (When the window is half open).

[naveenasubbu]

Originally Posted by VRSriram

How is the AC in 1.5 since many people have complained about weak and ineffective AC in 1 litre variant.

Absolutely no issues in GT version. I have heard problems in 1.0 L have been solved now.

[raycers_honda]

Originally Posted by Venkatesh

The Volkswagen Virtus has been on sale in India for exactly 1 year

On that note, here’s my Virtus 1.0 ltr tsi highline.(manual).


The first day I saw her. Wet in the rain. Delivery day was at the JioCinema drive inn theatre, an event hosted by VW.


Here she is home with her older sister parked side by side.
She’s done 7500km so far. 90% of city driving with an average ranging anywhere between 8.5 to 11 kmpl.
For those asking or wondering or even having second thoughts on the 1.0 liter “puny engine”, I would say if budget is a constraint then don’t blink, don’t think, just put the money down and get it. You will not be disappointed with the power delivery or the dynamics. The engine has a sweet grunt to it when pushed hard.


Mid way gave her a gift of her own name, i.e R4YC3R5 in number plate format which means Raycers. My gaming tag for everything.


And then Just a few days ago I painted her shoes. Yup, black it is.
Overall it’s been a spectacular experience. One thing I hate about the car is the ground clearance, which I feel really spoils the stance of the car. But then again, the same high ground clearance I love because it never scrapes anywhere on our huge speed breakers and potholes.
Next gift to her would be the rear spoiler lip which apparently is always out of stock at Volkswagen service centre’s or dealerships. Apart from that in the pipeline or seat covers and a 360 degree camera.

[true_sedan]

VCDS tweaks in Virtus GT

1. Wheel Angle, Refuel Quantity & RPM Tacho
The Virtual Cockpit looks a lot cooler now. That kickass wheel angle display changes in real time and is helpful when navigating the ghats. VW could’ve given this stock because it’s already there and looks USP. But I much prefer the Virtual Cockpit in the Virtus sold in Brazil.


2. Display Fan Speed in Auto AC
The stock car does not have a fan display in Auto AC mode. Probably, done to avoid too much clutter in the already tiny AC display. But a visual confirmation of the fan speed is much better than having the Auto AC blow at full speed until Kingdom comes.


3. Sports Display(Highways Display)
My most favorite mod so far. The turbo pressure meter gives a sense of how much pressure is built when the engine goes above a certain RPM. The TPS is Throttle Pressure Sensor and it moves as per the throttle input. This is the display that I have most of the time when cruising on highways.

My wife has christened the Off-road display as the Hill display and the Sports as the Highway display.


4. Off-Road Display(Hill Display)
The only time this came in handy was in the ghats section. It’s good to see the Altitude meter ticking with every hairpin bend. Also, it is wise to keep an eye on the oil temperature in a new car.


5. Start/Stop Reasons
Now, I can know why Auto Start/Stop engages or disengages.


6. Enabled AC controls in ICE
I don’t use this. But wife loves the big display. More convenient than the touch panels though.


7. Enabled Acoustic confirmation for lock/unlock
Enabled this in the settings menu. I use this when I leave my car parked in huge shopping malls. The acoustic confirmation has helped me more than once when I forget where I’ve parked my car. The acoustic confirmation is loud and crisp(typical Volkswagen).


8. Changed steering assist to Dynamic mode from comfort + Set XDS to strong
This is by far the most functional difference I was able to achieve with the VCDS. Steering in Dynamic mode has increased the steering heft by at least 50% in the Virtus. Whereas I love it, my wife prefers the soft comfort mode over the Dynamic. This has started a tussle that goes on to this day. Just wish there was an option to change this in the ICE or Virtual cockpit.

I’ve reduced the understeer by setting XDS to strong from medium(default setting). Now the car holds the line much better around corners and in a predictable way with the steering assist set to Dynamic. This mod has fundamentally changed my approach to driving the Virtus GT in a good and pleasurable way.

9. Changed the color of the instrument cluster
Now I can change the Virtual cockpit color to any color under the sun. I tried many colors and found that only blue or the stock red look good in the cockpit. Changing the ICE theme color was also easy but notg necessary as the stock red looks great.

10. Tuned AC for more air
AC for me has been one of the biggest pain points in the otherwise fantastic Virtus GT. Now, I've tuned the AC to blow more air thus cooling the cabin faster. This has significantly reduced the intrusive compressor turning ON and OFF more frequently.

11. Basic bits like coded 80/120 kmph speed chimes, lane change indicator to 5 blinks and enabled start/stop button pulsation.

Had one hell of a time tweaking the car. There are still plenty of tweaks like enabling driver side window up/down with key, tail light DRLs, rain-sensing sun-roof & windows close, DRLs off with handbrake, anti theft alarm and a lot more. Stay tuned.

All the above mods were done with the authentic ross-tech cable that I purchased in the US. I would recommend significant caution when using VCDS to perform tweaks as the possibility of bricking the ECU and voiding the warranty is high. The above tweaks are pretty safe to do and there are a lot of resources online if one is stuck.

Finally I would like to thank BHPian audioholic whose admap on 5F-Information Electric helped me with a few tweaks.

[VRSriram]

Originally Posted by true_sedan

VCDS tweaks in Virtus GT

10. Tuned AC for more air
AC for me has been one of the biggest pain points in the otherwise fantastic Virtus GT. Now, I've tuned the AC to blow more air thus cooling the cabin faster. This has significantly reduced the intrusive compressor turning ON and OFF more frequently.

Whether AC is a problem in GT also? I thought AC issues are there only in 1 L.

[true_sedan]

Originally Posted by VRSriram

Whether AC is a problem in GT also? I thought AC issues are there only in 1 L.

It’s not an issue. The cabin cools a lot slower compared to other cars. Now I’ve just tweaked it to blow more air so the cabin cools faster.

[attrip2008]

Hi all,

I have booked a GT and now the prep for delivery begins. One of the first things I want to do is replace stock tyres. In the test drive the tyres were very noisy.

Skimming through forum I read that folks have gone for continental UC6 or Yokohama blue earth.

My requirement is to get bring balance of low noise, performance and longevity. Don’t want to change the rims. Thanks in advanced!

[RaiAnish]

The pleasure continues! Great drive from New Delhi to Chandigarh and then the hill drive to the beautiful Tirthan valley.
Even with the 1.0 TSI, the power available on tap was more than enough and I could make some comfortable overtakes.
Mileage was another pleasing factor. Let the stats speak for themselves.

1st - Delhi to Chandigarh under 4 hours
2nd - Chandigarh to Tirthan Valley (some steep climbs with 4 + luggage on board).

[CarManMotorcycl]

So after 6 long months we decided on the Virtus GT after much deliberation and booked the car on the 11th of June and the wait has been excruciating even though it has not even been two weeks, I booked the car at the Pashan BU Bhandhari showroom and they said that Candy White will not take much time to be delivered(we had given them a date on when we want the car to be delivered).

The thing is we have a trip planned with the car for the 1st of July and the SA now seems to be saying that the showroom only recieves cars once a month which has put our plans in a bit of a mess. Can anybody give me a brief idea on how long is the waiting period generally for the GT DSG variant?

[msri3here]

Originally Posted by CarManMotorcycl

The thing is we have a trip planned with the car for the 1st of July and the SA now seems to be saying that the showroom only recieves cars once a month which has put our plans in a bit of a mess. Can anybody give me a brief idea on how long is the waiting period generally for the GT DSG variant?

I presume, at this point you only paid them the booking amount.
Check Wakad and Shivajinagar showrooms as well for availability.
If one of them has GT readily available, you can possibly transfer the booking amount to that showroom, since all VW showrooms in Pune are managed by B.U. Bhandari.

[Gotham]

Originally Posted by attrip2008

My requirement is to get bring balance of low noise, performance and longevity. Don’t want to change the rims. Thanks in advanced!

I would suggest you go with UC6 in stock size and you will be amazed how silent these tyres can be. When I took the delivery of Slavia the first thing I did was change the stock tyres to UC6.

[safedrive9]

Originally Posted by Sid13

Hello could you please comment the month and make of your virtus. Also was the sw update given on request or did vw call you for the same.

Im also facing hissing sound and ac compressor cut off issue along with slightly weak ac

Kindly share some details about the ac and engine performance before and after the update.

Mine is a 2023 Jan make vehicle and SC is saying SW update has not bee advised for 2023 models

Hi, Is the AC compressor cut off issue solved in your car?
My Taigun is having the same issue. Compressor is cycling about 4 times in a minute. When driving there is difference in power and a slight jerk every time the compressor switches.
The service center have checked the Gas pressure and said it is in correct levels. Now there are saying this short cycling is normal behaviour.

But this high frequency switching is really spoiling the feel of driving and also putting strain on the compressor.

If you got it solved can you please share what was the problem...

Thank you

[isotope729]

10 Months and 6000 Kms Update

The new car bug hit me last year and me and the wife went window shopping across various showrooms to see what's available. My previous car is a Tata Manza MY 2012. We looked at Kia Sonet/Seltos, Tata Nexon and Mahindra XUV 300. Dropped all of them as none of them clicked with the both of us. I wasn't too keen on Honda City as both my uncle and best friend have it. I briefly looked at the MY 2022 Verna but ruled it out as another friend remarked that it was the same car I had shortlisted (but later dropped) when I bought the Manza. "If it's a new car, see if you can get something different and not tie back to your old aspirations." I agreed with his wisdom.

On a hunch, went to check the Kushaq but fell in love with the Slavia. Had shortlisted the white Slavia but decided to wait for the Virtus to see what other options I had. Checked the Virtus in July and immediately fell in love. I couldn't finalize the colour, I wanted the blue while the wife wanted red. We finally decided that we will take whatever colour was readily available or had minimum wait time. We took our parents for the booking as we wanted to surprise them. I bought the 1.0 Topline model. The cherry red colour was immediately available and that's what we booked. We still looked at the other colours that were available. At the showroom, there was a white Virtus ready for delivery in all her glory. The parents (mine and in-laws) fell in love with that car. When we came home, mum kept on talking about that white Virtus and finally confessed that she loved that colour the most. We both love our whites, and I called up the SA to see if the white was available. It would be available in a week, and we finalized that colour. I was hesitant on maintaining the white, but after talking with several knowledgeable people all of them advised white is the least maintenance heavy. Unfortunately, the delivery was delayed due to a medical emergency at home and we finally got the "White Light" home on 20th Aug 2022. The only accessories we took were sun shades (rear), rubber mats, mobile charger, and waste bin.

"It was just an inchident" (If you know what I mean)

A month later, the car had a rodent infestation - sadly discovered during the 1st month service visit. The rodent had chewed through several wires, and the dashboard had lit up with multiple warnings. Took it to the SC and was advised the said part could be repaired but some harnesses were not available. The issue blew up significantly, as the manager called me 2 days later stating the car would be immediately repaired since some VW management guys had come for a surprise visit and had their tempers flared due to a brand new Virtus sitting in the garage without parts. He agreed to give me a replacement car if my car wasn't repaired within 48 hours. The next afternoon, got a call from him stating the car is repaired and ready. Apparently, some parts had been flown in from Germany/Europe. VW didn't want the bad publicity associated with this incident and had taken an exception. I salute BU Bhandari for handling this incident very professionally. I was even called a few weeks later to check if the issue had recurred. We have had a car since the 90's, parked at the same spot and never had this happen. I put this down as a once-time inchident.

Now let's go the good parts of this story.

The car is fantastic to drive, the looks are killer and is a mile muncher on the highway. Several people have commented it looks like an Audi from certain angles; it does look Audi-esque from the rear 3 quarter. People still turn their heads to look at the car, almost a year after it was launched.

I have taken the 'White Light" across Maharashtra - several trips to Lonavala, Mahabaleshwar, Ratnagiri, Kolhapur and Nashik and the ride is so pliant and comfortable across all road types. The power is always available, and when the turbo kicks in, the car shows it's wild (or veiled) side. The massive GC means I don't have to worry about speed-breakers. If you have ever driven on the Nashik highway, you will know there are several bumps on the highway; often clubbed in 3 or 4 sets together. I observed several other cars swaying and swerving on these bumps, while this car remained planted to the road. My 5 year old niece became motion sick while on a ghat section, and we moved her to my car and that minimized her sickness significantly.

It's been very fuel efficient too; city drives return me anywhere between 12 to 14 kms to a litre, while highway it goes up to 17 to 20. On the Pune-Mumbai expressway, it once returned 22 kms!

For those complaining about the poor/average audio, I found it to be very good. Tune the audio settings per this screenshot, and see if it makes any difference. It doesn't compete with the Slavia with it's subwoofer, but it is not bad/average in any way. I love my music (have studio quality headphones) and the audio doesn't disappoint at all.

The wireless AA has been a boon and I used it almost always. The car connects to the Bluetooth first and then switches to Android Auto. I found the Bluetooth volume to be louder than AA, but the music sounds dynamically better on AA.

VW sent a message for the AC update, however I later confirmed that this update was already done during the 6 month servicing. The AC is better than before - I kept the temperature at 18 degrees previously for cooling and now I keep it at 20. It's not a chiller like my Manza but it's good enough now. The ventilated seats are a boon in this heat and has allowed to keep my head cool. I use the sunroof to blow out the hot air inside the car, and keep the shade open when driving at night. It makes the cabin look roomier.

Other Accessories:
I have wrapped the car in ceramic coating from 3M, and the hydrophobic properties mean the car is now cleaned without requiring much water. A fairly damp cloth will clean the surfaces easily, so I don't take a bucketful of water for cleaning.

I also put in the transparent sunshield film from 3M on front windshield and the side 4 windows, and this has allowed the car to remain cooler when parked in the sun. I don't and can't have a covered parking at home, so this was a necessity.

I'm not bothered by the lack of engine insulation, as the sound is never loud enough to be disturbing. I would have preferred more underbody protection though.

Parting thoughts:
I'm of the opinion that instead of a gazillion features that would be rarely or infrequently used, give features that would be used most often while driving. This isn't a reflection on feature-heavy cars, but just a philosophy that I follow in my regular life. I would rather have fewer but high quality shirts for example than have dozens of street quality shirts. Most features and functionalities available are high quality and are most likely to be used. I can't find the use-case of the reverse camera that can be turned on while driving straight ahead. I have realized VW competes on engineering and not features in India.


Things I love:
+ Great ride and handling
+ Luxurious, spacious and comfortable cabin.
+ Killer looks
+ Powerful but efficient engine
+ 5 star safety rating
+ Ventilated seats
+ Large but nimble, can take any twists and ghats incredibly well
+ Hill-hold assist
+ Wireless charging and AA/AC
+ High GC


Things I dislike:
- A better rear camera. It's just about average.
- Front parking sensors (all variants) or 360 degree camera (at least for top-end variant)
- I would have preferred that VW would have proof-read their warnings on the head unit.
- More functions with the mobile app such as remote locking/unlocking, start/stop the engine, switch AC on/off, show FE in the trips screen, service reminders and so on.

I have been invited to a VW organized meet-and-greet event on 24-Jun. I'm hoping to hear more and provide my feedback during this session. I'll keep you guys posted.