Team-BHP (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/)

-   Official New Car Reviews (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/official-new-car-reviews/)

-   -   Volkswagen Virtus Review (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/official-new-car-reviews/251477-volkswagen-virtus-review-84.html)

The max mileage I have extracted from my car, 1.0 TSI topline AT is 16-16.5. In the city (Pune) I typically get 9-10 during the day (heavy traffic), during late nights I get 14-15, max speed 80-90. When I was driving on 4 lane roads in MP, I got upto 17 (concrete roads that allowed good speeds till 100) , then on expressway (6 lane) it dropped to 15-15.5 as speed increased to 110-120. I am not a sedate driver and I am not mileage conscious. This was with almost full load. I also dont use paddle shifters a lot, but I am sure it would help, since I observed that the vehicle holds the 5th gear for longer than necessary. The same with 2nd gear too, if I was driving a manual I would have downshifted much faster than the AT does, but I cant be bothered with using paddle shifters. I also use the normal fuel - not XP95. I observed that the RPM increases to 1900-2000 as soon as the speed goes above 86/87. Before that it stays below 1700 which would help with mileage. But I tried driving at 90 for a while on the expressway, and it felt like riding on a bullock cart. Could not torture myself with such slow speeds for more than 15 minutes, and soon I was back to flying on 120. Please note, while I drive as fast as permitted on open roads, I do not take risks and always use seat belts, break early and smoothly. I also try not to get sucked into racing/competing with fellow motorists. Just wanted to put it out there lest someone assumes I am taking risks and not being a responsible driver.

Got it done from a fng at a cost of 5k for four wheels. Took around 5 hours to get done. It really changes the look of the car. Makes it look meaner and sleeker. I had second thoughts on doing it black because of the alloy wheel design, but then after it got done, it looked absolutely smashing.
By the way, Volkswagen quoted me 10k for the same.

Hi BHPians,

Good day!

Thanks for approving my membership request.

I am currently driving a 2015 Model Maruti Suzuki Swift 1.2 MT Vxi. For quite some time my wife and I was looking after a good SUV to purchase. TD'ed Grand Vitara due to their unworldly mileage claims in strong hybrid, but didn't found the suspension SUV like.

So, we visited VW pashan showroom (B.U.BHandari) in Pune. SA Sujatha was well versed with the Car. She explained the features well about Taigun. I booked a TD and done that. The vehicle feels like an SUV and suspension was firm too. Moreover, it looks a vehicle worth ~20 L.

While returning, I was casually checking Virtus. Somehow thought about sitting inside to take a sedan feel. Oh Man! I liked the dashboard so much that I immediately booked a TD. Surprisingly the vehicle was there and the SA happily accompanied us.

To my surprise again, while starting the car to drive, I was feeling like at home. I never drove a sedan, never drove any European performance car like VW. It was a breeze. I somehow felt this is my calling. My wife too agreed that the back seat feels more specious than taigun. Though not sure why. I drove the 1.5 Lit DSG as AT is my (of my wife) requirement now.

As I almost made my mind about Virtus, I would like to have some clarity on the below queries. Can anyone kindly help here? Sorry if my Car Jargons are improperly used.

1. Does 1 Litre Turbo is good in long run as I've been using 1.2 Swift 2015 model for last 8 years and heard that turbo engines worn out quicker than naturally aspirated engines?
2. How durable is the TC gearbox? Is it better than CVT/DSG in long run?
3. I feel 1.5 TSI is much more powerful than my requirement, moreover the DSG is a bit unreliable due to in city traffic there may be heating issues in the mechatronics. Is 1.0 litre good for long run (years)
4. What's the feedback on the VW ASS? I'm currently in Pune and going to buy from VW Pashan(B.U.Bhandari) showroom. The SA Sujatha is very polite and explained everything about the car well. But I'm not very sure about the ASS. Any owner from Pune please can help
5. The TD vehicle in Taigun shows a FE of 22kmpl (1.0 lit TSI), will it be similar in Virtus as well considering the same engine and lesser curb weight in sedan?
6. I believe most of AC, Power window, EPC related issues are taken care as I haven't seen any newer thread of VW related to it. Anything to be worried of?
7. Any suggestions if a sedan like Virtus is ok for city drive? My daily drive would be ~20 km in city, occasionally on highways for 50-100 kms once in a month. I'm new to AT and coming from hatchback and worried about the driving in city traffic with a big sedan. Is there anything specific I need to take care of?

Facing exactly the same issue. My mileage used to be 10.5-13 kmpl depending on the traffic, before the Ac/ecu update. Now it hovers around 8.5 kmpl typically:Frustrati. The engine feels slightly peppier though (anyone else felt the same?). Not sure if software rollback is an option. Request the enlightened to comment.

Using VCDS set the evaporator temperature to slightly higher level like 3-4 degrees and that will reduce compressor load on engine and improve FE. Also check tyre pressure regularly since I have noticed a drop in FE just in 1-2psi drop in air pressure. Even I had a bout of low FE which I had attributed to the AC tweaks I had made, but later realised that tyre pressure was the culprit.

As an experiment just drive for a few kms with AC off and check if there is a significant difference in FE. Then you can blame it on the AC tweak.

I bought the Virtus from B.U Bhandari 6 months back - Shivajinagar branch. The experience with service center was quite good and they delivered what they promised. I have since been there for repairs as well as software updates and my experience has been good. I have dealt with VW in other cities and I can tell you that I found BU bhandari to be better. They haven't tried to pull any tricks, they have been professional in their approach. I also wanted insurance from outside and they did not trouble me much about it.

I had previous experience with them, as well, since I had a VW polo before this and they were very helpful. The shivajinagar showroom was taken over by BU bhandari about a year back and before thay it was Vidyut motors.

I also shifted from a manual polo to AT 1.0 and the transition was not difficult. I did not have much experience with AT's but the switch was easy enough - you just need to "forget" a few things when switching from manual to AT and its a pleasant change. The major difference is foot positioning, you need to stop using your left foot and keep it on the dead pedal. The problem comes when you try to use your left foot and end up pressing the break hard (thinking its the clutch). If you use your right foot instead then you will feel right at home.

Hope it helps.

With Skoda planning to release the Kodiaq with 1.5 mHEV, what are the chances we get Virtus Mild Hybrid in the next iteration later this year or next year?

Wouldn't mild hybrid solve the DSG heating issues in tight city traffic?

Hi

Congratulations in advance for your new car.

Below are my views and hope it helps in decision making.
Virtus is a good sedan and 1.0 TSI AT equally good.

1. 1.0 TSI is a tested engine and have been there for long, it is always advisable to opt in for Extended Warranty and VW does offer it up to 7 years now in India.

2. TC Gearbox is indeed reliable, again have been there for long. (Tried and tested), however DSG has its own charm and can't be compared, plus DQ 200 has been notorious and was riddled with failures in the past models. Though VW states they have improved and sorted all issues, but only time can tell.

3. Same as 1st point. (There are multiple videos online of POLO and Vento with 10+ Yrs. ownership, these can definitely be helpful as a reference).

4. Fellow members from Pune to help.

5. In heavy city traffic while crawling I get 8 to 9 KMPL max, while in low to moderate it hovers between 12 to 14 KMPL, On the highway I have only managed max of 15 KMPL with speed between 80 to 120 KM/H

6. There are no ongoing issues, while AC cannot be categorized as strong characteristic of Virtus but nothing to complain either, it gets the job done. You can also get UV resistant tint installed but this is subjected to your discretion based on law in your city.

7. This is a lovely car to drive and own, Steering is light hence maneuvering will be breeze. I am sure you can easily get adapted once you start driving it.

I have not experienced any rattling so far, but I am irritated by a plastic squeaking noise from left side of dashboard near FL AC vent, VW service was unable to fix it stating the plastic panel is not a separate part and cannot be removed.

Mileage

Heavy Traffic - 8 to 9 KMPL
Moderate Traffic - 9 to 11 KMPL
Low Traffic - 13 to 14 KMPL
Highway - max I have managed is 15 KMPL.

My suggestions:
1.) Virtus is a great car and based on my interactions last week with Service folks in Delhi, ownership feedback for Virtus is very good and recent cars do not have any complaints as the initial lot. Some Virtus have even entered their 30k km lifespan with nothing needed beyond normal service.
2.) Virtus is a grand car by size. So if it fits your parking approach and space then this is the car to drive.
3.) I drive 1.0 Topline and I find the engine to be a spoilt brat who is eager to race every time I switch it on.
4.) July will be 1 year anniversary of Virtus. So you may wait for something new added under Anniversary edition. Though I believe Virtus might not get Anniversary edition as it is selling really well .

Based on my conversation with VW people a few days ago, hybrids were not initially considered due to costs. To be fair, even the hybrid City costs more than the regular City.

However, if the Kodiaq hybrid can be manufactured in India (even if later) then it might make a good idea to put it on the VW twins. This may be also dependent on how much market they think they can capture, since the India factory exports to Mexico.

Yes, Skoda was initially very clear about it. But do you think Mild-Hybrids have a better chance compared to Full Hybrids or Plugins? I do think the additional economy figures can attract some of the Maruti crowd as well. Thoughts?

I have the UC6 on my Slavia and echo these thoughts. It's super silent, even on concrete roads and has very good grip, unless you are looking for really high performance tires. Definitely recommended.

I m on the same boat. Planning on VW. Showroom folks say they can get it installed and it doesn't void warranty as it's plug and play. However, when I dig deeper, they say they maintain records of accessories added to the car when servicing is done. So, if serviced in another city due to emergency, they may not honor the warranty. When I emailed VW Support regarding this, their answer was a blunt no.:unhappy

I'm personally a fan of hybrids, and feel they offer the greatest flexibility for both economical and ecological reasons. A strong hybrid makes more sense to be included. But the target audience for VAG is very different from what MSIL caters to, and the Maruti crowd will less likely buy VAG cars. The opposite can be true though. :)