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From one VW to another: Replaced my old Vento TDI with Virtus GT

14th February 2023, 09:18 by Utkarsh Chaudhary

Shifting from the MT to DSG was easy but my driving style has changed significantly.

BHPian stringbh recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Took the delivery of the Virtus GT on 28 December 2022 and covered 5335 km.

Was looking for an upgrade from Vento TDI MT 2013 January manufactured (clocked 1.52L kms). Vento served me well with no major issues in the last ten years and never left us stranded on any long drive, except ABS sensors going kaput countless times. There were few regular maintenance works and other issues, mostly post 1L km.

There was some engine oil leak around 45k kms, which required the replacement of the cylinder head cover (covered under warranty after writing to customer care and some running around).
AC compressor had to be replaced (always drove with 100% AC on) and also timing belt changed (around 1L km).
One injector failure (1.2L km).
Coolant tank-water pump-timing belt (around 1.25L km).
Front suspension overhaul (at 1.4L km).
Turbo gave up at 1.45L kms and was replaced (from its cousins lying idle at an FNG).
Steering rack and clutch assembly were untouched till date, and definitely needed attention and so did the rear suspension.

Though I would have still kept the vehicle for daily office commute, it was getting difficult to plan long trips and there wasn't enough space in the garage. So, finally, I had to let it go with the feeling that I enjoyed every moment spent with it.

The ownership was transferred rather quickly to an enthusiastic gentleman (after explaining to him in detail, all the jobs done thus far and that needed to be addressed immediately), who wanted exactly the same car, to immediately replace his own accident-damaged car. The guy couldn't believe that the vehicle was in immaculate condition after so many years.

Final pic before handing over (with team bhp stickers de-badged). Vento both looked and drove like new, even on the day of the transfer.

Going for Virtus/Slavia was a natural choice, with nothing much on the horizon in the 20L price bracket. Having heard so much about the 1.5L version, mind was set on this. Only two other options were briefly considered: Jeep Compass and Octavia.

I was not sure I needed the power of Octavia for day-to-day commutes and occasional highway trips. Loved the Compass but then I would have gone for diesel MT. Took the test drive and instantly felt like a bigger+more powerful Vento! Even my wife liked the interiors and build quality, but the lack of boot space was not something we could live with. Felt, both were overpriced for what they offered and were crossing our budget anyway.

Now, having known the VW service and staff for a while (read indifferent service and unclear communication etc., which I learnt how to handle), and, with the Vento never spending more than a day in the service centre (except on rare occasions) with a single visit to workshop per year, I put my money on their India 2.0 project. Looks-wise, I loved the GT design to Slavia. I had an existing booking for Virtus GT long back but still took some persuasion to get the car allotted to me (with absolutely no discounts other than a loyalty discount). There was not even an exchange bonus for the GT version. It seems Virtus 1L was getting priority and the SAs were getting benefits only for meeting year targets of Taigun (1L and 1.5 DSG) and Virtus (1L variants only). Sorry for the unclear pic below (taken during my last visit to the showroom while paying the balance amount), if you can make it out.

Finally, the car was delivered on 28 December 2022 and after brief puja, we left for a drive the next day!

First 1500 kms and run-in period were done in a breeze, with a visit to Chilika Lake and its surroundings. Rest 3500 was covered on a 9-day family trip: Bhubaneswar-Aurangabad-Nasik-Lonavala-Shirdi and back (Travelogue in preparation). I took the car to where it belonged.

Did the stretch twice, once during the day and the other time in the evening/night. Both experiences were nothing short of exhilarating! The car performed brilliantly and there was no fatigue even after 11+ hours of non-stop driving in a day, with minimal rest, on multiple occasions.
Engine-Gear box combo is a gem, notwithstanding the reliability issues. Relaxed/calm when driven sedately, and delivers the performance when required. Mid and Top range are awesome. On an expressway, you hit unmentionable speeds rather quickly and the car is both relaxed and rock solid. 120 feels like 80.
Low end is a little jerky and I still haven't figured out how to do it smoothly. I shift to M when possible, especially at speed breakers. With some practice, the low-end lag can probably be mastered. Shifting from MT to DSG is easy, but my driving style has changed significantly. I shift to N at traffic signals and keep my fingers crossed on the future of the DSG gearbox. Oh yes, having read the stories on the forum, I took that extended warranty without even thinking (Just assume it was an accessory which is added to the car price). I straightaway rejected the compulsory 11k worth of accessories from VW, better to go with a horn upgrade, and separately got the Pharaoh 3D floor mats, which so far are perfect.
Suspension is well-calibrated (definitely a bit stiff). I kept 34 PSI for highway drive, but for city day-to-day drives, I leave it at 32. The car (and also the steering) feels a bit lighter than Vento (maybe because the TDI made too much noise) and remains lighter even at highway speeds (the one on Vento felt heavier). The car came with Goodyears and left them as they are.
Haven't faced any issues with AC so far. Left the Auto Climate control at 22 and never needed to change in the entire kms covered so far, though we are at the end of winter and need to see how it performs in the summer.
Lights are pretty good and no major complaints. The tail light design takes the looks of the car to another level and attracts attention.
Quality of materials used in the interior could have been better, like say Jeep Compass! (but probably the price will shoot up proportionately). Anyway, I do not care now, especially because of the way the car drives!
Sorely missed feature is the windows one-touch up down, which I regularly used in the Vento.
The window motor also makes rough noise as pointed out by others.
There is more space than required on the driver's side (between the seats and door). This makes it difficult to rest the hand while driving. I am pretty tall and used to the laid-back driving style (sit a bit lower too with steering in the farthest/lowest possible position). Can't seem to adjust yet or need to calibrate this further: work in progress. Anyway, it didn't give me any issues during the long drive at all.
FE is around 15-16 when driving sedately with a mix of city and highway traffic. FE drops to 12-14 even on the highway, with the heavy right foot or sudden accelerations. This is where the Vento TDI used to shine. I managed to match the ARAI rating on a short highway drive.