Replaced my old Polo with a new Virtus: Buying & initial impressions

I was about to book the Skoda Slavia but decided to wait for VW to launch its new sedan.

BHPian saats07 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

After a lot of searches and a long wait for the official launch, I got my VW Virtus delivered yesterday.

I have been searching for a car to replace my 10 years old VW Polo for a long time. Below are my details of the search, reasons and initial review of delivery.

Search

I have been looking for a replacement for my Polo for quite some time.

My major points for search:

• Need more legroom for rear passengers
• Need to have good safety and airbags (Polo had 0)
• Need more boot space
• Good engine with manual gearbox (Maybe the last manual I would be driving)

I had considered the below options.

Kia Seltos:

• Was really excited for Seltos
• It has met all my requirements
• But the crash test dashed all my hopes, just reaching a 3-star rating was disappointing

Hyundai Creta:

After Seltos crash test, I expected the same result for Creta and the recent test confirmed the same

Tata Nexon:

Really liked it, but boot space was less

Skoda Kushaq and VW Taigun:

• Loved VW 2.0 models for India
• Test drove both and liked the dynamics of both cars
• But rear seats were a very tight fit for 3 members
• Launch issues were concerning

Honda City:

• This offers best-in-class comfort and space
• Driving dynamics were good
• But during the drive, a stone hit the underbody of the car and there was a loud clunk sound. Felt as if I am sitting in a tin can
• Model looked old to my liking
• New Hybrid version was out of my budget

Skoda Slavia:

• Had a great driving experience
• Car felt well-grounded and had very little body roll even at high speeds
• Family loved it
• Was about to book this but wanted to check the Virtus launch before booking it

VW Virtus:

• Once Virtus was launched, I fell in love with it.
• Everyone in the family liked Slavia, but I convinced them to consider Virtus.
• Wanted to get 1.5 manual if launched, but had to get satisfied with 1.0 MT
• Met all my requirements and looked better than Slavia in my opinion.

Booking experience

I prebooked Virtus sometime after its launch. Got assigned to a SA and he was regularly in contact with me, updating me about the car launch and providing TD at home.

After the price reveal, I was disappointed that 1.5 is way out of my budget and without MT, there was no point in stretching my budget. So I went to the next best option in MT 1.0 Topline.

After completing all the processes, I tried my luck by asking them to get insurance from outside. I was expecting a no. But to my surprise, they agreed and even reduced the insurance amount to match the external quote. The date and time of delivery were fixed. I asked them for an extended warranty, but they said they would update it later on as management was not available that day. They had all required docs ready, but said will provide the invoice and other docs on a later date as their management was not available.

They charged me for accessories but mentioned before 1 day of delivery that accessories are not yet available and will get them after 15 days. There was no update on the VW app and no dongle in the car, so car tracking is not available yet.

Other than this had a smooth delivery experience. Got some pics clicked and had a small puja at the showroom.

I had a small drive to the temple and back home in b2b traffic.

The good

• Car is very smooth to drive and the steering, though feels light, weights up with speed.
• Steering controls and virtual cockpit work seamless.
• Noise isolation is very good, as soon as you close the door you will feel the difference.
• Audio is good, didn’t get a chance to compare it with Slavia. Feel Slavia will be better than this.
• I didn’t get a chance to explore more on the central console, but it is seamless till now.
• Car is very spacious and the seat will wrap around you.
• Start-stop button is located in the central console and we don’t need to search for it.
• I drove Polo immediately after this, and could see how smooth Virtus is compared to Polo.
• Cruise control can be deployed at any speed. I was able to deploy it at 43kmph as well.
• Fit and finish are very good with even panel gaps.
• Outer body doesn’t have flex.
• Huge windows provide good visibility.
• LED lights are very bright and offer good visibility.

The bad

• We can see cost-cutting in many areas.
• Roof liner has a bit of flex.
• Side view mirrors are very small to my liking.
• Rear window is very small, so not much use of the rear view window.
• Parking camera is the worst. Sad to see that on the good quality central console.
• Wireless charger cannot be turned off.
• No place for the keyfob.
• No app support yet, but was promised, that it will be updated soon.

Pics

Post Puja pic

In its true form

Blacked-out brake lights

Interesting to note, complimentary service for 1 month, 6 months and 1 year. This was not the case for earlier VW models. Wonder what is the reason for this.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.