It is no secret that Volkswagen is preparing an all-new mid-sized sedan for the Indian market. The new sedan will be based on the Virtus sedan, which is on sale in select international markets. In fact, the VW Virtus has been spotted testing multiple times on the Indian roads.
Speaking to CarWale, Ashish Gupta, Brand Director, Volkswagen India said that the new Volkswagen Virtus based sedan will arrive in our market in May 2022. The India-spec model will be based on the heavily localised MQB AO IN platform that underpins the VW Taigun, Skoda Kushaq and the soon-to-be-launched Skoda Slavia.
The new Volkswagen Virtus sedan is likely to go into production in early 2022. Set to replace the ageing Vento, the new sedan will measure similar to the global-spec Virtus. The VW Virtus measures 4,482mm in length, 1,751mm in width and 1,472mm in height. The new sedan is 92mm longer, 52mm wider and 5mm taller than the Vento. The sedan rides on 2,651mm wheelbase, which is again 98mm longer than the Vento’s 2,553mm.
The Volkswagen Virtus sedan will rival the likes of the new Honda City, Hyundai Verna and the Maruti Suzuki Ciaz. It is likely to share the interior and features with the Taigun mid-sized sedan. Some of the features will include an electric sunroof, a large touchscreen infotainment system, a digital instrument console, multiple airbags, automatic AC, LED projector headlamps, LED tail-lights and others.
The new mid-sized sedan will be powered by a 1.0-litre 3-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine that churns out a maximum power output of 108bhp and a peak torque of 175Nm. Transmission choices will include a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed torque convertor automatic. The sedan could also get a new 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine, which will also power the Taigun. Paired to a 7-speed DSG, this engine produces 147bhp and 250Nm of torque.
