Earlier this year, Volkswagen India made its intent pretty clear that it is going to bet big on its SUV lineup because as is evident from the current trend, SUVs are all the rage in the Indian sub-continent. While we patiently wait for the launch of the Tiguan and the Taigun, Volkswagen India might have another card up its sleeve. The current-gen VW Vento might still garner praises for its overall driving dynamics but there’s one thing for sure, the German sedan has started feeling a little dated. Especially when you consider the decade-old design and the not-so-luxurious interiors.
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Time and again, it has been reported that Volkswagen might replace the Vento with the Virtus in India. A test mule of the Virtus with a left-hand-drive configuration was recently spotted by us on the Mumbai-Pune expressway.
The German carmaker might have imported this unit for component testing to help develop Vento’s replacement. Its MQB-A0 underpinning is not so different from the Indian version of this platform. Furthermore, Vento’s successor could take styling cues from the Virtus. When it comes to overall dimensions, the Virtus is considerably bigger than the Vento.
The Virtus measures in at 4,482mm long, 1,751mm wide and 1,472mm tall, making it 92mm longer, 52mm wider and 5mm taller than the Vento we get. Its wheelbase also stands longer by around 98mm. If it actually gets here, we can expect the Virtus to boast of more cabin space as compared to the Vento.
Expected specs and features
The Virtus is also expected to come with a lot more features as compared to the Vento. For instance, it gets a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, a large touchscreen ‘VW Play’ infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay support, connected car technology, automatic climate control, driver fatigue monitor, keyless entry and go, front and rear parking sensors and much more. The rather Spartan looking cabin has been one of the few areas where the Vento lacks behind and the arrival of Virtus could set things straight for the carmaker.
The new Volkswagen sedan is likely to come with the same engine and transmission options as the current Vento. Currently, it comes with a 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine that is good for 110PS of power and 175Nm of peak torque, paired to a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed torque converter. The Taigun’s 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine could also be on the cards. It puts down 150hp and 250Nm and is expected to come with a sole 7-speed DSG automatic gearbox.
Vento’s replacement is likely to land here sometime next year. Skoda is also considering replacing the Rapid sedan with a larger sedan and it wouldn’t be wrong to assume that it is going to be based on the Virtus sedan that is set to replace the Vento in VW India’s lineup.