With the Volkswagen Virtus breaking cover, the dying mid-size sedan segment finally gets to see some action. The recently launched Skoda Slavia has also been well received by critics and consumers. These siblings will hopefully make sedans a bit more popular again and they could even drive away sales from the SUV segment! Talking about driving, both sedans are guaranteed to put a smile across your face. However, the Slavia might have a slight edge over its sibling in this aspect due to one reason. Let’s find out!
Manual for the win!
It is clear that the engine choice for the enthusiasts in both cars will be the 1.5 TSI engine. This turbocharged 1.5-liter 4-cylinder engine produces 150hp and 250nm of torque. This engine comes mated to either a 7-speed DSG or a 6-speed manual. However, the Volkswagen Virtus misses out on the manual transmission option for this engine according to the official website. Though the DSG is hard to fault, many die-hard enthusiasts will go for manual transmission for added driving pleasure.
Interestingly, the Slavia 1.5 TSI is hard to differentiate from the 1.0-TSI variant due to no cosmetic changes. On the other hand, the Volkswagen Virtus 1.5 TSI comes in the GT avatar that adds a lot of spicy bits such as a GT badge on the grille and front fenders, blacked-out alloy wheels, a dual-tone roof, black ORVMs, and red brake calipers on the exterior. The interior adds red accents, red ambient lighting, and aluminum pedals. We think that it’s a case of win some, lose some!
Volkswagen Virtus: a quick recap
The Virtus features a clean and understated design that we have come to see in other Volkswagen cars. The front features a thin grille with chrome outlines on the top and bottom. The chrome lines merge into the LED DRLs of the LED headlights which form a C-shape.
The Virtus gets dual-tone black and beige interiors. The overall layout is typically Volkswagen with clean lines. You will notice a lot of parts shared with the Taigun SUV such as the multifunction steering wheel, the door handles, the touch-sensitive climate control unit, and the gear knob.