It is no secret that Volkswagen is working on a replacement for the aging Vento. It doesn’t matter how much you adore the Volkswagen Vento for its driving dynamics, the truth is, it has started feeling a little dated, especially when you factor in its sharp-looking, feature-packed rivals. Additionally, Volkswagen has started phasing out a few variants of the Vento which does indicate that the Virtus will be revealed soon. We recently spotted the Virtus being tested and from the looks of it, the car looks almost production-ready!
Volkswagen Virtus: All you need to know
Just like the Taigun, the Virtus will be based on the MQB AO IN platform. The Virtus will also share a lot of parts with the soon-to-be-launched Skoda Slavia. 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.
However, we expect its dimensions will be more or less similar to the Slavia. Even the 520 liters of boot space will be shared between the two. The Virtus will feature Volkswagen’s typically understated design with clean lines. The interiors will be typical VW as well in terms of layout and design. The Virtus is also expected to come with a lot more features as compared to the Vento. For instance, the center stage will be taken up by a 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system which will be compatible with android auto and apple car play wirelessly. It will also get touch-sensitive automatic climate control, keyless entry with push-button start/stop, cruise control, digital instrument cluster, electric sunroof, wireless charging, and ventilated seats to name a few.
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. In terms of engine options, the Virtus will come with two petrol powertrains. The first engine is a 1.0-liter 3-cylinder turbo-petrol engine that is good for 115PS of power and 175Nm of peak torque, paired to a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed torque converter.
The second engine will be a 1.5-liter turbocharged petrol engine that puts out 150hp and 250nm of torque. Transmission options will be a 6-speed manual and a 7-speed DSG. Volkswagen could offer the 1.5 TSI engine in the form of GT variants just like the Taigun.