In a market where carmakers are now focusing on SUVs, the comfortable and sporty sedans have become an almost forgotten segment. Now however, things are changing and it appears as though sedans are back, and that too with something promising and purpose-built. One such car is the Volkswagen Vertus which has a significant list of promises. After launching the Taigun in India last year, the next car in the Volkswagen India 2.0 pipeline is the Volkswagen Vertus. Essentially, a sedan based on the Taigun, this sporty sedan is set to rival the likes of its sibling, the Skoda Slavia along with the Honda City, Hyundai Verna and Maruti Suzuki Ciaz.
The Volkswagen Vertus shares its platform with the koda Slavia, and although you would expect the Vertus to feel similar from behind the wheel, the two German cars take a very different approach, with the two German cars sharing their platforms. There is no resemblance on the exterior, and both also feel a bit different to drive, thanks to the tuning of the engine and subtle changes to the suspension. Like the Slavia, the Volkswagen Vertus will be available in two engine options, the 1.0L and the 1.5L. Before driving, let’s talk about what the Vertus looks like.
Volkswagen Vertus: what does it look like?
The Volkswagen Vertus is a great looking car and we think it is the best looking car in the segment. It features the clean and strong design lines typical of Volkswagen with graceful proportions. The face clearly takes inspiration from the Jetta, while the tail section is sleeker with a lip spoiler on the tailgate (GT variant) and we liked the details on the taillights. There is a minimal shoulder line which gives it edge-to-edge definition, looking really sporty, but elegant.
The Volkswagen Vertus is a big car, in fact, longer than the Slavia. And compared to its rivals, it boasts the largest wheelbase, a length that directly boosts the space inside. In our opinion, this car looks sporty and beautiful in every way.
So now let’s talk about the visual difference between the 1.5 GT and the 1.0 L variant. The 1.5 GT has been given a few touches that give it a bit more sportiness. It gets 16-inch blacked-out alloys with red calipers, lip spoiler on the boot lid and GT badge. All these elements of the 1.5 GT make the car a bit sporty and dangerous.
Talking about the 1.0 liter variant, the car looks clean and decent. The grille and bumper get a fair amount of chrome. The car also gets 16-inch dual-tone machine cut alloy wheels, which give a refined look to the car.
The Vertus will be available in six color options – Wild Cherry Red, Candy White, Carbon Steel Grey, Curcuma Yellow, Reflex Silver and Rising Blue Metallic.
Volkswagen Vertus: what’s it like on the inside?
Moving on, the GT gets an all-black interior with red detailing on the dashboard, red stitching and aluminum pedals. The 1.0 L variant gets a dual-tone treatment with silver colored detailing. The interior layout has been cleverly designed, featuring a three-layer construction with various textured materials such as fibre, plastic and piano black material.
The star here is the 10-inch infotainment system, has a clean interface, great tactile feedback and has wireless Apple Car Play/Android Auto. The visibility of the screen is quite good even in direct sunlight.
There is also a Digital Instrumental Cluster which stands out. It is a well-executed unit that presents information clearly and logically. You can shift between different screens, one with speedo, one with taco and one that is more minimalist. It gives you a lot of information and looks good as well.
Buttons for ventilated seats and for starting and stopping the engine are located near the gearstick. There are all expected features like auto climate control, cruise control, cooled glove box, connected car tech, ambient lighting, 4 USB ports, a sunroof (not panoramic) and wireless phone charging.
Coming to the rear seats, the generous wheelbase becomes apparent here and Volkswagen claims that it has the longest wheelbase in the segment. There is ample knee room, headroom and legroom and a rear seat that can comfortably accommodate two adults. The boot space is impressive with 521 liters of volume and 1050 liters of backseat folded down.
Volkswagen Vertus: Engine and Transmission
The Volkswagen Vertus gets the same two TSI (Direct Injection) petrol engines that are offered with the Taigun. The turbocharged, 3-cylinder one-litre unit is being offered with a 6-speed manual and torque converter automatic. The 1.5 TSI EVO petrol engine is only offered with a 7-speed DSG dual-clutch transmission.
Volkswagen Vertus: How does it perform and manage?
First, we drove the GT line with a 1.5-litre turbocharged unit that produces 150 bhp and 250Nm of torque mated to a 7-speed DSG (dual-clutch transmission). The 1.5 GT is for those who love driving and want a car that is fast and comfortable. Every time you put the car on the floor, it brings a big smile to your face.
Performance is the reason why people will buy the 1.5 GT. When you step on the pedals, it feels fast, picking up speed with intention. Triple digit speed comes before you know it and continues to grow even after that. Technical features like dual VVT, a start-stop system and active cylinder-deactivation make this engine efficient. Handling on the Vertus is impressive, there’s a bit of body roll but everything remains under control and the overall mechanical grip you get is phenomenal.
Talking about the transmission, the DSG should act like a DSG. Shifts are sharp and sleek and the gear ratios of the DSG unit are optimally positioned, allowing easy access to the engine’s full spectrum of power-band widths.
Our test car’s 1.0-litre petrol engine was mated to a torque converter 6-speed AT gearbox. With 115 PS and 178 Nm of torque, the engine is good enough to make the Virtus go fast. The 1.0-litre, some of you might think, is underpowered or may not be enough for a car of this size, but surprisingly the 1.0-litre still works great. Although it is a 3-cylinder engine, the refinement levels are impressive at high RPMs. The 6-speed torque converter gets the job done as it pairs well with the engine and the shifts are smooth.
Volkswagen Vertus: Safety Features
Volkswagen Vertus is equipped with 40+ safety features which include six airbags, ESC, multi-collision brakes, tire pressure monitoring system, hill hold control, ABS, rear parking sensors, reverse camera, ISO fix anchor and many more. Beyond that, the build quality on the car feels solid, which translates into better confidence in the vehicle’s structural strength.
Volkswagen Virtue: Price, Types and Rivals
The Volkswagen Vertus will be offered in two different variant lines – the Dynamic line, which includes all 1.0-litre variants, and the Performance line, which includes the 1.5-litre variants. When launched, the Volkswagen Vertus will compete with its sibling Slavia, Honda City, Maruti Suzuki Ciaz and Hyundai Verna. We expect the Vertus to be priced between Rs 11 to 18 lakhs, ex-showroom, India.
Volkswagen Virtue: Conclusion
Now that we’ve told you everything you need to know about the Volkswagen Vertus, it’s time to answer the big question. Is the Vertus good enough to carve a niche for itself in a segment full of elusive SUVs? Well, the simple answer is, a big yes. It looks good, it is comfortable, it has a good set of features, it is fun to drive and all these make the Virtus a very good car. There is no doubt that Volkswagen has a winner on its hands, unless they work out the price themselves. The Volkswagen Vertus prices will be announced at the time of the car’s market launch on 9 June.