According to April Sales Data, the Volkswagen Virtus was the fourth best-selling sedan in the Indian market. This doesn’t seem that surprising, as the Volkswagen Virtus has always been a steady seller, but when you check the three names above the Virtus, that’s when things start to look interesting. The three sedans that sell better are cheaper by ₹4-6 lakh (ex-showroom) compared to the Virtus. When it comes to sales numbers, every single sedan that’s in a similar price bracket (and even a more affordable one!) is playing catch-up to the Volkswagen Virtus.
How has Volkswagen managed to keep the lead for this long a time? Well, the primary reason is that the Virtus is a very, very compelling product. It does almost everything well, and some things astonishingly well. Like engines, for example. The ‘less powerful’ 1.0 TSI still pumps out 115PS and 178Nm, numbers that are on the higher side. However, if one were to opt for the 1.5 TSI, they will be blessed with prodigious outputs of 150PS and 250Nm!
This power is sent to the wheels via a large array of transmission options, but Volkswagen offers a manual for both engines, which is not something you can find elsewhere (maybe that’s why the Virtus outsells everything). The chassis and suspension of the Virtus have been optimised, keeping its power in mind, and as it comes from Germany, where the Autobahn exists, the roadholding and handling of the Virtus are beyond reproach. The Virtus also has a very high ground clearance, so you can keep your foot down on gravel roads too, and pretend you are Sébastien Ogier (he piloted the Polo R WRC to four consecutive championship victories).
Furthermore, while movie protagonists and antagonists alike have switched over to SUVs from sedans, there was a time when the SUVs were reserved for the entourage or the henchmen, leaving the main characters to travel in a proper sedan. Anyone who grew up in that era will automatically place sedans at a higher plane of existence than SUVs, and they would be right. Not that there’s anything wrong with SUVs; it’s just that sedans are inherently cooler. Thankfully, Volkswagen offers both in highly compelling packages.
And that’s the crux of the matter—Volkswagen cars are engineered with a German mindset, a country in which the oldest pub can trace its history back to the year 1150, so they know a thing or two about longevity and preservation. The Virtus is engineered to last, unlike almost everything in this world designed around planned obsolescence. So the best reason to buy the Virtus is to leave an inheritance for the next generation.
