Volkswagen Virtus Price, 1.5 GT Manual Launch Date, New Color Options, Special Edition

What can be a greater joy for the enthusiasts, Volkswagen has announced that it will soon launch a new manual variant of the Virtus 1.5 TSI. So far, on the 1.5 TSI engine virtue The GT Plus trim was only available with a 7-speed DSG gearbox. Importantly, the manual gearbox with the 1.5 TSI engine will also lower the entry point of this more powerful engine.

1. Volkswagen Virtus To Get New 1.5 TSI MT Variant
2. Likely to be offered with the high-spec trims only
3. Price announcement expected in June 2023

New Volkswagen Virtus 1.5 TSI MT Edition Coming

The 150hp, 250Nm, 1.5-litre turbo-petrol with manual gearbox on the Virtus will be the same 6-speed unit offered with the Slavia, Kushak And Taigun, In fact, the Virtus was the only India 2.0 model not offered with a manual gearbox with the 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine. While its Czech counterpart, Skoda Slavia Having offered this powertrain option right from launch, it is interesting that VW saved this launch for the debut anniversary of the Virtus in India.

It’s also very timely as a rival Hyundai just launched new verna With 160hp, the turbo-petrol engine with both manual and automatic gearboxes is aimed squarely at the performance-oriented top end of the midsize sedan segment. Thus far, this space has been exclusively dominated by Volkswagen and Škoda.

Volkswagen will offer the Virtus 1.5 TSI MT only on the top-spec GT Plus trim, unlike the Taigun 1.5 TSI, which is also available in the lower GT trim. In both cases, however, this ‘GT Line’ includes a number of visual differentiators such as black alloy wheels, GT badges and a black-and-red color theme on the interior, something that the Skoda Slavia does not offer on its 1.5 TSI. does. variant; They look exactly similar to the lower 1.0 TSI variants.

See also: 2023 Volkswagen Taigun to be launched in June with new trims, colours, special edition

Volkswagen Virtus 1.5 TSI MT Launch And Expected Price

The Volkswagen 1.5 TSI GT Plus DSG is currently priced at Rs 18.57 lakh, ex-showroom, and you can expect the manual to be significantly more affordable. For reference, exclusivity wise, the Slavia 1.5 TSI DSG costs Rs 1.4 lakh more than the manual counterpart. However, one major advantage Skoda has is that it offers the Slavia 1.5 TSI with both gearboxes in the lower trims at an even lower entry price.

For reference, the manual version of the top-spec Style trim of the Slavia 1.5 TSI costs ₹ 17 lakh, ex-showroom, and you can expect the Virtus 1.5 TSI MT to be priced in the same ballpark. Prices will be announced in June 2023, a year after the car’s launch, and deliveries could start soon thereafter.

The Virtus, along with the Taigun, has proved hugely successful for the brand in India, selling an average of around 1,600 units per month since its launch and around 2,000 units subsequently. This allowed the brand to take 1.2 percent market share in 2022, but it is yet to break into the top ten carmaker list. While the 1.5 TSI engine has only accounted for 10 per cent of sales so far, it is expected that the lower price point and manual gearbox will increase that number, and find more customers for Volkswagen India in the process.

New colours, special edition to keep Volkswagen Virtus fresh

Apart from saving the 1.5 TSI MT launch for later, Volkswagen will also introduce new special editions to keep the Virtus line up fresh. The first of these will be the ‘GT Edge Limited Collection’ with both manual and automatic gearboxes for the 1.5 TSI. Limited in volume, the special edition models will get exclusive ‘Deep Black Pearl’ paint. Meanwhile, all variants of the Volkswagen Virtus will also get a new ‘Lava Blue’ paint shade – previously offered on the Tiguan as well as several Skoda models, including one recent introduction On Slavia and Kushak.

Volkswagen has launched several special editions of its models in the past, such as polo And vento, So that they can breathe some life in the face of new competition. However, they were towards the end of their life cycle, which was already far longer than that of global markets. The late introduction of the VW Virtus GT Edge Limited collection, as well as the 1.5 TSI MT, appear to be similar introductions, as there will be no further mechanical updates. The VW Virtus and Tigun in their current form won’t get any new engines, gearboxes, hybrid or EV variants, and with the recent resurgence of the midsize sedan segment with the all-new Verna and facelifted City (not to mention the huge popularity of ) midsize SUV segment), it is updates like these that will help keep these models fresh and relevant for years to come.

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