Volkswagen Virtus GT plus: In an S.U.V.- and crossover-crazed market, they are so yesterday. But the Volkswagen Virtus GT Plus is here to upend that impression.
It’s a recipe designed for those who want to experience loads of fun behind the wheel while still being able to use the car in their daily lives, and the Virtus GT Plus is the spruced-up version of the more pedestrian Virtus for the performance-minded driver who can appreciate a highly engaging driving experience.
“Designed for driving enthusiasts who still enjoy the experience of piloting a low-slung car with a turbocharged heart, the Virtus GT Plus is not like most of the midsize sedans in the market as it delivers power, style, and European build quality into a fine dynamic concoction of sorts.
Edgy In the Best Way
The Virtus standard car certainly has its merits but the GT Plus model steps up the wow factor in terms of visual drama.
The front grille features GT badging, blacked-out accents, and smoked out LED headlamps.
It sits on bigger 16-inch black alloy wheels and the red brake calipers offer a small clue to the car’s sporty intentions.
Further exterior highlights include a gloss black roof, contrast-colored ORVMs, and a boot-mounted lip spoiler.
The design, though sporty, never appears to try too hard. It’s elegant but purposeful — a look that should entice those who are after more character from their daily driver.
Sporty-Driver-Centric Interior With Luxury Appointments
Its interior too is sports-focused with flashes of red, GT trim on the upholstery and brushed metal parts adding style. The seats have excellent bolstering, which is much appreciated for hard driving.
The cabin seems solid and well screwed together, as you would expect from Volkswagen, with its reputation for great build quality.
Analog gauges are slim but handsome, and the 10-inch touchscreen infotainment screen is mounted in the center of the dashboard and runs wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
There’s also a full-digital 8-inch instrument cluster that’s clean and easy to read. In its top-end avatar, it gets features such as a sunroof, wireless charging, ambient lighting, ventilated seats and auto climate control as standard.
There is good room in the rear seat and 521 litres of boot space is plenty for weekends away.
It is clearly a driver’s car, but it doesn’t sacrifice much in the way of practicality either.
Performance That Will Indeed Please Enthusiasts
Powering the Virtus GT Plus is the main highlight, its 1.5-litre TSI EVO turbo-petrol engine, which makes 150 PS and 250 Nm.
This engine comes mated to 7-speed DSG automatic transmission only with lightning quick gear shifts and smooth power delivery.
Combine that and the Virtos GT is one of the fastest cars in its class. 0-100km/h is achieved in just under 9 seconds and overtaking is easy.
The car is rock-solid at speed, the steering is sharp and accurate, and it communicates so much that trust through a corner is never an issue.
But what makes this engine special is the Active Cylinder Technology (ACT) that cuts out two cylinders under light cruising to save fuel. So you have performance when you want it, and efficiency while commuting.
Safety and Handling
Equipped with six airbags, Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Hill Hold Assist, TPMS, and ABS with EBD, Volkswagen has pulled off all such safety provisions on the Virtus GT Plus.
The platform itself feels quite solid, and crash test scores from other models based on the same platform (like the Taigun) are confidence inspiring.
It also handles very well. The suspension is tight without being harsh.
It keeps the car flat even at higher speeds or aggressive lane changes and is among the best-handling sedans for under ₹20 lakh.
Pros:
Efficient and torquey 1.5L turbo DSG engine combination
Excellent drive and good handling
High-quality interior takes cues from the GT
Feature-packed with sunroof and ventilated seats
Good with cylinder deactivation tech
Cons:
No manual setting for the fun-to-drive crowd
Rough ride on bad roads
Not the segment’s roomiest back seat
Doesn’t come with driver aids as some competitors have
Slight turbo lag at low RPMs
Volkswagen Virtus GT plus: Final Verdict
And the Volkswagen Virtus GT Plus isn’t just any other sedan — it’s a driver’s car the way driver’s cars should be. It’s polished for the daily commute, breezy for the weekend getaway, snappy enough to make heads turn.
So if you’re after a combination of performance and premium feel and heaps of tech the Virtus GT Plus is one of the best of the currently available midsize sedan offerings.