- It will be Volkswagen’s state of the art compact sedan offering after a decade.
- The VW Virtus will be the next-generation sedan that will replace the Vento.
- The Vento may coexist with the upcoming sedan.
First launched in India in 2010, the Volkswagen Vento is more than a generation old but it has some facelifts over the years. Sadly the journey if this iconic VW’s mid size sedan is coming to an end as Volkswagen is going to replace Vento with a new mid size sedan which will be bigger in dimensions than that of current Vento.
With the new looks and bigger dimensions, the next-gen Vento might get the name “Virtus”.Volkswagen has been working on the new MQB A0 platform, which will use in multiple new products of Volkswagen and Skoda.
Recently a test mule of the VW Virtus, has been spied in Pune. The spied left-hand drive model was seen with minimum camouflage.The sighting of the Virtus means that Skoda Auto Volkswagen India Pvt Ltd. has started the component testing for its upcoming compact sedans in India.
The current Vento is based on the PQ24 platform while The Virtus is based on the sixth-generation Polo that is sold in international markets and shares the same MQB-A0 platform. This new mid size sedan will use highly localized components of 95 percent, meaning that almost all vehicle components will be made in India. This will also help to reduce the maintenance cost of Volkswagen and Skoda cars.
The vehicles developed in India will meet the same core standards for safety, quality and design that the Volkswagen Group represents worldwide. At the same time, both ŠKODA and Volkswagen will be launching models with their own typical characteristics on the market. All of the planned models will meet the stricter safety and emission targets that will come into force in India in 2020 and beyond, which will even allow them to be exported to other emerging economies.
Like all current VW-Skoda cars, the Volkswagen’s upcoming Vento successor is likely to be the 110PS/175Nm 1.0-litre TSI petrol engine found in the existing Vento. Expect a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed torque converter automatic transmission options while the mid-size SUVs will likely be equipped with a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine.
The new-gen Volkswagen Vento could be offered with features like full LED lighting, a fully-digital ‘Virtual Cockpit’ instrument cluster, ambient lighting along with a larger touchscreen infotainment system with smartphone connectivity and connected-car tech. The safety tech will include multiple airbags, rear parking camera, ABS with EBD, Hill Hold Control and Electronic Stability Program, as well as some new additional safety features.
The upcoming VW sedan will go up against the likes of the new Honda City, Hyundai Verna, Volkswagen Vento, Toyota Yaris and Maruti Suzuki Ciaz.