Volkswagen’s new Polo-based Virtus sedan: All you need to know

Volkswagen South America is working on an all-new Polo-based Virtus sedan, which will be underpinned by the Polo's MQB A0 platform. The Virtus will be the second model in Volkswagen's portfolio to use the MQB A0 platform after the Polo. The MQB A0 is a flexible platform that has been developed for vehicles ranging from hatchbacks, crossovers and sedans to SUVs. The news about Volkswagen developing a Polo-based sedan came up when a Brazilian journalist Fernando Calmon uploaded a teaser sketch of the new Volkswagen Virtus on Instagram. Pablo Di Si, President and CEO of Volkswagen South America and Brazil also confirmed that the new Virtus will be available in the region from January, 2018.

Going by the image, the new Virtus takes its front design cues from the new Polo, while the rear of the car does have some recall of the Passat. The new Volkswagen Virtus is said to be replacing the Voyage and Polo sedan in the Brazilian market. The new sedan gets a flowing design language and looks more premium than the present Vento. The car will get wider bumpers at the front and rear, while the tail lamps feature a wrap-around design. The Polo-based Virtus also features new alloy wheel design and fog lamps similar to the Passat. According to reports, the new Volkswagen Virtus will have 2,600 mm of wheelbase, which is 36 mm longer than the new Polo and boot space is expected to be 500 litres.

The images of the interior have not yet been revealed but the cabin is expected to feature a dual-LED screen cockpit similar to the new Polo but might get new seat upholstery.

For the South American market, the upcoming sedan is expected to be powered by a 1.6 litre, four-cylinder petrol engine that will deliver 117 hp of power and 162 Nm of torque. A 1.0 litre, three-cylinder, turbo-petrol with 128 hp and 200 Nm of torque will also be available. Both the engines are expected to be paired to a five-speed and six-speed automatic transmissions.

Also Read: Volkswagen to develop electric buses and trucks as part of $1.7 billion technology investment

Volkswagen India presently doesn't seem to have any plans to launch the Polo-based Virtus sedan in India but it will launch the new Polo hatchback as well as a new sedan that will be based on the new Eco platform in the country. The new low-cost Eco platform is being developed by Skoda for the Volkswagen Group that is based on the MQB platform. The new low-cost platform will be used by both the brands on their vehicles in emerging markets such as India in order to provide Volkswagen Group with higher cost-competitiveness.

Image Source: Instagram