Why I cancelled the Tiguan booking & got the VW Virtus GT Plus

I had almost decided on buying a Kia Seltos GTX (would have preferred X-Line with its extra features, but the matte finish didn’t appeal to us). I decided to take one final Test Drive of VW Virtus and Taigun.

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VIRTUS GT Plus – An Ownership experience

Need: An automatic car

The hunt: Begins in 2023

I began my car hunt in 2023. Special thanks to all in Team-BHP for their feedback about their respective cars. Special shout out to the Official reviews which detailed the positives and negatives of the various cars.

I will divide my review into 4 parts:

• The Hunt
• The Buying Experience
• The Service Experience
• The Driving Experience

The Hunt:

Some of the cars that I considered during my search:

Hyundai Tucson:

Positives:

• Premium SUV which looks and feels its price
• Loved the looks esp. the DRLs which look like wings
• Feature-rich – typical of HYUNDAI
• Loved the diffused AC – very powerful AC
• Mr. Mukesh, Sales Advisor - Hyundai, Bhandup, Mumbai – very knowledgeable – maintained regular follow-up, excellent service

Negatives:

• Felt over-priced, particularly when it didn’t set the market on fire. Would have probably purchased it if I had got a great deal.
• With the launch of the face-lifted KIA SELTOS, the TUCSON didn’t seem that attractive anymore esp. due to its pricing.
• Too much body-roll in the rear seat
• Bose Stereo – very ordinary – poor acoustics and volume in the rear

Hyundai Verna:

Positives:

• Feature-rich – typical of HYUNDAI
• Loved the dashboard layout
• Good AC
• Liked the design

Negatives:

• Driving dynamics were uninspiring
• Futuristic looks may look outdated after some years
• Low ground clearance

Kia Seltos (face-lift 2023):

This is the ONE car that ticked all the right boxes for me.

Positives:

• Looks of the Face-lift version of 2023 are very enticing. Very good design language.
• Loved the connected DRLs in the front and the connected rear tail lights
• Loved the dashboard layout
• 360-degrees camera with blind-spot monitoring in the MID is extremely useful
• Rear-view / parking camera – excellent clarity with guide-lines
• Powerful AC – very effective.
• Premium interiors
• Feature-rich car – esp. the GTX Plus and VX-Line
• Most of the features of ADAS 2 are very useful
• Sales Advisor maintained regular follow-ups.

Negatives:

• Driving dynamics were uninspiring
• Safety rating not available.

Tata Nexon EV:

Enjoyed the test drive. The facelift Nexon EV looks smart and is feature-loaded with a very good stereo. But the seating position in the rear is uncomfortable with the raised knees because of the battery pack under the floorboard (I experienced this in other EVs also).

The Buying Experience:

I took a Test Drive of Volkswagen’s Virtus and Taigun and Skoda’s Kushaq in June 2023. While the 5-star safety ratings inspired confidence, the various videos on YouTube and posts/ reviews about poor AC Performance, rattling sounds, poor plastics, and lack of features were disheartening. Since I already owned Indian, Japanese, and Korean cars in the past, my heart was yearning for a German/ Czech or US make this time. Sadly, Jeep had stopped selling petrol Compass in India. Similarly, Skoda Octavia and Superb were no longer available.

I kept on reading various posts on Team-Bhp about VW Virtus. Similarly, I watched several videos on YouTube of Virtus and Taigun ownership reviews, drag races, etc. Gradually my confidence in VW / Skoda cars increased, but the lack of features was still disappointing.

I had almost decided on buying a Kia Seltos GTX (would have preferred the VX-Line with its extra features, but the matte finish didn’t appeal to us). I decided to take one final Test Drive of VW Virtus and Taigun. The test drive of both cars was fun and brought a smile to my face. Luckily, I could take a test drive of the Kia Seltos GTX DCT immediately thereafter. The drive experience of Kia Seltos was absolutely disappointing. The driving dynamics were so uninspiring to me that I checked and re-checked with the Sales Advisor if there was something wrong with that particular car. With a heavy heart, I dropped the Kia Seltos from my list of top picks.

I decided to postpone my car purchase as buying a car was not urgent for me. I already had two cars. My need was for an automatic car with the increasing traffic snarls in Mumbai. My driving had also reduced and hence, I was not in any hurry. With new car launches expected in 2024 and 2025, I decided to wait it out.

And then I got a mouth-watering offer for VW Tiguan. I took the test drive and I was bowled over. It’s a fantastic car and I enjoyed the Test Drive a lot. I had already read and watched reviews of the Tiguan. I immediately booked the Tiguan, though I knew that the current model was at the end of its phase of life and globally the facelift version was already launched and is expected in India by 2025. I went ahead with other aspects about buying the car – Finance, Insurance, etc. Suddenly it struck me to check if the car was E20 fuel-compliant. I checked with the dealer and various websites incl. Team-BHP Forum. But the Tiguan is only E10 fuel compliant. With the Government having already postponed the timelines for introducing E20 Fuel nationwide by 2025, I felt that it was too much of a risk. Again with a very heavy heart, I decided not to go ahead with the Tiguan.

Enter VW Virtus GT Plus – 1.5L TSI DSG (Reflex Silver).

I immediately went ahead with the purchase of the latest VW Virtus GT Plus (MY 2024 – with electric seats, footwell illumination, sub-woofer, and amplifier). I took the delivery of the car from AUTOBAHN – ANDHERI WEST, MUMBAI in January 2024. Huge thanks to Mr. Abhijeet Mhaskar of Autobahn, Andheri (WEST), Mumbai for his efficient, helpful, and courteous service. Besides the standard accessories, I added VW Puddle Lamps (they look really smart in the dark).

Here’s my ownership review of the VW’s Virtus GT Plus 1.5L TSI DSG:

Positives:

• Engine: Excellent engine, very refined with a good NVH.
• Build Quality: Solid – decent thud. The door is not as solid as Tiguan or Audi Q3.
• Paint Quality: Very even, smooth finish
• Audio Quality: The sub-woofer and amp have enhanced the sound quality. The rear speakers are still not as good as the front.
• Ride Quality: Sporty ride quality due to stiff suspension.
• Five-Star safety ratings: Peace of mind.

Negatives:

• Rattling noise in both front doors: Probably due to improper installation of the Puddle Lamps – fixed during the Swagat service (first).
• Light switches: Flimsy, to say the least. Definitely not German standards.
• Rear-view camera: Extremely disappointing. Probably the worst in the market – no clarity. No Guidelines at this price point!! Really, VW?
• Boot: Swings up and down, doesn’t stay upright when opened, and likely to hurt our head. Fixed during the Swagat service (first).
• Touch controls for AC: Scary to adjust while driving. For all the claims of safety, this is one feature that beckons an accident.
• Footwell illumination: Very dim – almost non-existent

The following features missing in a car at this price point are unfathomable

• No Auto-hold: Extremely useful and a much-needed feature in traffic of any major city.
• 360 degree camera with blind-view monitor in the cockpit: Extremely useful and a much-needed feature in traffic of any major city.
• Ambient Light: Not extended throughout the dashboard and both front doors. The competition offers all of the above and much more.
• Rear window blinds: Purchased Magnetic blinds from the dealer as one of the “must have” accessories. Should have been included as a standard accessory at this price point. And why not a pull-up blind like in KIA SELTOS?
• No dual zone AC
• No active TPMS
• No Heads-up display
• No rear disc brakes

The Service Experience:

Got my first “SWAGAT” Service done recently. The car was picked up by the Service Centre and returned in the evening. The issue of the rattling sound in the RHS door and swinging dicky door was attended to.

A week later I had to visit the Service Centre again because of a rattling sound in the LHS Door, again because of the improper fixing of the puddle lamp. Got an under-bonnet dampener installed (cost Rs. 800 plus taxes). Also, got the under-body and silencer coating done.

Overall, the Service experience at VW Ram Mandir Service Centre, Mumbai has been excellent. The staff are very cooperative, courteous, and friendly and maintain regular follow-up.

The Drive Experience:

It is here that the Virtus GT Plus 1.5 TSI really shows its breed. The drive is smooth and planted. The NVH in the cabin is fabulous. The car begs to be driven hard and fast as it shows how stable it is even at high speeds. While it is undoubtedly exciting to drive it fast, it is equally pleasing to drive it at an even speed of 70 KMPH and experience how smooth the drive is. The high ground clearance ensures that speed-breakers are no longer a worry.

Closing remarks: While I still look longingly at a Tiguan and admire the tech features of the Kia Seltos, I enjoy the drive experience of the VW Virtus GT Plus and look for excuses to take it out on a spin. That truly brings a smile to my face.

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