You Cannot Buy The Volkswagen Virtus And Taigun With The 1.5-litre Turbo-petrol 6-speed Manual Transmission
The manual gearbox option for the larger 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine was available with the Taigun from 2021, while the Virtus got the same in 2023
In what comes as a surprising move, the Volkswagen Virtus and Taigun have now silently lost out on the option of a manual gearbox with their larger 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine. Unfortunately, Volkswagen has not cited any reason behind this move. To jog your memory, the choice of a manual gearbox with the 1.5-litre unit was introduced in the Virtus in 2023, while the same for the Taigun was available right from its launch in 2021.
If you want the 1.5-litre turbo-petrol manual with both these cars, we would suggest you to get in touch with your closest Volkswagen dealerships before stocks run out.
What’s The Revised Lineup Now?
Both the Virtus and Taigun are now available with a single automatic gearbox choice with their larger 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine. Here’s a look at the updated variant lineup along with their prices:
| Model And Variant |
Price |
| Virtus |
|
| GT Plus Chrome |
Rs 18.80 lakh |
| GT Plus Sport |
Rs 19 lakh |
| Taigun |
|
| GT Plus Chrome |
Rs 18.95 lakh |
| GT Plus Sport |
Rs 19.19 lakh |
With the removal of the manual transmission option, the GT trim of both the sedan and SUV is available in only two variants each.
Details Of The Powertrain
Since both the Virtus and Taigun are based on the same platform (MQB-A0-IN), they share the powertrain options too, the technical specifications of which are as follows:
| Specification |
1-litre Turbo-petrol Engine |
1.5-litre Turbo-petrol Engine |
| Power |
115 PS |
150 PS |
| Torque |
178 Nm |
250 Nm |
| Transmission |
6-speed MT, 6-speed AT* |
7-speed DCT^ |
*AT - torque converter automatic transmission
^DCT - dual-clutch automatic transmission
Prior to the discontinuation, the larger engine was also available with the same 6-speed manual gearbox as offered on the smaller 1-litre turbo-petrol unit.
More About The GT Trims
The GT lineup is inclusive of the sportier variants of both the Volkswagen offerings that have been introduced to cater to the demand of car enthusiasts. You can get it in two versions: GT Sport and GT Chrome. The former comes with darked-out elements for a sportier look, while the latter gets chrome touches for those who like a touch of bling.
A few changes have been made to their interior as well. The GT trim of both the Virtus and Taigun come in an all-black theme with red accents, contrasting red stitching on the steering wheel, and even red ambient lighting.
Features on board include a 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, a single-pane sunroof, ventilated front seats and an 8-speaker sound system with the Virtus (Taigun has a 6-speaker setup). Passenger safety is taken care of by six airbags (as standard), electronic stability control (ESC), a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), and ISOFIX child seat anchorages.
Competitors
The Volkswagen Virtus fights it out with the Hyundai Verna, Skoda Slavia, and Honda City. On the other hand, the Volkswagen Taigun is a rival to the likes of the Kia Seltos, Tata Sierra, Maruti Victoris, Honda Elevate, and Hyundai Creta.