Volkswagen Virtus 1.5 TSI GT long term review, 6,000km report

For me, the Volkswagen Virtus GT is fast proving to be the total package. It’s more powerful than I’ll ever need a daily driver to be, it handles like a champ and also rides pretty well. It looks amazing too (the colour helps), and it’s got a super interior that has – with a 100 percent strike rate – gotten vocal praise from everyone who’s ever sat in it. It’s mostly the red ambient lighting on the dashboard that gets them. And I just love that it’s a low-slung sedan; in fact, I’d love if it was a bit lower still. Maybe a bit of aftermarket suspension work? It worked wonders on our old Skoda Laura RS long termer back in the day, but perhaps I’m getting ahead of myself.

Getting the fuel economy into double digits calls for extreme patience and care.

In my opening report, I did mention a few things I wasn’t too happy with – notably the at-times-clunky DSG gearbox and meagre fuel economy. And while I can’t do much about the former, I have been exercising extreme restraint while driving to try and improve the latter. It takes a lot of controlled breathing, real-time introspection and soothing music to achieve the zen-like state needed to drive efficiently in Mumbai’s rush-hour traffic. Especially when you know that 150 turbocharged horsepower is just sitting there, primed and so very easy to deploy.

Flat-bottom steering wheel a delight to hold and also houses lots of key controls.

With these enlightened practices in effect, and an acceptance that I will never reach anywhere in a hurry, this past month I’ve managed to bring the fuel economy up from the mid 7s to almost 10kpl. I was so happy, I posted it on social media, only to be met with felicitations from fellow Virtus users for my achievement. It felt good, and will only feel better once my next credit card bill comes in.

Red ambient light and dash trim display GT’s sporty intent.

This, however, is a massive drag, as you can probably imagine. Who in their right mind would buy the sporty version of a car with the more powerful engine, only to drive it like this? Well, for that reason alone, I’ve been making time to drive, no, to enjoy the Virtus GT on the weekends, and especially at night.

Touch slider climate controls infuriatingly hard to use on the move.

Unclogged, Mumbai’s streets actually make for quite a fun and diverse road course. Winding, characterful, and rewarding to master in a fun car; you wouldn’t want a straight, six-lane race track with no elevation changes, would you? So yes, for every five days spent eking every last kilometre out of a fun car, it’s important to reward yourself with a night on the town. Now to go research springs and dampers.