By launching Virtus in the Indian market, VW ended up pitting it against the Skoda Slavia. Comparison is bound to happen and in this review, we take a detailed look at both cars to tell you why buying the VW Virtus is a better option than going for its Czech counterpart.
The design of the Virtus seems much more vibrant, and premium and has more character lines in the way it has been designed. Both Dynamic and GT Line are done just right in terms of visual appeal and the way the variation has been done. The interiors of both cars are similar in terms of quality, space and boot space as both of them are generous in their class. We like the Virtus cabin as it feels better designed and the central screen mounting along with a better dashboard and layout of buttons feels more special and well thought off.
Driving the Slavia and Virtus is a surprise this time around. Like the Taigun and Kushaq, the former is more comfortable and the latter is a bit sportier. The sedan twins ride identically. Driving them back to back made us realize that there is nothing that separates them apart. A reason why our story focuses more on other aspects and this is not a full-blown comparison. This is a question we get more often and hence we thought let us do a story on the same.
The fantastic ride quality, more than ample ground clearance, the flat behaviour despite extra ground clearance even V-MAX speed are something that the engineers of the cars have us truly impressed. The steering feedback is good, the 1.0 litre can deliver 16 km/l on the highway and the 1.5 can deliver 19 km/l on the highway which is spectacular numbers. In the city, the 1.0 delivered 11 km/l and the 1.5 delivered 14 km/l which are awe-inspiring numbers that the competition such as the Hyundai Verna will find very hard to match.
Virtus GT Plus vs Slavia 1.5 DCT
GT Plus variant of VW Virtus is offered at Rs 17.92 lakh, lower than the Rs 18.39 lakh that Skoda is asking for a 1.5 DCT version of Slavia. This translates into a price difference of Rs 47k and that too when you get no extra feature in Slavia. In fact, VW Virtus GT Plus comes with a dash of sportiness in the form of black alloys, aluminium pedals, sporty upholstery, red ambient lighting, a boot spoiler, and dynamic turn indicators. However, the lack of a 1.5 TSi with a manual gearbox in the VW Virtus is disappointing. The only reason why we would recommend buying that specific variant from Skoda of the Slavia.
Better Value for Money
While the base price of the VW Virtus is slightly higher than the starting trim of the Skoda Slavia, the former offers a far better-equipped car at just Rs 20,000 premium over the latter. Virtus comfort-line is equipped with all LED headlamps, 8 speakers, fog lamps, and 16-inch wheels as a standard equipment part. However, the base Active variant of Skoda Slavia gets 15-inch wheels, halogen headlights, and front speakers and tweeters as standard. Clearly among the two, VW is the better-equipped car and offers better value for the money.
Volkswagen Virtus Vs Skoda Slavia, Verdict
We have always told you that the Volkswagen Virtus has been our choice. Something a group of owners who are reading this, will know that what we told them while making their buying decision stands down to this comparison review as well. Out and out there is no comparison. However, the packaging, the premium-ness of the VW, the styling and the lack of compromise when it comes to infotainment on the VW also strengthens its case. The two lines such as GT and Dynamic both appeal to us over the Slavia. The Slavia lacks the flared aspect despite being a good mechanical package and a true-blue Skoda design. Even with many updates that have happened since launch including price increases and future plans for the VW at least are out are making the VW stand out even more and appealing to a large audience. Clearly, the Volkswagen Virtus is the best sedan you can buy in the market right now and a reason why it won the ThrustZone Awards as well.
