While I liked the GT, the reviews about DSG issues and the fact that 80% of my driving was going to be in city traffic, I decided to go with the 1.0 AT Topline.
BHPian maverick81 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.
A month with Maverick (Virtus 1.0 AT)
My search for a car started a few months ago. My family was keen on a 7-seater SUV but deep down I wanted a sedan. After TDing the Slavia 1.0 and 1.5, Honda City, and the XUV700, we booked the XUV. I wasn’t fully convinced but gave in as the family found the ride quite comfortable and the car was spacious. After reading through the TeamBHP blog on the XUV 700 and the experiences shared by owners, I decided to cancel the booking (in any case wasn’t keen on waiting for 6-7 months to get the vehicle).
Looked for sedans in the market within the 20L range and the only one that I had not tried out was the Virtus. I called up KUN Motors in JP Nagar and booked a TD. Over the weekend, I test drove both the 1.0 and 1.5 versions. To my surprise, the cabin felt a lot better than the Slavia that I had previously been in.
While I liked the GT, the reviews about DSG issues and the fact that 80% of my drive was going to be in Bangalore’s infamous bumper-to-bumper traffic, I decided to go with the 1.0 AT Topline. Picked the lava blue colour (the other two colours I liked were white and cherry red)
Contacted multiple VW dealers and got the best price from PPS Motors Richmond Road. The booking process was seamless and the car was ready within a week. The delivery experience although wasn’t great. I later found out that PPS Motors had opened a new showroom in Lalbagh that was probably getting all the attention.
Anyway, took delivery of the vehicle on 25th Aug. Made a couple of trips to Mysore and Krishnagiri. The first 1k inspection (Swagath) is complete as well. Got that done from KUN Motors.
Here are a few impressions from the first month of ownership:
- The driving experience: when you look for reasons to take it out for a spin, it speaks volumes about the drive quality. The suspension is good and the ride quality is great. It took a bit of time to get used to the Auto start-stop function and the braking. But once you get a hang of it, it’s pretty smooth. The AC does feel a bit underpowered and needs to be set a few notches lower than we would in some of the other cars.
- Simple yet elegant design: the exterior is neatly crafted with the right design elements and the interior cabin feels premium and comfortable. Love the neat dashboard and integrated infotainment. Not a big fan of the ones that are protruding like the one in the Slavia. The infotainment in the Virtus works well. Had a few issues with Apple car play as it kept disconnecting. Noticed that happened mainly when I would halt during a drive and step out of the car with my phone without switching off the ignition. On returning to the car apple CarPlay would just not work and I would then have to disconnect the device and pair it over again. This stopped once I took care of the conditions listed above.
- During the first Swagat inspection, I asked the service center to look for any issues with the front left wheel as it would often give a pressure warning on the dash. Sure enough, they found a big nail right in the middle of the tire. So while the pressure warning system is good, TPMS should have been included.
Overall, I am quite happy with the performance and experience so far. Have a long trip to Kerala planned in Oct. Looking forward to happier miles and memories!
Sharing a few pics of Maverick
Keyword: Cancelled my XUV700 booking and bought a VW Virtus: Initial impressions