Volkswagen Virtus, a saloon you will only find in South America

Many brands focus on creating specific models designed for a particular region, that meet the expectations of potential customers in those markets. There are many concrete examples of this strategy, for instance in the Chinese market and that of South American countries, which have different needs. Volkswagen has just announced the launch of the Virtus, a small saloon that is essentially a version of the Polo, with other elements that give it a fresh look.

Aesthetically, the front end reminds us of the Polo, while the rear takes us back to the Jetta, with a slightly different style. This is a design that will not reach the international market, but will remain limited to countries such as Brazil, where it has been launched initially. Its natural rivals in that market will be models such as the Honda City, Toyota Yaris Sedan, Fiat Cronos and the Chevrolet Prisma, other models we don’t see on our streets.

The platform this model is built on is the same as the Polo’s, the MQB-A0, which suggests it should be available with the same engine range as that well-known model, although in principle it has only been launched with a 1.0-litre three-cylinder TSI petrol engine that can also run on ethanol. In this case it offers an output of 128 CV, whereas when running on petrol, this drops to 115 CV. Peak torque stays at 199 Nm in both cases, which allows a 0-100 km/h acceleration of 9.9 seconds and a top speed of 194 km/h.

Inside, there is a 10.25-inch screen for the instrument cluster and another 8-inch unit for the infotainment system, with connectivity thanks to Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and MirrorLink. Models of this kind usually complement brands’ offerings in a market that looks for different things than those sought in Europe, which is why they often appear at the same time as the ones we can find here. What do you think of this Volkswagen Virtus?