Brazil
The Virtus was introduced in Brazil on 16 November 2017 as a sedan counterpart to the Polo, and slots between the smaller Voyage and the larger Jetta in VW Brazil sedan line-up. It uses the same front fascia as the Polo, including the modifications that were made to the Polo for the South American market such as redesigned bumper. It also features a longer wheelbase which stood at 2651 mm, 103 mm longer than the Polo. The trunk has a capacity of 521 litre, an increase of 200 litre from the Polo.[4][5]
In Brazil, all Virtus versions are sold as flex-fuel vehicles (petrol and ethanol). The base 1.6-litre MSI four-cylinder engine generates 130 PS with petrol and 118 PS with ethanol. The rest of the options are all equipped with the TSI engines, with 1.0-litre (116 PS gasoline, 128 PS ethanol), and 1.4-litre (150 PS with both fuels), the latter only available for the GTS version.
In February 2023, Virtus sold in Brazil received a restyling, which brought updates to the model. The GTS version was discontinued, being replaced by a version called Exclusive which is powered with the 1.4-litre TSI engine (150 PS with both fuels). In addition, the basic versions are powered by the 170 TSI 1.0-litre engine (109 PS gasoline, 116 PS ethanol) which replaced the base 1.6-litre MSI four-cylinder engine. The mid-range versions, Comfortline and Highline retains the 200 TSI 1.0 litre engine, with 1.0-litre (116 PS gasoline, 128 PS ethanol).[4][6]
Argentina
The Virtus was released in Argentina in February 2018 with a sole 1.6-litre MSI engine with 6-speed automatic transmission.[7]
Mexico
In Mexico, the Virtus was launched in August 2019, equipped with a 1.6-litre MSI four-cylinder with 110 PS.[8] During its initial release, the model was imported from Brazil and placed between the Indian-made Vento and the Jetta.
In September 2022, the updated Virtus was released for the 2023 model year. It is imported from India, while the Vento was discontinued. An optional 1.0-litre TSI engine was introduced alongside the older 1.6-litre engine.[9]
India
The Virtus was introduced in India on 8 March 2022 as a replacement to the Vento and the sister model of the Škoda Slavia.[10] It was launched with the facelifted appearance, differentiated with the Polo and with a revised dashboard design. The Indian version is localized with up to 95% of its parts.[11] As with the Taigun, Škoda Kushaq and Škoda Slavia, it uses the MQB A0 IN platform, and will be exported to 25 countries.[12]
Available models are the Dynamic Line with the locally produced three-cylinder 1.0 TSI engine producing 115 PS and Performance Line equipped with the four-cylinder 1.5-liter TSI engine featuring cylinder deactivation technology with 150 PS.[13]
The Virtus GT is the range-topping model which features cosmetic upgrades as compared to the Dynamic line such as dual-tone roof along with sunroof, red accents, red brake calipers and aluminum pedals similar to
China
The vehicle was introduced in June 2023 in China as the Lavida XR, sharing the nameplate with the larger and more advanced Lavida sedan while targeting younger customers. It is mostly identical to the Virtus, with few changes such as different grille pattern, chrome on the air intake on the front bumpers, and dark-tinted tail lights. It is powered by a 1.5-litre MPI engine producing 108 PS and 141 Nm with a 6-speed automatic transmission.[16] It replaced the second-generation Lavida and the Santana.[17]
