Launched on June 9, 2022, the second of Volkswagen’s India 2.0 project after the Taigun SUV, the Virtus has clocked sales 61,563 units in the domestic market and 81,243 exports till end-April 2025. In FY2025 it was the best-selling midsize premium sedan in the country and sixth most-exported passenger car.
09 Jun 2025 | 1042 Views | By Ajit Dalvi
Launched on June 9, 2022, the Volkswagen Virtus turns three years old today in the Indian market. Since then, till end-April 2025, as per SIAM wholesales data, this premium midsize sedan has clocked combined domestic market and export sales of 142,806 units. This total comprises 61,563 units in India and ...
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Launched on June 9, 2022, the Volkswagen Virtus turns three years old today in the Indian market. Since then, till end-April 2025, as per SIAM wholesales data, this premium midsize sedan has clocked combined domestic market and export sales of 142,806 units. This total comprises 61,563 units in India and 81,243 units to overseas markets (as the data table below depicts). If one adds the May 2025 numbers (which are yet to be released), combined Virtus domestic and export sales will have gone past 143,000 and closer to 145,000 units.
In a market starved of sedans, and with only the ageing Maruti Ciaz, Honda City and Hyundai Verna for company, the VW Virtus immediately made an impact in its first fiscal year after launch. In FY2023 (with 10 months of sale), with 17,432 units, the Virtus snapped up a 20% market share of the total 86,029 midsize sedans (up 8% YoY: FY2022: 79,381 units) sold to be the third best-selling model after the City (35,038), Verna (19,769) and ahead of the Ciaz (13,610).
FY2024 saw a 21% YoY increase in sales to 21,432 units and the Virtus moving one rank up to No. 2, just behind the Verna (30,017), and ahead of the City (16,925) and Ciaz (10,337). Of the total 78,373 midsize sedans sold in India that fiscal, the Virtus’ share rose to 27 percent.
And in FY2025, with 21,432 units, the Virtus became the best-selling midsize sedan in India accounting for 38% of the overall midsize sedan segment’ sales of 56,328 units. SIAM classifies the Skoda Slavia, the Virtus’ sister model which sold 15,588 units last fiscal, in a separate ‘executive sedan’ category.
The Virtus, the replacement model for the longstanding Vento sedan which had a 12-year run in India, is the second of Volkswagen India’s two new products under the Group’s India 2.0 project, the first being the Taigun midsize SUV which was launched in September 2021.
The Virtus has held onto its own in a declining midsize sedan market and its stellar market performance has to be seen in the perspective of the overall segment feeling the heat of the consumer shift to SUVs. The premium midsize segment has registered year-on-year declines in all three years of the Virtus’ existence: FY2023 (down 00), FY2024 (down 9%) and FY2025 (down 28%)
India’s best-selling premium midsize sedan in FY2025
Developed on the India-specific MQB A0 IN platform and a sister model to the Skoda Slavia, the German-engineered Virtus rolled out with up to 95% localisation levels from the company’s Chakan plant in Pune. The flexibility of the platform enabled the Virtus to be the longest car in the segment (4,561mm), providing ample cabin and boot space (521 litres).
Much like its cousin the Skoda Slavia, the VW Virtus has shaken up the midsize sedan establishment with its blend of space, practicality, tough build, features and strong petrol powertrains. The high-tech TSI engines – a 115hp, 1.0-litre, three-cylinder TSI petrol engine and a 150hp, 1.5-litre, four-cylinder, TSI powertrain – are refined, yet powerful, and with engine stop/start, offer good fuel economy too.
The Autocar India Buyer’s Guide commentary for the Virtus states: “Typical to VW, the Virtus is a solidly built sedan and has great driving dynamics. Combined with a potent set of petrol engines, the Virtus is a fun-to-drive car. It’s comfortable, well-equipped and practical on the inside, and also packs in all necessary safety features. It is, however, on the more expensive side.”
The VW Virtus, which has aced the Global NCAP crash test with a top 5-star rating and hasover 40 safety features, is currently available in 13 variants, with pricing ranging from Rs 13.50 lakh for the base 1.0 Comfortline variant (on-road New Delhi) to Rs 22.43 lakh for the top-end 1.5 GT Sport DCT.
Virtus powers VW India exports
Volkswagen India’s make-in-India export programme has received a strong boost with the Virtus which, over the past 35 months has clocked shipments of 81,243 units to overseas markets and has been the No. 1 export model. In FY2023, with 13,004 units, the Virtus accounted for 68% of the company’s passenger car exports of 19,179 units.
While FY2024 saw a total of 31,478 units exported, FY2025 witnessed the highest fiscal exports of this model to date – 34,640 units – which gave it sixth rank in the Top 10 Passenger Car and Sedan export list (see car export data table below).