Volkswagen To Introduce ADAS for Virtus, Taigun

With growing focus on active safety features in cars, Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) has gained more prominence in the Indian passenger vehicle industry. Previously limited to only a handful of premium cars, ADAS has now found its place even in mass market cars. Almost every carmaker today in India has at least one offering that comes with either a Level 1 or Level 2 package.

Volkswagen, which offers Level 2 ADAS in its premium cars including Tiguan R-Line, Golf GTI, and the upcoming Tayron R-Line, is reportedly looking to democratise this technology in the future making it accessible to more affordable models.

According to a report by Carwale, Volkswagen is working on ADAS tech for future versions of Taigun and the Virtus. The German carmaker has charted out a trickle-down approach for ADAS implementation in the Indian market. Volkswagen is currently working on mid-cycle facelifts of Taigun and Virtus which are expected to hit roads next year. However, it isn’t confirmed if these facelifted iterations will feature the new ADAS technology.

Skoda, who currently leads the Škoda Auto Volkswagen India Private Limited (SAVIPL), recently unveiled the facelifted Kushaq and to everyone’s surprise, it skipped on an ADAS tech which was previously expected. Now, ADAS isn’t something that cannot be added to an existing vehicle in a future update. Our assumption is that the technology is still in the works as it needs to be suitable for Indian driving conditions.

Both Volkswagen and Skoda have not revealed a timeline, but we estimate that four of their India 2.0 products will enter a new generation after 2027. We expect learnings from the upcoming ADAS tech specific to Indian roads will be shared among the two car manufacturers.

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Volkswagen Taigun, Virtus Powertrain

Mechanically, both the updated Taigun and the updated Virtus will continue with the same petrol engine options. The first is a 1.0-litre TSI petrol engine that churns out 114 bhp and 178 Nm of peak torque. A 6-speed manual will be a standard offering whereas the 6-speed torque converter will be replaced by a new 8-speed torque converter automatic gearbox that made its debut in the Skoda Kushaq facelift. 

The second engine option will be a 1.5-litre TSI turbocharged petrol engine that pumps out 148 bhp and 250 Nm. This will be mated to a 7-speed DSG automatic transmission.