India-made Virtus gets 5-star safety rating in Latin NCAP crash test

The new Virtus manufactured by Volkswagen India has obtained a five-star NCAP rating for safety. The vehicle was made in India for the Latin American market and was tested in the latest round of Latin NCAP.

The mid-size sedan, which is completely manufactured in India and exported to Latin American countries, has been given many safety features as standard.

The base variant of the Virtus was subjected to the NCAP test by the manufacturer. It was the first crash test of Volkswagen's midsize sedan and the vehicle passed the test with 92% safety for senior passengers. It scored 36.94 points out of a total of 40 points.

The vehicle also ensured 92% safety for children, scoring 45 points in this category. Volkswagen's sedan managed to get a 53% rating in terms of safety for pedestrians as well, scoring 25.48 points out of 48. The Virtus achieved the same safety rating as Volkswagen's other vehicles in terms of safety-related systems. The vehicle got 36.54 out of 43 points after passing 85% of the tests.

With the car getting huge ratings abroad, discussions have started about Indian variants as well. The Virtus base variant in India gets only two airbags as standard. At the same time, six airbags were available in the Mexican model. Moreover, the left-hand drive Virtus had several other features, including autonomous emergency braking.

Visually, the Indian model has differences, including the headlamps. The Indian model gets 16-inch alloy wheels while the Mexican model gets 17-inch wheels.

Experts say that because the vehicle manufactured in India and exported abroad has been able to ensure better safety, the vehicle will also ensure safety on Indian roads. Since it is based on the MQB platform of the Volkswagen Tiguan and Skoda Kushaq, the Virtus is almost certain to excel in the safety department.