NO MORE MANUAL TAIGUN OR VIRTUS 1.5L TSI - VOLKSWAGEN INDIA TAKES CONTROVERSIAL DECISION

Volkswagen India has made an important change to its popular car line-up, and it could affect buyers who love driving with a manual gearbox, as the German carmaker has discontinued the manual transmission option for the more powerful 1.5-litre turbo-petrol versions of the Volkswagen Taigun SUV and the Volkswagen Virtus sedan. From now, these higher-performance variants will be sold only with an automatic (AMT) gearbox.

What Has Changed?

Previously, Volkswagen offered two petrol engine choices for the Taigun and Virtus. The smaller 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine came with both manual and automatic options. The larger and more powerful 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine was also available with a manual gearbox on selected variants.

But, now, Volkswagen has removed the 6-speed manual transmission option from all 1.5-litre TSI variants, which means that if you want the bigger, more powerful engine, you must choose the 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission which is commonly called DCT.

Which Variants Will Have Manual Gearbox?

Car buyers who still enjoy gear shifting while driving the car are not completely out of options as the 1.0-litre TSI petrol engine continues to be offered with a 6-speed manual transmission on both the Taigun and Virtus. This engine is known for being efficient and suitable for everyday commutes, but it does not offer the same performance as the larger 1.5-litre unit.

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What About The GT Plus Variants?

The GT Plus variants are more sportier and premium versions of the Taigun and Virtus. While the Virtus GT Plus was initially sold only with an automatic, the brand later introduced a manual option for buyers who wanted more control and driving involvement, but that manual option has now been discontinued. The Taigun GT Plus earlier had both manual and automatic choices with the 1.5-litre engine, but the manual is no more available in this.

Engine Performance

It is important to note that there are no changes to the engine’s performance, as the 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine still produces 148 bhp of power and 250 Nm of torque, which makes it one of the strongest engines in its segment. The automatic gearbox also remains unchanged.

Can You Still Find the Manual Version?

Some Volkswagen dealerships may still have limited stock of the discontinued 1.5-litre manual variants. Interested car buyers should check with their nearest showroom, as availability will depend on leftover inventory.

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2026-01-19T13:16:28Z