This paper presents how virtual prototyping and testing through Fieldscale SENSE can effectively support the product development process of automotive capacitive sensor systems. A capacitive sensor designed by Volkswagen Group Innovation to be placed at the steering wheel of a car, has been used as a case study. It is shown that a combination of electrostatic and static current simulations as well as SPICE analysis supported by the automatic extraction of the equivalent circuit, enable the virtual testing of capacitive sensors according to automotive electronics testing standards.