In about a month’s time, Volkswagen will launch a sub-4 metre sedan which it has especially made for the Indian market. Called the Ameo, it was first showcased at the Delhi Auto Expo earlier this year. Beginning May 12, the company is on a 17-city roadshow for the vehicle and has started taking bookings for it.
The Ameo, in all likelihood, will be offered in two engine options—a 1.2-litre, three-cylinder, MPFI petrol and a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder TDI diesel. While the petrol model, mated to a five-speed manual gearbox, develops 74bhp of power and 110Nm of torque, the diesel motor (which will also come with the company’s famed seven-speed DSG automatic gearbox) produces 88bhp power and 230Nm torque. Both these engines are the same that do duty in the Polo as well. Besides engines, the Ameo also shares its platform with the Polo.
In terms of design as well, the Ameo looks identical to the Polo—there is no apparent visual difference between the two until the B-pillar. It’s only the extended boot that makes the sub-4 metre sedan look different than the Polo. Like other cars in this segment—Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire, Honda Amaze, Hyundai Xcent, Ford Figo Aspire and Tata Zest—the Ameo’s rear section, too, appears compromised as far as design is concerned.
Similar to other company cars in India, the Ameo too will get front airbags and ABS (anti-lock braking system) as standard across all trims. The top-end variant is expected to get features such as cruise control, rain-sensing wipers, static cornering lights, leather wrapped steering wheel and gear knob, touchscreen MirrorLink system, automatic climate control, rear AC vents, electrically-adjustable wing mirrors and alloy wheels.
While the pricing would be announced during the launch, we expect it to fall in the range of R5.5 lakh to R10 lakh (ex-showroom prices).
On Friday, Volkswagen also introduced a mobile app for the Ameo. Among other things, it enables customers to explore the features of the car through a 360-degree visualiser. Customers can also pre-book the car using the app.
