Features of Volkswagen Ameo

Volkswagen has rolled out its first India-specific product - the Ameo. This is a compact sedan built to compete in the sub-four-metre sedan segment that has been tailor-made for the Indian car market and Volkswagen is looking at getting its share in the pie as well. Based on the Polo platform, the new compact sedan is being manufactured in the company’s Chakan plant.

Exterior

The front fascia of the Ameo looks exactly like the Polo with the twin slat front grill and the chrome strip at the bottom. The fog lamps are rectangular with chrome accents. As you move on to the sides, you can see the stubby boot added after the rear axle. The boot lid creases remind us of the Skoda Rapid and the Vento-ish tail lamps have a kink on the inner side.

Interior

On the inside, we have the familiar black and beige dashboard from the Polo with the flat-bottom steering wheel. It gets a touch-screen infotainment system for the top-spec car along with rain sensing wipers, cruise control and electrically adjustable and retractable wing mirrors. All four power windows are standard with auto-up and down functions. The driver seat is also height adjustable and the cabin gets AC vents for the rear passengers as well.

On the safety front, the Ameo gets ABS and dual front airbags standard across the variants like all other VW cars in the country.

Engine & Performance

For now, Volkswagen is offering the Ameo with the 1.2 MPI petrol engine only. The three cylinder naturally aspirated petrol engine churns out about 74bhp of power and 110Nm of maximum torque. The engine drives the front wheels through a five-speed manual transmission. The 1.2 TSI turbo-petrol from the Polo GT TSI may also be offered with the Ameo in future. As for the diesel engines, we know that Volkswagen is upgrading their 1.5-litre turbocharged diesel engine that powers the Polo as well as the Vento. The Ameo is expected to be rolled out with the updated 1.5-litre diesel and will certainly churn out more than the 89bhp of power and 230Nm of torque. The Ameo will certainly get the DSG automatic option with the diesel engine along with the standard five-speed manual gearbox.

Mileage

The 1198 cc Petrol - powered variant delivers a fuel economy of 16 kmpl in city and 18 kmpl on highways.