Volkswagen Ameo

Volkswagen is entering the compact sedan segment later this year with the Ameo. This is the first German sedan that is developed purely for the Indian market, to take advantage of the tax regulations here.

In terms of looks, it gets the standard Volkswagen design. In fact, it is exactly the same as the Polo, the car that it is based on. The only difference is the rear with the separate boot, to give it the sedan form. It is done by realigning the C-Pillar, so that the boot fits within four metres. The design is not proportionate, but it is still one of the better cars in terms of looks.

The interior again is similar to the Polo and the Vento. The dashboard gets a black top, while rest of the trim is beige. The Volkswagen Ameo has exactly the same wheelbase as the Polo, so the cabin space inside will be same as well. The space at the front will be sufficient, however, the rear might be a little cramped. VW hasn’t provided the exact size of the boot, but from the looks of it, seems large.

It gets almost all the features from the Vento. There is a touch screen music system, integrated rear camera, rear AC vents, auto-dimming cabin mirror, cooled glovebox, cruise control and rain sensing wipers. All the variants including the base trim will have ABS-EBD and front airbags as standard fitments.

The Ameo will be available in both the petrol and diesel engine options. The petrol version will use the 1.2-litre three-cylinder MPI unit that makes 74bhp and 110Nm. The diesel will get the 1.5-litre four-cylinder mill producing 89bhp and 230Nm of torque. Both these engines will be mated to the five-speed gearbox powering the front wheels. Apart from these two, there will also be a version with seven-speed DSG gearbox, this one is expected to be 110bhp and 250Nm like the Vento.

Volkswagen will launch the Ameo in the second half of 2016. The compact sedan will rival the likes of the Maruti Suzuki Dzire, Hyundai Xcent, Ford Figo Aspire, Honda Amaze and the Tata Zest. The pricing of the sedan is expected to be slightly on the higher side, since the Polo is already an expensive hatchback. The Volkswagen Ameo will be on display at the Auto Expo for public viewing.