Volkswagen Ameo first look review

Update: Read our Volkswagen Ameo comprehensive first drive review

Volkswagen’s compact sedan, the Ameo, has been a long time coming. This is partly because making a compact sedan, with all its inherent compromises, pushed the German company to the wall. Would the sub-four-metre Indian Compact Sedan (or ICS as it was known then) be too much of a compromise? Would the company have to lower its standards to make such a car, would it be a real VW?  Once the project got the go ahead, engineers admitted that getting a no-compromise VW car ready for the market in a short span of a year was particularly challenging too. They had to make it robust, dynamically up to the mark and this had to be done with a competitive target price in mind.

The Ameo, however, is now finally here and promises to bring a breath of fresh air to the segment. What’s interesting is that compact sub-four-meter sedans continue to dominate sales. An incredible 82 percent of all mid-sized sedans sold today still come from the compact class and from the look of things, the segment is set to grow further still. But can the Ameo steal market share from the current class leaders Maruti and Honda? Maruti’s Dzire currently leads the pack with an average of 20,000 cars sold every month and this is followed by the Honda’s Amaze at a healthy 4,500 or so. But Maruti is continuously upgrading the Dzire, and the Amaze is about to get a major facelift. How well will the Ameo stand up to the competition and what will it be like when not under the arc lights of the motor show?

These and other questions fill my mind as I wait for the Ameo to roll off the trailer. The first glimpse I get is from the front, and slightly to the left. The Polo/Vento-like nose is quite familiar and the abundant metal and chrome garnishing on the nose looks great. I particularly like the new cut line or ledge in the bumper that catches the light superbly and the slight chin and bulging wheel arches work nicely too. It helps to no end that the Polo has always been a really attractive-looking car, and what’s nice is that the looks haven’t faded. The nose still looks super fresh and the now more compact boot looks quite convincing from this angle too. The shoulder line extends back nicely, the beltline is unbroken and the hint of chrome on the door handles brings some much needed bling and sophistication.

VW Ameo comprehensive photo gallery