Volkswagen Ameo first look review

VW’s new Ameo is a compact sedan that has specifically been re-engineered for India. We take a close look at what it has on offer.

Published on Feb 24, 2016 01:39:00 PM

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Seatback flips for more luggage.

Walk over to the side though and the rear looks quite abrupt or chopped. Volkswagen has used the shorter 2456mm wheelbase of the Polo rather than that of the longer 2552mm Vento, but even that hasn’t allowed for much of a boot. And the roofline looks a bit constrained rather than free-flowing.

Volkswagen’s designers have tried to make the best of a difficult situation. There’s an attractive-looking mini spoiler incorporated in the boot lid, a nice play of surfaces is used to try and break up the tall mass at the rear, and the all-new tail-lights that pop out are attractive in their own right. Still, there’s no hiding from the fact that the Honda Amaze and Tata Zest look much more balanced.

While wheels on this car are oversized, the production car will get 15-inch alloys.

The top-spec variant of the compact sedan will also get more appropriate 15-inch wheels, the ones on this car look oversized. And boot space is a decent 330 litres, sufficient for two large bags and a couple of small ones. It isn’t the car with the most space though; the Honda Amaze and Hyundai Xcent have much larger boots that measure 400 and 407 litres, respectively. However, boot space on the Ameo can be augmented by flipping the rear seat down, something this segment lacks.

Where the Ameo looks to win over customers is from the front seat. The dash is similar to the Polo and the Ameo gets VW’s brilliantly finished steering wheel, gear lever and door pads. And other bits like the beautifully designed instrument panel and the ‘metal’-lined central console look fantastic in relation to what is currently available on other cars in this class. What VW is also banking on is giving customers a bit more in terms of features. All versions will get dual front airbags and anti-lock brakes as standard. And other first-in-segment features include cruise control, rain-sensing wipers, static cornering lights and a touchscreen with Mirrorlink that can replicate your phone’s screen. VW also says that Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are on the way. And higher versions will get automatic climate control, a rear air-con vent, a rear parking camera, electronically adjustable rear view mirrors, steering adjust for both rake and reach and even a cooled glovebox.