[johannskaria]

Saw couple of them on the Express-way yesterday on the way back from Pune.
Was highly camouflaged in Black but the polo tail light resemblance was unmistakable, they were clocking 120-130kmph and looked planted on road in the corners.

[goacom]

Like here in the US, it seems like VW is way behind the curve in India. With this product, they are entering a market that is already saturated, while probably not providing much to the customer in terms of rear space or practicality. I'm not a big fan of SUVs, but this is where the market seems to be headed in India (like the US). For India, a small SUV would be ideal, but VW has no such product available. Its sister company Audi has one, but somehow, VW's German management has totally missed this segment.

[MercFan]

Originally Posted by S2!!!

How's this for a render? Looks very A7, 3GT inspired

Attachment 1443906

For me it just looks like the old TATA Indigo

[volkman10]

Spy shots of the Chinese Next Gen Bora to debut in 2016 for the Chinese market.

Will it have design cues to the Compact Sedan In India? It could, as it differentiates it from the current Vento/Polo.







http://auto.ifeng.com/diezhao/20151211/1050975.shtml

[GTO]

What a bunch of dodos!

Isn't it ironical that the latest launch in the sub-4 meter sedan class will also be the oldest? When was the last time you heard of a new car being the oldest? That's so paradoxical.

The VW Ameo will be just that. It's basically the Vento / Polo...cars that arrived in India way back in 2010. The competition (Dzire, Amaze, Xcent, Zest) are all fresher.

Sad to see the state of affairs at VW India.

[volkman10]

More on the VW Compact sedan .

The brand is moving towards making its image as safe, powerful and highly efficient. Will be premium ( pricing!)when compared to the existing cars in that segment.

The design will be an all-new one and this new sedan will be built on a platform that has been tweaked for Indian road conditions

Volkswagen is likely to introduce the 1.0-litre TSI engine on its new upcoming compact sedan (codenamed as ICS). The new Volkswagen compact sedan will be powered by this engine.

In fact Volkswagen will be utilising this new engine for the next-generation Polo as well. The 1.0-litre turbo engine will be used on the new Polo as well. The other engine that VW has been testing is the 1.4-litre turbo, which will be launched in a lot more power ratings.

The localisation on this new compact sedan will be a lot higher and it will get several new features like daytime running LEDs, touchscreen infotainment system, reverse parking camera/sensors etc.

http://motoroctane.com/news/22954-1-...edan-exclusive

[Rajeevraj]

Sounds good. A nice turbo petrol engine, lots of features and promise of premium build.

I hope they realize that all this will not give it any significant volume, but will remain a niche product for a small subset of customers. Much like the GT TSI.

[alpha1]

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

Sounds good. A nice turbo petrol engine, lots of features and promise of premium build.

I hope they realize that all this will not give it any significant volume, but will remain a niche product for a small subset of customers. Much like the GT TSI.

Yes, and the flip-side is that a business needs scale to run efficiently and (therefore) profitably.

If VW is only interested in being a niche player in premium market dishing out the likes of GT-TSI etc, then it need not be a multi billion company paying millions as salaries to the CXOs and Directors.

Even a small garage/workshop worth perhaps a million or ten can also churn out such "performance" niche vehicles (and typically way better than TSI).

[GTO]

Thanks to Ankit Birdi for sharing this pic!

I would like to share a pic of the new sub 4m Vento that I saw yesterday on NH 4 near Pune. There were 3 testing cars and I could hardly keep up with them, as they were driving above 120 kph.

[RSR]

Thanks to Ankit Birdi & GTO for the sharing the spy photo!

I guess the spy photo has dashed whatever little hope folks had of the Polo-based ICS being a lovely notchback on the lines of the Peugeot 309, Škoda Octavia/Laura and Hyundai Accent Viva. This looks like another routine compact sedan - a Vento with its boot partially chopped off (and featuring a very slim rear bumper) to make it duck under the 4m mark!

Since the Polo hatchback itself is quite close to the 4m mark, I think VW must have also shortened the bonnet a bit. The 1.0 TSI looks interesting - it's a far better option than the 1.2 NA three pot motor on the current Polo.

[Chetan_Rao]

That car can't dive sub-4m with just a boot job, given how close Polo is to the mark without a boot. Wafer thin bumpers and a hood nip & tuck, surely?

From a customer's perspective, why would one want to buy an expensive ugly CS from VW (they don't do cheap, do they?) with their horrendous rep, when one can have their choice from a plethora of reliable options already?

The only good bit seems to be the rumored 1.0 TSi, which I'd be glad to see added to the Polo replacing the atrocious 1.2 MPI, but they'll probably hike the prices there too.

[praveen_v]

The polo is already cramped for space inside, especially the rear bench. It is a safe bet to assume that interiors are going to get cramped a bit more worst case or going to remain the same as polo best case. Anyone looking for better space has to go only for the vento.

[GTO]

I agree, guys. Am seriously unable to understand the purpose of this hack job.

1. VW cars have always been good looking in India. From the timeless Polo & Vento to the elegant Jetta & Passat. It'll be a miracle if VW manages to make the compact Vento proportionate. Odds are very low. I also think this jugaad will take some brand value away.

2. The Polo has a healthy 280 L boot. Now, if the sub-4 meter Vento comes up with a 350L boot, what's the point? If I really need the boot, I'll buy the heavily discounted Rapid (if the dealer doesn't run away with my deposit ) or Vento. If I'm okay with a smaller but usable boot, I'll get the Polo.

The sub-4 meter Vento might just end up in no man's land. If VW thinks it's going to fight the Dzire, Amaze, Xcent & Aspire with this old car, it's time for them to come out of dreamland.

[hybridpetrol]

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

Sounds good. A nice turbo petrol engine, lots of features and promise of premium build.

I hope they realize that all this will not give it any significant volume, but will remain a niche product for a small subset of customers. Much like the GT TSI.

Rightly said.
Compact Sedans sold here are mostly entry level, with features less than or equal to what are offered in their hatchback counterparts. Premium hatchbacks at equal price makes more sense than these Compact Sedans, if you take the case of Elite i20 against the Xcent or the Baleno against the Dzire.
If it is much more premium, then the pricing would probably equal to or more than the Polo. Any case, if the pricing is attractive, it would end up cannibalizing Polo and Vento.

[Vid6639]

Originally Posted by GTO

The sub-4 meter Vento might just end up in no man's land. If VW thinks it's going to fight the Dzire, Amaze, Xcent & Aspire with this old car, it's time for them to come out of dreamland.

Which is why I mentioned very early on that VW should think outside the box and get a notchback rather than a compact sedan.

A larger polo with a notchback opening like the old Accent Viva. Would really bring some freshness in this segment and might do enough to differentiate itself.