[deevee]

Ameo diesel to be launched in August. The same engine to go to Polo and Vento as per this article.

[Vik0728]

Ameo diesel to be launched in August. The same engine to go to Polo and Vento

Plonking this 'Updated' engine into Ameo and adding the almost "Divine" DSG gearbox will be the biggest trump card for VW in the Sub-4m class.

Personally, I think the only car that will be benefited the most will the be the Polo (GT TDI?) which will be the most powerful variant in its class.

Considering the fact that the new Polo is a bit lighter than the old GT TDI, the added power may just make it another Sub-10s 0-100 km/hr oil burner...of course after the current king Figo 1.5 TDCI.

[RavenAvi]

Motoroids's review is out. In a nutshell, sluggish engine + great fuel economy.

Once cranked to life, the traditional shivers from an odd cylinder configuration are well contained, or almost absent, although the engine is vocal and even inside the cabin, one can tell what lies beneath. Shift into first and making steady progress within town is easy. The motor scores high on driveability, as even in 4th gear at speeds of 30 kph it ticks slightly above the 1000 rpm mark and soldiers on without protest. But then it sort of bogs down when you have to make a move on. Unless you’re in the right gear and have dialed in revs beyond the 2k mark, momentum is sluggish.

Out on the highway, the motor calls for frequent downshifts so that the Ameo can carve its way through traffic and you’ll have to back out if you’re caught stuck in the wrong gear. Getting till 100 kph isn’t a sprint and if you wish to look at even bigger numbers on the speedometer, progress beyond the ton is a sluggish affair. If a situation calls for you to come to a standstill on an incline, you’d have to dial in quite a lot of revs and slip the clutch to move further. Which is also when a slight amount of that 3-cylinder shiver raises its ugly head. Engage reverse and you’d have to repeat those actions.

Where this engine shines out though is on the economy front. We gave it a good amount of thrashing all day – drove it through town, made it rev till its 6000 rpm limiter on the highway and drove with a mashed pedal in lower gears through some twisties. By EOD, the onboard computer showed us an average figure of 14.1 kpl. Which in all honesty, even by small capacity petrol engine standards, is a great figure.

Like the Polo, the Ameo too is dynamically sorted and shares the hatchback’s composed road manners. It sits squat on the tarmac and is impressively stable at high speeds. It rides brilliantly through broken sections and dismisses potholes with a firm demeanour. The Ameo glides through uneven dips and crests, where the entire package remains predictable and allows you to carry higher than normal speeds. Enthusiastic driving through bends calls for a little body roll, but then that is a trade off for that ride quality. The steering feels great to hold, is light at city speeds and builds some artificial weight as the going gets fast. The front disc and rear drum setup brings things to a halt in a nicely progressive manner. Thankfully, ABS isn’t a luxury reserved only for the higher variants.

[Sebring]

Leg space looks pretty tight in the picture. The engine isnt highly lauded either. Wonder what's working for the Ameo?

[RavenAvi]

A shot of all 3 Polo-based Volkswagen cars together, courtesy IAB's review of the Ameo 1.2L MPI:

[Rajeevraj]

For Bangalore based folks interested in the Ameo. Ameo is coming to Bangalore this Sunday-19th June. Will be displayed in all the dealerships here as per the website. Also got an SMS from VW Palace Cross inviting to the unveiling at 11 am on Sunday.

[aniketi]

Some are born winners and some are born losers. This is the later one. Sorry but this is just a plane rubbish by VW. Not sure why VW even launched this model. This is going to be flop for sure. Instead of bringing some nice altogether new car, VW is just trying to save money here. No chance. They are just lowering their own brand value in India.

[AmarPaithankar]

I got to see the Ameo at Jai Vijay Motors, Pune and here are my observations:

1) Technically Ameo seems derived from the Polo hatch rather than a shortened version of the Vento
2) As with its other platform sharing versions, Ameo too looks solid, what with its sharp feature lines running across the length of the car.
3) There is a collage of many feature lines on the boot (probably to hide the visual bulk).
4) Boot, though quite well integrated looks likes a perfect geometric shape (rectangle) and so do the tail lights. tail lights also have some triangles along with rectangles.
5) Coming to interiors, rear seat is not spacious with limited leg room.
6) Rear seat cushion is more comfortable than the Amaze or the Xcent.
7) Tata Zest has the most comfortable rear seat among all the compact sedans available in India today.
8)It looks like VW, in order to gain market share is, for the first time "buying market share".

This is all the more evident when one looks at the Ameo's prices. price to feature ratio of Ameo is very healthy but, the 1.2 litre 74bhp under powered petrol engine plays spoilsport.

What is the use of giving features like "cruise control" to a car like the Ameo which is bound to struggle on most overtaking maneuvers?

To me it is just a gadget without much use.

Other "hygiene" factors (for VW) like flawless paint finish, consistent panel gaps, well finished interiors. etc. are carried over to the Ameo as well.

One glaring omission in the trims department is the absence of trim on the inner side of the boot. Looks like VW has finally learnt a thing from ALL the other Indian OEMs who have a CS in their portfolio!!!

[Chetan_Rao]

Two obvious flaws from those pics:

1. Even though the boot hinge doesn't seem to seriously get in the way of storage space, that's more because it overlaps with the seriously intrusive wheel well bumps. That boot doesn't seem like it can take any serious amount of luggage.

2. Rear seat minimum legroom in the last picture is . I don't think even a child could sit behind a fully pushed-back front seat.

Horrible cabin space, below-average luggage space, anemic engine and messed up looks due to CS specs. Where is the USP I'm missing, or there isn't one?

[Doylthippo]

So at the end of the day, Ameo can't eat away the numbers or Polo (Looks department) and also it can't eat away the numbers of Vento (Space department). I am very sure that the rear legroom of Xcent and Amaze is far better than that of Ameo. In fact it can not even think about touching the numbers of Dzire. Is it in No Man's Land now ?

[Vik0728]

Originally Posted by Chetan_Rao

2. Rear seat minimum legroom in the last picture is . I don't think even a child could sit behind a fully pushed-back front seat.

I am not sure if you have actually had an opportunity to sit in a VW Polo Chetan,..Quite literally, that is all the space you get !!

Considering the fact that Ameo's bonnet is slightly (35mm?) shorter than Polo, only to accommodate a bigger boot, the cabin space has not changed a bit, which is not only a bad news but a sad one too in this segment.

And what's more, I have noticed that if one tries to push the front seats on a Polo all the way forward, it fouls/jams into the gearbox & central tunnel

[Chetan_Rao]

Originally Posted by Vik0728

I am not sure if you have actually had an opportunity to sit in a VW Polo Chetan,..Quite literally, that is all the space you get !! .....

Not in the back for any considerable length of time, and never with a giant in the seat ahead of me. Based on what you say (and that pic), I'm probably fortunate because I'd rather walk than sit in there!

[RavenAvi]

The Ameo diesel has been caught on camera on one of it's testing runs by the Thrust Zone team.

Thrust Zone

[shashanka]

To the observation - "......I did resonate with several BHPians who hinted at it being the "Vento Verito Vibe", one could safely add "...Amaze, Xcent, Dzire..." without fear of contradiction! The <4m sedan has now been done to death, and all the Italian design houses put together can't break the mold - unless the design brief itself is changed.

[pramodpk]

I don't know what is the USP of the Ameo.

I think this will cannibalize the sales of the Vento & Polo (which are not great).