Volkswagen rolls out first Ameo

First unit of the Volkswagen Ameo compact-sedan rolls out of the Chakan plant.

After a span of three years in development phase, Volkswagen India has rolled out its first sub 4-metre sedan at the Chakan plant in Pune. This first compact sedan dons Blue Silk colour and is powered by 1.2-litre, 3-cylinder MPI petrol engine. This 'designed in India' sedan was first showcased at the Auto Expo earlier this year and will lock horns with the segment leader Maruti Suzuki Dzire, Honda Amaze and Ford Figo Aspire.

Even though Volkswagen hasn't revealed the Ameo's price, the German manufacturer stated that they have invested Rs 720 crore in the development of the new compact sedan. The total investment by the Wolfsburg-based car maker in India currently is approximately Rs 5,720 crore.

Coming back to the Ameo, Volkswagen has put a lot of emphasis and importance on safety. That's why this compact sedan will come equipped with dual front airbags and anti-lock braking system (ABS) as a standard feature across all the variants. Apart from this, the Ameo also comes with features like cruise control, rain sensing wipers and static cornering lights. The Ameo will be powered by the same 1.2-litre, 3-cylinder MPI petrol and 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder TDI diesel engines that also do duty in its hatchback sibling, the Polo. The Ameo is based on the Polo platform and when it comes to design, there is hardly any difference between the two, apart from the boot of course.

At the event, Andreas Lauermann, President and Managing Director, Volkswagen India Private Limited said, "This day marks an important event in the journey of Volkswagen in India. The Ameo symbolises yet another first as it has been specifically created for Indian customers." He also said that the company has added a third shift to support the extra production volumes. The pre-launch bookings for the Ameo have been open at all Volkswagen showrooms in India for the last two weeks.

Also read: Volkswagen Ameo full variant details