Volkswagen's India-specific compact-sedan to be called Ameo

Volkswagen has christened its new compact-sedan, the Ameo - the name is apparently derived from the latin word 'Amo', meaning 'I love'!

Volkswagen’s India-specific compact-sedan will be called the Ameo, confirmed the manufacturer through an official teaser. The Ameo will debut at the upcoming Delhi Auto Expo in February, 2016. The sub-4 meter sedan will slot in between the Polo hatchback and Vento sedan in the manufacturer’s model line-up in India.

While details are sparse at the moment, the Volkswagen Ameo is going to be built around the same PQ25 platform that underpins the Polo and Vento among other cars in the VW group. Engine options are likely to be the same as offered in the Polo. This means there will be 3 engines to choose from, initially, including a 1.2-litre 4-cylinder turbocharged petrol (TSI & DSG automatic), a 1.2-litre 3-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol (manual) and a 1.5-litre 4-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine (manual).

The Volkswagen Ameo will be built at the company’s production facility in Chakan, Pune. VW Group has made a further investment of Rs 720 crore for the production of the compact-sedan in India. The investment is mainly spent towards setting up new equipment and ramping up the production of the forthcoming compact sedan, says Volkswagen India.

As per reports, production of the Volkswagen Ameo has already commenced and it is expected to go on sale sometime during the first quarter of 2016. When launched, the Volkswagen Ameo will have its work cut out since it will be competing against some established names such as the Maruti Suzuki DZire, Honda Amaze, Hyundai Xcent, Ford Aspire and the Tata Zest in the market. Volkswagen, however, is confident that it will be a “game changer” for the company. Let’s wait for the car’s official unveil to see if it’s really capable of doing that…