Volkswagen has named its Polo based Indian market oriented compact sedan as Ameo. The Volkswagen Ameo will take on the likes of the Maruti DZire and Hyundai Xcent in the crowding sub 4-metre space.
Volkswagen has been testing a compact sedan based on the hatchback Polo on the Indian roads for quite some time now. The German manufacturer has just named the new car which will now be called as the Ameo and it will be showcased at the 2016 Auto Expo. The upcoming car is specially developed for the Indian market and will be produced at the automaker’s plant in Chakan near Pune where the Polo and Vento are currently produced. It will also mark the company’s entry into the compact sedan segment.
The name Ameo has been derived from the Latin word ‘Amo’ which means ‘I Love’ and Volkswagen claims it to be a combination of best-in-class safety features and build quality which will deliver a great driving experience while it expects the car’s design to attract buyers and be a game changer in the segment which currently consists of the Maruti Swift Dzire, Honda Amaze, Tata Zest, Hyundai Xcent and the newly launched Ford Figo Aspire. The new car will sit between the Polo and Vento.
As mentioned earlier, the Volkswagen Ameo is based on the Polo hatchback which is also indicated by the teased image of the compact sedan’s tail lamp that looks similar to that of the company’s entry-level model. The new car is also expected to borrow the engines which include a 1.2-litre three-cylinder MPi petrol motor that produces 75 PS and 110 Nm while the 1.5-litre four-cylinder TDi diesel engine produces 90 PS and 230 Nm of torque, however these figures are produced on the Polo and may vary on the Ameo. These engines are mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox. The 1.2-litre four-cylinder TSI engine seen on the Polo GT can also be used on the Ameo, mated to a 7-speed DSG.
Volkswagen has been in the news in recent times due to the emission scandal which also affected the Indian division of the German automaker. Even after facing huge costs on fines and recalls of the affected vehicles, the company does not seem to be slowing down on its activities with two launches of Tiguan SUV and Passat GTE scheduled along with the Ameo at the 13th edition of the Auto Expo.
