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The cabin cocoons you nicely from the outside world
Just like the exterior, even the interior of the Volkswagen Ameo feels nicely built. The driving position is spot on and the seats are quite good. The ORVMs could’ve been slightly bigger though. The touchscreen infotainment system is good when it comes to connectivity and fluidity of the screen. It always connected to my iPhone in a jiffy. The sound quality from the speakers isn’t particularly eargasmic but play around with the equalizer settings and you’re bound to reach a setting that’ll suit your taste. The speakers throw out good enough sound at moderate volume but turn up the knob and you’ll hear some distortion. You get other goodies like automatic climate control, electrically folding and adjustable mirrors and a nice armrest at the front which is thankfully adjustable.
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The reverse camera is crisp and offers a clear view
Apart from the limited rear-seat space, the cabin of the Ameo feels well built & has a good amount of features on offer
Now the Ameo misses out on some vital equipment. Our test car didn’t have seat-belt reminders even for the driver while other features like keyless go with push-button start and projector headlamps are missing. I don’t really mind turning the key to start the car so never thought much about the start/stop button but I guess better illuminating headlamps would’ve been welcome. The Ameo gets standard halogen headlamps and fog lamps and they do light up the road pretty decently. For our driving conditions, the Ameo’s size feels perfect because the car is so easy to manoeuvre in tight spaces and the DSG just makes it a joy.
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This diesel engine + DSG combo is tough to beat
Talking about the DSG, well this is the best automatic gearbox available in the compact sedan segment and that combined with the 1.5-litre TDI engine is a sure-shot combination that no one will hate. The diesel engine, though noisy, has oodles of power and torque and never ever feels breathless. Start up the car and it’ll make some diesel clatter but slot the gear selector to D and get going, you’ll realise how responsive and easy to drive the car is. The DSG upshifts quite early which means you’re already in D6 at 60 km/hr and this results in excellent fuel economy too. Some turbo lag from the engine is felt lower down but the torque wave in the mid-range is very satisfying.
