Volkswagen India joins the sub 4-metre sedan race with its latest entrant Ameo

The German Automaker Volkswagen created decent buzz during the Delhi Auto Expo 2016. Among other show casings, the Ameo debut was important to VW, as this is a specifically designed sub 4-metre compact sedan for India. Three months on to this day, Volkswagen has successfully rolled out the first production ready model from its Chakan manufacturing facility near Pune. This plant can manufacture an impressive figure of 150 Ameo's per day.

Globally the VW sales were hit hard due to the emission scandal, and its operations in India also suffered, with a big dip in sales figures. In its efforts to reassure the Indian consumers, the Volkswagen group has toiled hard in developing this compact sedan at a cost of 720 crores and has achieved a localisation of 82 percent including the 1.5-litre diesel engine that is manufactured here.

Pinning his hopes on this car to turn the fortunes for the VW group, the company's Managing Director Mr Andreas Lauermann quoted,

“We are focussing on India. This is a priority market for Ameo. We feel that Ameo would increase the sales of the company by 15 percent.”

Highlights of Volkswagen Ameo:

Available in 1.2-litre MPI Petrol/1.5 litre TDI Diesel engine mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. Automatic variant gets a 1.5-litre diesel engine mated to 7 speed DSG
Dual beam halogen headlamps in black finish
Electrically foldable ORVM's with turn indicators
Dual tone interior theme with Fabric 'Desert Beige'
Ambient lights with theatre dimming effect
Cooled glove box
Leather wrapped multi-function gear knob and steering wheel
Segment-first cruise control and automatic rain sensing wipers
Touch screen infotainment system powered by MirrorLink and voice command
Reverse parking camera with sensors
ABS, ESP and dual front airbags for safety
Available in colours: Blue Silk, Reflex Silver, Toffee Brown, Candy White and Carbon steel
Expect the cars to reach the dealerships by mid-2016
Expect the pricing to be between 5.5 lacs to 8.5 lacs INR, ex-showroom Delhi.