After unveiling its first Made in India model at the 2016 Auto Expo, Volkswagen finally launched the Ameo on June 5. Launched at a starting price of Rs 5.24 lakh, the Ameo undercuts its hatchback cousin and most of its rivals. However, Volkswagen has only brought in the Ameo with a petrol engine as of now. Following the diesel scandal, the Wolfsburg-based car maker is working on its 1.5-litre four-cylinder EA189 engine. VW will bring in the Ameo with this updated mill in August. The same engine will eventually also make its way into the Polo and the Vento.
The German automaker did not launch the diesel option alongside the petrol due to its emission scandal controversy. Volkswagen in India has already recalled close to 1.9 lakh cars sold in the country since 2008 to fix diesel emission issues. However, the company is reportedly upgrading the 1.5-litre diesel and the new mill is expected to see an increase in power and torque. All the three cars will get the improved oil burner from August.
The Ameo is coming with a lot of segment-first features but, out of all, it is the diesel automatic option that is the most significant. The company will offer the seven-speed dual clutch automatic with the upgraded 1.5-litre diesel. None of its competitors offer a proper automatic diesel option- both the Tata Zest and the Maruti Suzuki Swift DZire feature an AMT (automated manual transmission) option. Besides this, the Ameo will come standard with a five-speed manual transmission. Expect the certified fuel efficiency to be in the vicinity of 20-21 kmpl.
Source: CarDekho.com
