The sub-four-metre sedan is one of the most important automotive segments in the country. These cars offer the convenience of a sedan in the cost and size of a hatchback. Dominated by the Maruti Swift Dzire and flooded with cars like the Hyundai Xcent, the Ford Figo Aspire, the Honda Amaze and the Tata Zest, this segment is about to witness the arrival of an all-new German warrior, the Volkswagen Ameo.
The Ameo is based on the Polo hatchback and comes with a heavy bag of goodies. With multiple segment-first features and top-notch quality, it is ready to redefine the standards of this auto-space. Let's have a comparative look at this segment and see how the new kid fares against the old and established ones.
Engine Specifications
Volkswagen has used the same 1.2-litre petrol and 1.5-litre diesel engines from the Polo hatchback in the Ameo. As you can see above, the diesel mill has the maximum torque in the lot and has decent power, whereas the petrol mill is the least powerful and the torque is also not on par with others. This will reflect in the drive of the car, which might feel underpowered at times. The claimed fuel economy of both the petrol and diesel engines sits at the bottom of the auto-space.
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Now, let's have a look at the transmissions offered with all the cars. The Ameo and Dzire are the only ones with a diesel automatic. All the other cars offer automatic transmissions only with their petrol variants. The Ford Aspire has the automatic variant with the 1.5-litre petrol engine and the Amaze is the only one to offer a CVT gearbox.
Dimensions
The Volkswagen Ameo is the longest car in the segment but the Zest is the widest and the tallest of the lot. Even in terms of boot space, the Ameo only beats the Dzire with 15 litres and is a massive 77 litres behind the segment leader, the Xcent. The passenger space in the Ameo is also a little shy, and cars like the Amaze offer more room.
Features
This is where the Ameo stuns the segment. It comes with a long list of features, most of them firsts in the segment. To count some, the Ameo has automatic rain sensing wipers, cruise control, rear parking camera, flat-bottomed steering wheel, touchscreen infotainment system with Mirrorlink, rear AC vents, and front armrest storage. The build quality of the Ameo is reminiscent of the Vento, which is a huge compliment to the car. It feels strong, the plastics are of good quality, and the fit-&-finish is the best in the class.
The Ameo is certainly a very nice car. With prices expected to start at around INR 6 lakh for the petrol and INR 7 lakh for the diesel, it will clearly be a worthy entry into this segment. We will get our hands on one soon for a comprehensive review; till then watch the first look impressions and tell us what you feel about the car.
Also Read: Volkswagen Ameo: 5 Extras Over Its Rivals
Source : CarDekho