Polo Plus: Volkswagen Ameo quick drive
A Polo with a boot and a good price
Back in 2009, when Volkswagen introduced the Polo in India, it was a breath of fresh air. At the time, the go-to car for the segment was the Maruti-Suzuki Swift, and while the Fabia did exist to represent a European contender, it was deemed too odd and expensive for what it offered. Volkswagen was reeling from problems with the Skoda brand’s service and cost complaints and didn’t want to repeat the same mistakes with VW. Fast-forward to 2016 and anecdotally, VW cars are still considered expensive to run (they’re not; this author owns a petrol Polo). VW has taken specific note of this sentiment with the Ameo compact sedan, and has launched it for a very competitive price, even slightly undercutting the Polo hatchback!
How they’ve achieved this was not immediately apparent to us on our long-ish test drive. The car is fundamentally the same inside and out, save for the added boot. We drove the Highline petrol variant (the diesel motor will come during Diwali) and fit, finish and quality appeared to be on par with the hatch. Plastics are just as pleasing to the touch, with no hollow, plasticky-feeling spots we could find. The two-tone dash and beige interior remain, and make the cabin feel airy. Bonus points for the flat-bottomed steering wheel which feels nice to manipulate.
Perhaps the most important thing about the VW Ameo is the fact that it comes in at such a competitive price, and that it does so with two airbags and ABS as standard across variants
If we were to nitpick, we’d say that the touch-screen infotainment system is a bit smaller than on the hatch, but it serves the purpose perfectly well and doesn’t end-up looking aftermarket like some recent cars we’ve driven. You get steering-mounted controls, cruise control and a cooled glove box for beverages on hot days. A centre armrest is available for the driver which is a slim unit much like in the Vento.
Rear seat accommodations are quite comfortable, and the extra knee room over the Polo hatch is apparent. Headroom at the rear is at a premium, much like the Polo hatch, so those with long torsos (or generous behinds) may hit their heads on the roof.
If you’ve read so far and are wondering where the masala begins, well, it doesn’t. The Ameo is striking in its anonymity. Even viewed from the front 3/4 angle, one can barely discern the boot sticking slightly out of the rear. It’s a tiny extension of the body, to be sure, since the idea is to fit a sedan within four metres to qualify for lower taxes. We’ve always liked the practical depth of the Polo boot, and this remains useful in the Ameo. Only now, the volume goes up from 294 litres in the hatch to 330 in the sedan. It’s a minor bump, but it’s there.
The exterior of the boot itself is reasonably well integrated, and not as much of a tack-on like you’d find on the Swift Dzire. Not as good as the Ford Figo Aspire, but not bad. The tail lamps are simple and don’t draw attention to themselves. Styling seems to be borrowed from the Skoda design language, with a crease running across the otherwise slab-like boot lid. Everything seems to be designed to be anonymous. VW have had to adjust the front and rear overhangs accordingly, and the car ends up looking a bit stubbier than the hatch.
The Ameo at present is only available in a petrol variant, utilising the venerable 1.2l MPI three-cylinder motor that does duty in the hatch. It generates 75PS and 110Nm of torque, which felt inadequate six years ago, and continues to be. It’s a flexible engine, to be sure, with useful low-end grunt that allows you to have a load of passengers and navigate inclines with grace rather than amateurish slipping of the clutch. However, there’s no getting around the rough sound of the three-cylinder and this author continues to field the same questions he’s had to with his own car: “is this a diesel?”. Once at highway speeds, it’s okay, but overtakes take effort. You do get cruise control, however, so that sort of balances things out a bit. The stiff suspension makes the car fun to drive, but is hard on all passengers. We really wish VW would do something about this.
Perhaps the most important thing about the VW Ameo is the fact that it comes in at such a competitive price, and that it does so with two airbags and ABS as standard across variants. There are some segment-firsts such as rain-sensing wipers, cruise control and auto up/down power windows with anti-pinch all-round, but that’s about it. The Ameo is a competent car at a competitive price about in the middle of the pack. You can get more features for more money with a Hyundai, but you get the secure, Teutonic feel of a well-built car with the VW. The petrol engine is a mixed bag, and we suspect many will wait for the diesel this Diwali.
