Better Half

Courtesy of a retuned diesel engine from the VW family, the Ameo finally gets the kind of power it’s been begging for. So, was it worth the wait?

- Ravi Ved

You could say that the VW Vento was made-for-India. But, really, it was for emerging markets – India, Mexico, Russia, etc. The Ameo – at under four metres – however, is purely a made-for-India product. And, as you’d expect from a car that sports the VW badge, the Ameo impressed with its build quality, safety and ride-and-handling balance. It has a surprisingly long list of features too. But, at the same time, the 1.2-litre, three cylinder petrol motor failed to impress and left us wanting more. The diesel, however, was always expected to be more energetic. And now that it’s finally here, it was time to get behind the wheel to find out if it’s been worth the wait.

First things first, the diesel Ameo looks identical to its petrol sibling – except for the TDI badge on the boot. Meeting the 4-metre resriction hasn’t exactly been easy for the designers, and it shows. While the bonnet looks identical to the Polo, it’s shorter by 35mm to make space for the boot. Despite their best efforts though, the Ameo looks disproportionate – especially the rear that ends rather abruptly. On the plus side, the interior and much of the features too are identical to the petrol Ameo.