Volkswagen launched new Ameo

Volkswagen, Europe's largest car maker, has unveiled Ameo, its much-awaited sub-4 metre sedan to give a boost to its sluggish volumes and take on the likes of the Maruti Suzuki, Swift Dzire and the Honda Amaze. To be launched in the middle of the year, the Ameo is Volkswagen's second 'made-for-India' car after the Vento. It will make its world premiere at the Auto Expo this week. The Volkswagen Ameo will be available with two engine options--1.2 litre, 3-cylinder MPI and 1.5 litre, 4-cylinder TDI. The Ameo will be part of four new model launches that Volkswagen has planned for FY17 to get back in the reckoning in both the mass and premium segments of the market. Apart from the Ameo, Volkswagen is planning to launch the new Passat, which may come with a hybrid option, and the Tiguan premium SUV, codenamed VW416, which will be assembled at Aurangabad. India is an important market for Volkswagen and it will become even more important in the future, said Jurgen Stackmann, board member for sales and marketing, Volkswagen Passenger Cars. "Today we present the next big step to you. A car that is specially designed for the Indian market. A car that is made for India and made in India. We are confident that this car will raise the bar in the dynamic compact segment," he said. "We at Volkswagen are listening to our Indian customers, to their needs and priorities. And we offer the right products. During the next fiscal year, we will be launching four new models, bringing our greatest model range ever to the Indian showrooms." The company is relying on safety and other features to woo prospective buyers of the Dzire, Amaze and Hyundai Xcent. Aimed at the urban youth market, the Ameo will come packed with first-in-segment features such as cruise control, rain-sensing wipers, static cornering lights, dynamic touchscreen multimedia music system with mirror link, iPod connectivity, phonebook/SMS viewer etc. The vehicle will have dual front airbags and ABS as standard across all variants. "We are happy to mark our presence in this competitive and dynamic segment," said Michael Mayer, director, Volkswagen Passenger Cars. "Through the Volkswagen Ameo, we bring the highest technology and safety standards to the compact sedan segment. We have had a successful couple of years in India, and look forward to further expanding the Volkswagen India family."