Sponsored feature: Volks View - the people's test

It’s a category unique to India. And Volkswagen has a brand-new offering that makes the compact sedan segment hotter than ever. The Ameo. Extensive coverage over media channels has generated excitement for the VW Ameo. Every single professional review of the Ameo claims that it is one of the best cars in its segment. Adjectives used for it range from good and great to fantastic. But reviews tend to be objective. They are undistorted by emotion or bias. This means that the brand new Ameo had another, more difficult test to pass. The people’s test. How would the Ameo hold up against the scrutiny of the very hard to please Indian customer? Even more so, what if that potential customer was an automotive enthusiast? This was something that sorely needed an answer.

Volks View

Volks View was an online contest designed to give ten automotive enthusiasts the chance to review the VW Ameo. It was designed to test basic knowledge about cars and their features. Any automotive enthusiast would find this simple. But only an automotive enthusiast would find it simple.

The contest worked. An interesting and eclectic list of drivers emerged. It included a law student, the co-founder of a fashion brand, a restaurateur, an animation film designer, an advertising professional and many more.

Everyone was brought together at Pune where they’d get the opportunity to test the car in real-world conditions. They’d have to deal with everything – good roads, bad roads, narrow lanes, highways, light traffic and the kind that comes down the wrong way, straight at you. A proper test.

Overheard

All the winners took their turn behind the wheel of the VW Ameo. Here are a few things overheard during their test drive.

From the outside

“The first time I saw it from the outside; it looks neat, it looks cute.”

“I like the exterior design. The alloys and the chrome bits look good.”

“The exterior design is very good. I like the headlights.”

“It looks natural. There’s no awkwardness with the boot design.”

“It looks better than the competition.”

Behind the wheel

“I like the way the car responds. Even at low RPMs, it’s giving that punch which feels nice.”

“This car is perfect for traffic. It’s a nippy car. It deals well with traffic and I can easily nip in and out of it.”

“The way it handles acceleration and the way it sends out power is quite refined.”

“The car feels stable and safe.”

“The gear has a nice mechanical feel to it. The slots are exactly where you want them to be.”

“The car feels planted. You feel safe and confident at high speeds.”

“The brakes have good bite. The suspension eats up bumps pretty well. Suspension is nice.”

“Driving on curves in really enjoyable.”

“The handling is very good.”

“It’s a happy car to drive.”
 

On the inside

“It’s all there. It’s a neat package.”

“The interiors give a nice premium feel.”

“Nice finish. Tactile feel is good. Fit and finish as expected from VW.”

“Everything feels nice. Everything is within reach. Ergonomics are good.”

“Nice infotainment system. Climate control is phenomenal. Controls on the sporty steering wheel give it a premium feel.”

“Nice seating position. Nice under-thigh support. Seats hold you well.”

“I love the steering design.”

“The interiors look rich.”

“The centre console is very well designed.”

“The information display is detailed and even provides gearshift display. Good list of features.”

Sameer Contractor
Account Manager, Swiggy

“What I really like about the Ameo is that it’s got a really awesome build quality. Along with that, it’s got a really nice suspension system. The cabin is well insulated. The interior is really nice. It works really well in its price bracket.”

Jasjiv Singh
Account Planning Group Head, O&M

“I was excited to test the Ameo. I really liked driving the car. I thought it was a very good-looking car as compared to the others in its segment. A benefit is the boot which is around 350 litres. Good for a weekend getaway. I think it will do well in this segment.”

Adeel Merchant
Real-Estate Businessman

“The first thing that attracted me to the car was its compact size. It is so manoeuvrable through traffic! The features that they’ve provided are brilliant. The overall build of the car is very solid. Overall for a city, the car is perfect.”

Vishwesh Menon
Creative Director, BoTvideos.in

“The one thing that really stood out for me is the suspension in this car. On the highway, it really gave a planted feeling. On more rugged terrain, it ate up all the bumps. Great car.”
 

Rahul Adani
Co-founder, The Cotton Company

“My overall verdict is that the car is fabulous for the price point at which it is launched. Definitely feels a step above the rest of the competition. If VW could offer a slightly more powerful engine, I’m sure it would be a class topper.”

Abha Patel
Law student

“I got a fabulous chance to test drive the Ameo today. It was an amazing experience. The car has fabulous ground clearance. It has amazing interiors.”

Aniket Mayekar
Restaurateur

“I like the interiors. They are very well made. The exteriors are very good. I love the headlights. They are pretty cool. I love this car. There’s something missing in the performance though.”

Ranveer Lovely Dua
Photographer

“It looks really amazing. I love the details like the safety sensors, armrest and the automatic wipers. It has all one-touch windows which make life much easier. The seats are really comfortable. Overall, the car is really good.” 

Anand Shukla
Director Business Dev., Talentica

“There are so many things about it that I like. But what caught my attention was the designing, both of the interior and the exterior. The steering wheel and dashboard are very easy to handle. On the exterior, the whole symmetry is very good. It’s easy to drive and it’s a good car.”

Richeek Dey
Sr. Business Manager, Videocon d2H

“The best thing about the car is the steering wheel. It has a flat bottom and a leather wrapping which gives it a very sporty look. The steering also has a lot of functions.”