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.”
