2016 Volkswagen Ameo diesel review, test drive

What is it?

It was a little surprising to find out that the VW Ameo – a late entrant in the super-competitive compact sedan segment – would be entering the market with one arm tied behind its back. It was launched with only a single engine and gearbox option – the 75hp 1.2-litre MPI with a five-speed manual. In fact, the engine was the weakest point in what turned out to be an otherwise rather excellent car. We knew a diesel variant would be introduced by the festive season, and the wait appears to have been worth it, as it’s an upgraded version of the 1.5-litre, four-cylinder TDI motor we’ve already tried in the Vento, Polo and Skoda Rapid. It’s got 5hp more power and the same 250Nm of torque and apart from the manual, you can also have it with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. This could just be what it takes to find the VW Ameo some serious fans.

The exterior is unchanged, of course, and along with the Polo’s nose (ever so slightly modified), it gets a very truncated rear end with a boot that isn’t as well integrated as in some rivals. It does pack in 330 litres of luggage though, which while decent, is far from the segment benchmark.

The superbly appointed interior is back too, with VW’s typically restrained-looking dashboard and exceptional fit and finish. The long equipment list on this Highline trim returns, replete with a touchscreen, rear-view camera, automatic wipers, cornering lamps, cruise control, two airbags and ABS. In fact, those last two safety features are standard across the range. The DSG auto version additionally gets ESC and a hill hold function. Finally, the rear seat – it isn’t the most spacious, especially on knee room, but if your use is only occasional, it might be good enough.

What’s it like to drive?

After the disappointment of VW’s anaemic 1.2 MPI petrol engine in the Ameo, we knew it could only be uphill from there. But this latest version of the 1.5 TDI diesel is just plain impressive. Sure, it's a little noisy at start-up and at higher revs, but the car is quite well insulated and it's something you can get used to. With 110hp and 250Nm, it's a wee bit more powerful than the old version of this motor, thanks to a new, larger turbocharger. There's no way to do an ‘apples to apples’ comparison with the old motor just yet, but we can tell you that in the Ameo, the new one feels supremely punchy and powerful.

Release the slightly firm clutch pedal in the five-speed manual Ameo TDI and it will jump off the line eagerly, the short first gear prompting you flick the light gear lever down into second shortly after. There is a noticeable surge of power at around 2000rpm but there on, there's seemingly no let up right till 5000rpm. And since the powerband is relatively short even by diesel standards, you charge through it rather quickly. It's even got a decent top end. And, because the gear ratios have been smartly chosen, there's little in the way of perceptible lag too.