The compact sedan segment has not seen any major new players since the Ford Figo Aspire was launched in August 2015. However, things look set to change now as Volkswagen will be entering the fray with its Ameo compact sedan later this year. Showcased at the 2016 Auto Expo, the Ameo has been slated as a premium offering in the CS arena and will slot in between Polo hatchback and Vento C-segment sedan. It’s odd positioning means it will compete with only the Honda Amaze and the Ford Figo Aspire. So here is a spec comparison of Ameo versus the Aspire and the Amaze.
Dimensions
Firstly, as we have said in many of our comparisons, the compact sedan segment is one that is defined by a very rigid set of rules. This has defined the very look of the vehicles and the kind of power their engines offer. The Ameo then is exactly what one would picture if they imaged the Polo with a boot. It follows the Polo’s lines all the way to the C-pillar and from there the lines cut downwards into the stubby boot. The Honda Amaze and Ford Figo Aspire look far more proportionate due to them being designed from the beginning to be compact sedans. Of this the Amaze, with its recent facelift, has the sportier lines while the Figo Aspire with its Aston Martin (esque) grille is the one that would grab most eyeballs when viewed from the front.
Equipment
We have compared the top-of-the-line diesel and petrol models of these three cars and they each have something that the other does not. What you get common across the three are things like all four power windows, electrically adjustable ORVMs, day/night mirror, beige upholstery, steering mounted audio controls. Where these cars start to differ is when you go into the finer details. The Ameo has one touch function for all four power windows, cruise control, touchscreen music system and rain sensing wipers. The Figo Aspire lacks the Ameo’s touschreen system but scores a major win terms of safety as it is the only car for a significant price range in either direction to offer six airbags as a part of its safety package. The Amaze, despite the facelift, comes in third in this department as it has all the basic features but not much else when compared to its rivals.
Engine and gearbox
The petrol engines across for the Figo Aspire and the Amaze are 1.2-litre four-cylinder units. The Amaze’s mill produces 87bhp/109Nm while the Figo Aspire’s produces 87bhp/112Nm. The Polo’s is a three-cylinder 1.2-litre unit producing 74bhp/110Nm. A five-speed manual is common for all three cars while in terms of automatics the Amaze gets a CVT and the Aspire a six-speed DCT. If we are to go by just plain numbers then it is visible that the petrol engine of the Ameo has its torque and power come in much earlier than the other.
On the diesel front, all three cars are participating in a level playing field. Their 1.5-litre four-cylinder units produce between 90-100bhp but their torque figures vary with the Ameo having the highest at 230Nm, the Amaze at 200Nm and the Aspire at 215Nm. A five-speed manual is the standard option while only the Ameo can be had with seven-speed DSG for the oil burner. The Ameo has the highest torque figure among the three and it comes in much earlier too.
Price
We believe that Volkswagen will price the Ameo Rs 1 lakh more than the Polo variant. This means it will start at around Rs 6.2 lakh and go all the way to Rs 9.8 lakh for the Highline diesel AT. This also means it will be significantly higher priced than the Figo Aspire which is in the range of Rs 5.21 lakh to Rs 8.48 lakh as well as the Amaze which is in the range of 5.3 lakh to Rs 8.26 lakh. However, given that both the Amaze and Aspire don’t have diesel AT models we believe that the highline manual of the Ameo will be priced around Rs 8.5 lakh which will put it in a similar price league as the other two.
