It was business as usual at MotorScribes and I happened to be in Mumbai for some meetings. The plan was to stay back in Mumbai for the night and then catch a flight to Chennai to meet my crew as we had a shoot lined up. Things were under control until I got an emergency call from my team saying that they had unfortunately left some equipment back in Pune which needed to be picked up. Now, my predicament was that I was already in Mumbai and I didn’t have my car, plus my flight was booked out of Mumbai. Changing tickets wasn’t going to happen as last minute tickets out of Pune were selling at an exorbitant rate and you know…well…start-up troubles, so finances have to always be kept in check!
What I needed was a fast car that was frugal as well to make the run back to Pune, get the equipment and then head back to Mumbai early in the morning to catch my flight. My first plan of action was to borrow a friend’s car. That didn’t happen. Worried and a little agitated at my team for being careless, I thought about taking a share-cab or a bus, but getting back from Pune to catch a 9:30 am flight seemed to be a tough ask, because timing was everything and I needed to be in control and not at the mercy of a bus or cab driver. Taking a taxi would have fallen in the ‘too-expensive-for-a-start-up’ category of decisions.
Sipping on my cup of roadside chai, I struck upon and idea. Wouldn’t this situation be a great little test for a car? Doesn’t a drive like this have a sense of purpose that could be combined into a great story? Isn’t this why we need cars in the first place! I knew that getting a test car on such short notice normally doesn’t happen, but I decided to try my luck. Volkswagen was the first call I made, and they stepped up to save the day as they provided me with an Ameo 1.2 petrol in by early evening. To be honest, I was hoping for the diesel version; after all, keeping the fuel cost low was part of my idea, but then I really couldn’t argue that at this stage. The good thing was that I was now mobile.
With a sigh of relief, I took the keys to the Ameo, put my bags in the trunk, paired my phone the infotainment system since I prefer to listen to my music instead of the radio and I set off from Andheri towards Pune. Considering the fact that I left at 6:45 pm, it was still pretty much bumper to bumper traffic in the area that I was in and I had to inch my way out of town. By the time I hit the expressway, I felt older. Seriously, it took a lifetime to make it through the city, however, I was thankful for two things – the first being the quality sound system on board and the second was the air-conditioning unit that was keeping me nice and comfortable despite the evening Mumbai heat.
The good news was that I was now on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and it was time to make up some time and get back home. I got lucky as the truck traffic can be harsh at night, but this was one of those days where things were just working out for me and I got to keep a steady pace all along and even zip up through the ghat section without too much interruption from slower moving traffic. While all cars feel great on a nice straight stretch of tarmac, the Ameo really proved its mettle on the ghats. What a fun ride this car is and it does a great job of holding its line. Despite being a compact sedan, it really doesn’t feel like one and the ride quality and handling attributes go beyond your expectation. You just can resist pushing this car hard and it does deliver on that count.
That little 1.2 litre MPI petrol motor is a commendable bit of machinery. The three pot motor sounds great and you can really push it hard. It delivers on that count and I have to admit, that it is one of the best 1.2 litre petrol engines in the business. Churning out a respectable 74 bhp and making 110 Nm of peak torque, this motor is more than capable of giving you a rather engaging driving experience as I got to find out on my Mumbai-Pune dash and I can still hear that sound!
I made it to Pune when the roads were empty and picked up the remaining gear, then I got home in time to get some sleep before having to wake up early to head back to Mumbai to catch my flight. The return journey was just as entertaining thanks to the empty roads all the way and the icing on the cake had to be the fact that the car returned an average fuel consumption of 15.8 kilometres to the litre, which I must say was quite light on the pocket! I guess I got lucky on that too. Overall, the day was saved, I made it to Chennai, my shoot happened without a glitch and I managed to do all this running around and have a ball while doing so thanks to this spirited little car.
Editor’s Note: This article is a tribute to this fine car, for Volkswagen does not offer the 1.2 MPI powered Ameo anymore. The company has replaced it with a 1.0 litre MPI motor which makes 75 bhp and 95 Nm of torque. However, if you happen to be looking for a great 2nd hand car to run around town and for the occasional weekend getaway, keep an eye out for an Ameo 1.2 MPI. It will be worth your money. As for the new Ameo 1.0 MPI, I should be getting my hands on that soon and will share what I think about it with you fine folks!