Volkswagen India begins production of Ameo compact sedan

Series production of the Volkswagen Ameo compact sedan has begun at Volkswagen India’s Pune Plant in Chakan.

VW India plans to rapidly ramp up production of the Ameo, which had its global reveal at the Auto Expo in February 2016, to build up enough inventory before market introduction.

The Ameo is available in both petrol (1.2-litre 3-cylinder MPI) and diesel(1.5-litre 4-cylinder TDI). The car has been designed and developed for the Indian market, following extensive feedback from domestic market customers.

With safety being one of the top priorities for Volkswagen, the Ameo comes equipped with dual front airbags and ABS as standard fitment across all variants. The Ameo also gets segment-leading features such as cruise control, rain sensing wipers and static cornering lights.

Present at the start of operations today was the chief minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis, who said: “Volkswagen India adds yet another feather in its hat as the all-new made-for-India and made-in-India Ameo is rolled out today. It is not only a matter of pride for Volkswagen but for all of Maharashtra and I would like to share my heartiest congratulations with the company. This rollout means a lot to us as it explains to the world what ‘Make in India’ actually means.” He added, “Be it in the area of skill development among the youth, employment generation and Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyan to make Maharashtra drought-free by 2019, Volkswagen is playing an active role in all aspects and I am thankful for this.”

Commenting on this start of production of the Ameo, Dr Andreas Lauermann, president and managing director, Volkswagen India, said, “This day marks an important event in the journey of Volkswagen in India. The Ameo symbolises yet another first as it has specifically been created for Indian customers. Due to the expected high demand for the Ameo, we have recently added a third shift to support the extra production volumes at our plant. We are committed to ensuring that our customers get their Ameo as soon as possible.”

Volkswagen has invested approximately Rs 720 crore in the development of the Ameo, setting up new equipment for its production as well as ramping up the manufacturing of this compact sedan at its Pune Plant in Chakan. The pre-launch bookings for the Ameo have been open at all Volkswagen showrooms in India for the last two weeks.

The Pune Plant currently manufactures the VW Polo and Vento as well as the Škoda Rapid. The current Volkswagen models are manufactured for both domestic and export markets in right-hand drive as well as left-hand drive versions. Since 2007, the total investment by Volkswagen in India currently stands at approximately Rs 5,720 crore (around 825 million euros).

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