Volkswagen Ameo
Volkswagen commenced multi-city road show ahead of the Ameo launch from May 12. Pictured: Volkswagen AmeoPR handout

Volkswagen India commenced bookings for its compact sedan, the Ameo, on Thursday. A Volkswagen dealer confirmed to International Business Times, India that bookings are being accepted now for a token amount of Rs 10,000. The dealership centres will start the delivery of the Ameo from the first week of July while the market launch is expected in mid-June.

As part of the pre-launch publicity exercise, Volkswagen is also organising a multi-city road show that begins on May 12. Interested customers will also be able to access details about the Ameo from the mobile application or the company's website.

The Ameo is the first tailor-made compact sedan for India, designed and manufactured at the company's Chakan, Pune facility. Unveiled for the first time at the Auto Expo 2016, the Ameo will be offered in both, a1.2-litre three-cylinder MPI petrol engine, and a 1.5-litre four-cylinder TDI diesel engine. The diesel engine would be available with five-speed manual and seven-speed DSG transmissions, while the petrol engine will be available with only five-speed manual transmission. All the variants of the Ameo will be fitted with dual front airbags and ABS as standard.

The German automaker is eyeing a 15 percent rise in production in India in 2016 over the 1.23 lakh units produced in 2015. The Ameo will be the key product offering to attain this target. Anticipating a higher demand for the Ameo, Volkswagen India had also commenced a third shift at its Pune facility in March.