After introducing the T-Roc and the Tiguan Allspace in India, Volkswagen has now taken away two models – the Ameo and the Tiguan. Neither made it to the BS6 (Bharat Stage 6) era as they didn’t make a strong enough case for the required upgrades. Based on how the company wants to plans to play the India 2.0 game, don’t expect Volkswagen to introduce newer versions of them.

Like the Vento, the Ameo was a Polo-based sedan, only smaller. It helped Volkswagen expand its portfolio for the mass market. However, it never really found enough takers to make a good case for itself. Rivalling the likes of the Maruti Suzuki Dzire, Ford Aspire, Honda Amaze and the Tata Tigor, the Volkswagen Ameo was available with two engine options. One was the 1.5-litre diesel producing 109bhp/250Nm, and the other was the 1.0-litre petrol with 75bhp/96Nm on tap. As standard, both engines came with a 5-speed manual transmission. Only the diesel was available with the option of a 7-speed DSG.

Where the Ameo aimed to please the masses, the Tiguan found itself amidst SUVs like the Toyota Fortuner, Ford Endeavour and the Isuzu MU-X. Unlike its rivals, the Volkswagen was a five-seater model with a monocoque chassis. The latter only reiterates the fact that the Tiguan could never match its competitors when travelling over rough terrains. Its charm, however, came from the so-called “premium SUV” tag. Frankly, the Tiguan was more of a rival to the Honda CR-V and the Hyundai Tucson. And Volkswagen kept the offering simple. One engine-transmission – a 2.0-litre TDI producing 141bhp/340Nm, mated to a 7-speed DSG and all-wheel-drive system – in two trim levels – Comfortline and Highline.

As things stand, Volkswagen’s India line-up consists of the Polo, Vento, T-Roc and the Tiguan Allspace. Next year, the German carmaker will introduce the Taigun as a rival for the Kia Seltos, Hyundai Creta, Nissan Kicks and the upcoming Skoda SUV, a prototype of which debuted at the Auto Expo 2020 as the Vision IN.