Amaze offers a solid overall package making it one of the best compact sedan offering in the country today
The sub 4m segment has been tilting towards crossovers and SUVs a lot in the recent past. However, there are still a few sub 4m sedans around in the Indian market. Four to be precise – Maruti Suzuki Dzire, Hyundai Aura, Honda Amaze and Tata Tigor. Of these, it is the Honda Amaze which is tailored for first-time buyers who prioritize brand consciousness and aspire to be seen in a premium vehicle.
We had the Amaze VX 1.2 Petrol MT for a long-term report. By the end of our time with Amaze, the odometer was very close to the 30,000 km mark. Honda Amaze has been a solid car in the long term by being a no-nonsense vehicle with a lot of character and personality.
Driving into Success: The Allure of the Honda Amaze in India
Sedans are considered to be an up-market offering among all body styles. Or at least, that’s how it used to be. A sedan denoted progress in one’s vehicle ownership journey owing to their stately 3-box design lending sophistication and understated elegance. But with Indian road conditions, SUVs or high-riding vehicles have emerged as the more sensible and practical choice over sedans.
Within the sub 4m bracket, Honda Amaze is the best 3-box sedan design implementation till now. And I even dare to say that Amaze is the best-looking sub 4m sedan, slotting above Dzire, Tigor and lastly Aura. Aesthetics are sharp, angular and edgy and bear a flat bonnet and fascia. Overall execution is done very nicely and it looks very pleasing.
Especially with new LED projector headlights, DRLs, LED tail lights and a three-slat chrome grill added with 2022 refresh. Amaze dons classy and elegant alloy wheels as well. Chrome exhaust, shark fin antenna and other chrome highlights are notable elements. On the inside too, Honda Amaze looks classy, appealing and understated, especially with silver elements added with 2022 refresh.
Dashboard layout, an 8-inch horizontal screen, steering wheel design are all appealing. Beige colour used on upholstery lends an airy feel. Our Honda Amaze was in Meteoroid Grey Metallic shade that is an exact match to the Grey Metallic shade of my Honda Activa 3G. I think Radiant Red Metallic looks the best on Amaze and Platinum White Pearl is the safest bet.
Powertrain, Fuel Efficiency & Dynamics
We all can unanimously agree that Diesel CVT was the best powertrain combo that Amaze ever got. However, diesel is not on sale anymore (R.I.P.) and what is, is a sole 1.2L NA petrol engine that generates 89 bhp of peak power and 110 Nm of peak torque. Honda offers a 5-speed manual and a CVT gearbox option with this engine. I’m glad that Honda gave me the manual as it is a slick unit.
Honda is known to make good manual gearboxes and Amaze’s is no different. I only wish gear throws were shorter. This engine has Honda’s famed V-TEC variable valve timing and kicks in at the top-end. I wish the V-TEC magic kicked in the mid-range. I say this because Amaze offers good low-end grunt and lacks in the mid-range, a place where most users are gonna be. This is a sensible car for sensible buyers, after all.
ARAI certified number for the Amaze manual is 18.6 km/l. Conventional fuel efficiency figures don’t disclose time taken or speed maintained. With my fuel efficiency runs, I draw references to my daily driver Renault Captur Platine Diesel MT on a commute that I usually take. This is a 90km (60km good, 29km intermediate, 1km no road) commute between my home and farmhouse. My Captur takes 1h 35m to reach and gives 20 km/l accounting for Rs. 800 worth of fuel for a round trip. When I matched fuel efficiency with Captur, Amaze returned around 19 km/l taking 1h 45m and when I matched commute time with Captur, Amaze returned around 17 km/l. These are praise-worthy numbers. Especially considering my last long-termer, Kia Sonet Turbo DCT, took 2h 15m and returned 12.8 km/l.
Amaze amazes you with its chassis dynamics and suspension setup. I put the driver’s seat all the way down, for a sporty feel. Handling is sure-footed with minimal body roll. You can carry some speed into a corner. Low-speed bump absorption is impressive and does a better job than a few SUVs two segments higher. However, you have to be careful with big and illogical speed brakes as they scrape the belly. I’m used to cars with caster angle in steering geometry. So, driving the Amaze felt a little weird at first as the steering wheel doesn’t self-centre automatically. Nothing that you can’t get used to.
Areas of improvement we expect with next Honda Amaze update
Interior quality – As good as Amaze looks, Honda should take the interior fit and finish a notch above. Material choice is understandable for the segment and price bracket. But fit and finish has to be improved.
Infotainment & Instrumentation – The 8-inch infotainment screen has wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Wireless connection is welcome, but the wired option is understandable for this segment and price bracket. My concerns arise when I unplug my phone from this system as it reveals a generic-looking user interface. Honda could develop a much cleaner and more dedicated user interface for this unit like it has been doing with its newer cars.
Rear seat comfort – Amaze misses out on rear adjustable headrests and rear AC vents. If Amaze is targeted at owner/driver individuals, it lacks a front centre armrest, leather-wrapped steering, auto-dimming IRVM and many other feel-good features. If we take Aura for context, it has adjustable headrests and armrest only at the rear and offers rear AC vents to cater rear occupants.
Things Honda does right with Amaze
1. Space and comfort – There is no faulting Amaze when it comes to space and comfort. Both front and rear occupants have more than sufficient room despite the wasted space under Amaze’s bonnet. Boot space is large at 420L and will easily swallow luggage of up to four occupants.
2. Refinement – This 1.2L 4-cylinder NA petrol engine has impressive refinement with very minimal vibrations and sound. It is comparable to the 1.2 Kappa and K12 engines on Aura and Dzire respectively, in terms of NVH (Noise, Vibrations and Harshness), which is an amazing feat.
3. Praise-worthy accessories – We mentioned lack of front armrest with Amaze. But Honda offers it as an accessory in both Black and Beige colours. Honda even offers a Kit IRVM Display with front and rear camera feed. There is a sporty spoiler accessory with or without an integrated stoplight. TPMS is offered as an accessory that syncs with Honda H-Connect telematics as well. Heck, Honda even offers ventilated and massaging seat cover as an option. And it can be fitted to either front or rear seats, or both, across all trim levels. Beat that, rivals!
4. Impressive lighting package – Amaze packs an auto headlight feature. Actual lighting is from an LED projector headlight setup, complemented by LED fog lights. Headlights were very powerful and the throw was impressive. Amaze easily beats a few vehicles positioned two segments above, with its headlight performance.
5. Big tachometer – I’m a sucker for analogue tachometer. Amaze’s tacho is just as large as its speedometer. It is a cost thing, but it lends a very sporty feeling to see the big analogue needle climb as V-TEC kicks in.
6. Theatrics – This is a feel-good thing and Amaze has a few theatrics. You don’t have to press request sensors on door to unlock. The car senses your fingers behind door handle. Upon entering, start/stop button pulsates soothingly, as if it is inviting you to press it. When you press brake and clutch pedals, the pulsing stops for a continuous glow. When engine is on, this button turns red. Love it!
7. Safety – Amaze packs 2 airbags as standard and features seat belt reminders for front occupants. In many cars, the seatbelt warning chime goes away after some time. But Amaze’s warning chimes return in periodic intervals with vengeance and continue alerting occupants across the journey. South Africa spec Honda Amaze has been crash-tested by Global NCAP yielding 4 Stars, which is reassuring.
Conclusion
If you’re like me who prefer cars to have personality and a lot of character, you will be smitten by Honda Amaze. Honda nails the fundamentals of a car with Amaze, something that rival brands don’t care as much. Now that upcoming 4th gen Maruti Suzuki Dzire is rumoured to get a 3-cylinder engine, Honda Amaze might emerge as the only good-looking sub 4m sedan with a smooth 4-cylinder engine. I find a lot of potential in Honda’s smallest offering in India and with the rumoured 2024 update, we hope the company delivers an even more impressive package.
