Honda Amaze: A Quick Overview
The first generation of the Honda Amaze was introduced in the Indian market in April 2013 by HCIL (Honda Cars India Limited). It was manufactured as an Indian-centric car and became an overnight success. It had a 1.2-litre i-VTEC petrol engine.
Furthermore, it got a minor facelift in 2016 after a successful three-year run. In 2018, the second generation of the Amaze was launched. It had much sharper design language and a new touchscreen infotainment system. The CNG was discontinued but got two petrol engines. The Gen 2 Honda Amaze received another mid-cycle facelift in 2021 to offer the model presently available. The current version only comes with a single petrol engine and some noticeable design upgrades.
Key Features of the Latest Honda Amaze
The current Honda Amaze has sharp lines and curves running in the front and along the sides. It gets a new LED projector headlamp setup and LED fog lamps with an auto turn on/off feature. The Amaze also gets powerful ORVMS and new diamond cut alloy wheels. The interiors are premium, with high-quality upholstery and some new features like cruise control and automatic climate control. The new Amaze comes with a petrol engine and both manual and CVT gearbox choices.
Check out: Honda Amaze Specifications
Market Positioning and Target Customer
The Honda Amaze sits comfortably in the affordable yet premium sub-compact sedan category. It appeals to traditionalists and young car lovers alike. The Amaze is HCIL's top-selling car and accounts for over 53% of their total sales. Since its debut, over the last decade, it has sold over 5.3 lakh units. The second generation alone has sold over 2.7 lakh units. The new Amaze is now compliant with the E20 blend of petrol, which is a major step in ensuring lower vehicle emissions.
Looking at the Design & Styling
The Honda Amaze is known for its sporty sedan appeal. It brings elegance and athleticism together. The wing face front grille, LED headlamps, rear combination lamps, and sharp contours all come together to give it a distinct attitude. On the inside, the Amaze impresses equally with premium stitching and eye-catching ornamentation. Let's take a closer look at the different design elements of the Amaze.
Exterior Design & Styling of Honda Amaze
In the following sections, we will discuss the major exterior design features of the Honda Amaze.
Dimensions
The table below lists the dimensions of the Honda Amaze.
CATEGORY | MEASUREMENT |
---|
Length | 3995 mm |
Width | 1695 mm |
Height | 1501 mm |
Wheelbase | 2470 mm |
Ground Clearance | 170 mm |
Boot Space | 420 litres |
Fuel Tank Capacity | 35 litres |
Check out: Honda Amaze Dimensions
Front Fascia
The front fascia of the Honda Amaze features a eye-catching, sleek, solid wing face front chrome grille with fine chrome moulding lines. It is complemented by the stylish advanced LED projector headlamps with integrated DRLs. The LED front fog lamps with sleek chrome garnish balance the look.
Side Profile
At the sides, the prominent wheel arches support the R15 multi spoke diamond cut alloy wheels. The sharp curves running along the door handles add a sporty appeal. The chrome door handles with a touch sensor based smart entry system add further elegance.
Rear
At the back, the premium C-shaped LED rear combination lamps offer style and functionality.
Interior Design and Layout of Honda Amaze
The interiors of the Amaze are gorgeous and high-quality, with plush materials and satin silver ornamentation. Let's take a look at the major aspects.
Dashboard Layout and Materials
The neat and premium-looking dashboard has satin silver ornamentation with chrome-plated AC vent knobs. It hosts the advanced multi-information combination meter and the 7-inch advanced infotainment system with a capacitive touchscreen. The steering wheel also gets a satin silver garnish.
Front and Rear Seating Space, Comfort
The seats have either a premium beige or a premium beige with stitch fabric upholstery, depending on the trim you opt for. The bucket seats are contoured for optimal comfort, and the cabin space offers ample leg space for both front and rear passengers. There is fabric padding on the door trims and a leather boot for the MT shift gear.
The automatic climate control and dust and pollen filter to beat the polluted streets of populated cities in India. The driver's seat is height adjustable, and the front and rear seats have headrests. There is also a rear centre foldable armrest with a cupholder. The driver-side window has one touch up/down with a pinch guard.
Boot Space
The Amaze has an extensive 420 litres of boot space with trunk lid lining.
Check out: Honda Amaze Interior
Design Comparison with Rivals
In the following sections, we will compare the design elements of the Honda Amaze with those of its top two market rivals.
Honda Amaze vs Maruti Suzuki Dzire
In terms of exterior design, the Dzire has a more sloping appearance with minimal design elements. The simple single aperture grille on the front and precision-cut two-tone alloy wheels are stylish and subtle. The Amaze appears much more elegant and contemporary with its prominent extended grille and contours. The lighting fixtures are almost similar.
The interiors of Dzire have champagne accents on the seats and a wood finish with a natural gloss effect on the dashboard. It is equally as premium as the Amaze, and both cater to different tastes.
Check out: Maruti Suzuki Dzire Specifications
Honda Amaze vs Hyundai Aura
The Aura has a more elegant appeal as compared to the Amaze in terms of exterior design. Both have similar wheels and lighting configurations. The painted black radiator grille of the Aura appears intriguing in comparison to the dominating grille on the Amaze. The interiors are equally high quality. The dual-tone interiors of the Aura appear simple and decluttered, with footwell lighting for an added ambience. Other comfort amenities are similar, but the bucket seats of the Amaze are a bonus.
Check out: Hyundai Aura Specifications
Evaluating The One with the Most Stylish & Premium Design
In terms of design, all three sedans have their unique features. The Amaze has a more athletic appeal, while the Aura is more elegant. The Dzire is simple and versatile. The Honda Amaze has the most stylish design language based on how it can match different tastes and is almost timeless.
The Aura is relatively new and fresh. The Dzire, although stylish, seems a bit dated. Even in terms of comfort, the Amaze offers the right amenities that are actually useful and not just a cosmetic addition. The features of the Aura and Dzire are impressive as well. So the Amaze seems to sit right in between the Dzire and Aura.
The Honda Amaze offers a powerful performance with its petrol engine and gearbox combination. With different additions and removals throughout the years, HCIL has churned out the best powertrain combination for the Amaze in its current iteration. Here's a detailed look at its engine and performance.
Engine on the Honda Amaze
The Honda Amaze comes with a single 1.2-litre i-VTEC petrol engine that guarantees low friction technology for output and efficiency. The 4-cylinder 1199 cc engine offers a power of 88.50bhp@6000rpm and torque of 110Nm@4800rpm.
Honda Amaze Gearbox Options - Manual and Automatic
The Honda Amaze comes with both a 5-speed manual and a CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) gearbox. The latter promises excellent fuel efficiency and driving pleasure.
Honda Amaze Ride and Handling Review
The following sections explain the handling and ride quality of the Honda Amaze.
Steering Feel & High-Speed Stability
The Honda Amaze gets an electric power-assisted steering wheel that is well-assisted and lightweight. It helps manoeuvre narrow roads and is fairly responsive.
Suspension Setup & Bump Absorption
The Hyundai Honda Amaze comes with a McPherson strut front suspension and a Torsion Bar rear suspension. This combination guarantees proper ride and handling of the sedan, and helps it glide over bad roads.
Brake Performance
The Honda Amaze has a disc-type front brake and a drum-type rear brake. This configuration ensures excellent stopping power in emergency situations.
The Honda Amaze offers a mileage of 18.6 km/l for the manual petrol and 18.3 km/l for the automatic petrol variants. It can go from 0 to 100 km/h in roughly 15 seconds and can reach a top speed of 140 km/h to 145 km/h.
Read about: Honda Amaze Mileage
Engine & Transmission Comparison with Rivals
In this section, we will compare the performance of the Honda Amaze with its rivals.
Honda Amaze vs Maruti Suzuki Dzire
The Dzire comes with a choice of both petrol and CNG fuel choices. The 1197 cc engine offers the same power as the Amaze with a higher torque of 113Nm@4400rpm. The Dzire offers slightly better stability and handling than the Amaze and is better suited for different road conditions. The manual transmission specs are the same as those of the Amaze. The Dzire gets a 5-speed AMT for its automatic gearbox instead of a CVT. The Dzire offers a mileage range of 22.4 km/l to 22.62 km/l for its petrol variants and 31.12 km/kg for the CNG variants.
Check out: Maruti Suzuki Dzire Mileage
Honda Amaze vs Hyundai Aura
The Aura gets both a petrol and CNG choice. The 1197 cc engine offers a slightly lower power of 81.80bhp@6000rpm and a higher torque of 113.8Nm@4000rpm than the Amaze. It gets a 5-speed MT like the Amaze but a 5-speed AMT gearbox instead of a CVT. The Aura is well suited for city roads and lags slightly behind in terms of delivery when compared to the Amaze. The Aura offers a mileage of 17 km/l for its petrol and 22 km/kg for its CNG variants.
Check out: Hyundai Aura Mileage
In terms of fuel efficiency and performance, the Dzire surpasses both the Amaze and the Aura significantly. The Amaze sits in between, with good fuel efficiency but slightly lower performance on highways. The Aura has the lowest mileage offering of the three and is also more suited for city rides.
Analysing Features & Equipment
Within its compact size, the Honda Amaze offers a number of infotainment and safety features. Let's have a look.
Honda Amaze's Notable Features
Exterior features like Advanced LED projector headlamps, headlamp integrated signature LED position lights, premium rear combination lamps, advanced front fog lamps, diamond cut two-tone multi spoke alloy wheels.
Interior features include an advanced multi-information combination meter, outside temperature display, tachometer, cruise range display, trunk lid lining and side cover, voice command, four door speakers, Bluetooth and hands-free telephone and audio streaming support, IR remote control, steering-mounted voice and audio controls, automatic climate control, dust and pollen filter, and wireless charger.
7-inch infotainment system with capacitive touchscreen or an integrated 2DIN LCD Screen Audio with Aux in Port.
Connectivity features like Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility.
Honda Amaze Safety Kit on Offer
Driver seat i-SRS Airbag System
Passenger seat SRS Airbag System
Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) Body Structure
Seat belt pretensioners - driver & passenger
Child seat anchor (ISOFIX)
Engine immobiliser
Automatic headlight control with light sensor
ABS with EBD
Rear windshield defogger
Day & night mirror inside rearview mirror
Rear parking sensor
Rear multi-view camera with guidelines
Impact sensing auto door unlock
Seatbelt indicator and reminder
High speed alert
Door ajar warning lamp
Key off reminder
Horn type
The Honda Amaze comes with two main variants: the S and VX. There is an Elite edition derived from the top trim of the VX variant. Based on powertrain combinations, there are 11 variants in total. The variants are priced quite close to each other, and each has its own offerings. There are minor differences in terms of features and amenities between the two broad trims. This leaves customers with a free choice to focus solely on their powertrain preferences. In terms of fuel efficiency and performance, the VX and the VX elite offer the best value for money quotient.
Check out: Honda Amaze Variants
Honda Amaze Feature Comparison with Rivals
In terms of infotainment features, the Aura stays ahead with its 8-inch advanced touchscreen display and 3.5-inch speedometer with multi information display. The Amaze and Dzire are close behind with similar offerings. In terms of comfort, all three cars have standard comfort amenities such as climate control, air conditioning, and connectivity. The Dzire sports a larger coloured multi-information display with dynamic screens, making it easier for drivers to take note of stats. The steering mounted controls are also on par with each other.
In terms of safety, the Aura comes with six airbags, while the Amaze and Dzire get 2. Each has its own unique and reliable build structure that acts as its primary safety guard. With respect to features, the three sedans have similar safety features, with the Aura staying slightly ahead with its tyre pressure monitoring system standard in all variants, Electronic Stability Control and Hill start Assist Control. The Dzire also gets a hill hold assist, which is missing in the Amaze.
Analysing the Honda Amaze's Premium Positioning with Its Feature List
Comparing the features of the three cars, the Aura seems to have the latest technology and safety amenities. Being a newer model, it is expected. The Amaze carries forward features across the years, with minor additions over time. The Suzuki Dzire also has standard features. The Amaze's premium positioning can be justified based on its balance of what is necessary and avoiding an overload of amenities. It has stayed ahead of many of its competitors in its decade-long existence, and directly comparing it with the Aura would not be fair in this aspect.
Honda Amaze vs Rivals: Price & Verdict
The Honda Amaze comes at a price of ₹8.27 lakhs to ₹11.30 lakhs for its 11 variants. The Maruti Suzuki Dzire comes at a price range of ₹7.52 lakhs to ₹10.67 lakhs for its nine variants. The Hyundai Aura, with its seven variants, comes at a price range of ₹7.41 lakhs to ₹10.24 lakhs. All prices are on-road prices in Delhi.
In hindsight, the Aura appears to be the most affordable option, with all its variants falling around the 10 lakh mark. However, with its seven variants, the choices are a bit limited. On the other hand, Amaze might have a higher price in terms of both base and top variants than Aura and Dzire, but it has 11 variants to choose from. The Dzire sits in the middle in terms of price and variant-based value.
Honda Amaze vs Rivals: Pros & Cons
Pros
It is quite spacious with ample legroom.
The ground clearance is impressive despite being a sedan.
Offers impressive performance on city roads and highways.
The seats are comfortable.
Lighting fixtures are powerful.
Extensive boot space.
Satin silver ornamentation feels luxurious.
Cons
It could have better safety features, including more airbags as starters.
The fuel tank is on the smaller end.
Standard OEM speakers are average.
Does not have too many advanced teach-features.
Conclusion
The Honda Amaze stands out in terms of its looks, performance, and fuel efficiency. It brings together the different acclaimed elements of its previous generation and merges them with minor facelifts to make a powerful sedan. Compared to its rivals, the Honda Amaze shines in performance, which is the area that matters the most for car buyers. It also has a unique design language, which is both classic and modern, making it an appealing choice.
Frequently Asked Questions