The second-generation Honda Amaze made its global debut at the 2018 Auto Expo, underlining the compact sedan’s importance for the Indian market. Honda says that the new model has been developed specifically for India at its Asia Pacific R&D centre in Thailand, based on findings drawn from extensive market surveys conducted in India. Here are the five most vital things you should know about the new Honda Amaze that has launched at Rs 5.60 lakh:
It's re-entering a very competitive segment
The new Amaze sees fierce competition from the Maruti Suzuki Dzire (Rs 5.56-9.43 lakh), Hyundai’s Xcent (Rs 5.46-8.58 lakh), Volkswagen Ameo (Rs 5.62-10.02 lakh), Tata Tigor (Rs 4.84-7.19 lakh) and the Ford Aspire (Rs 5.72-8.08 lakh), the last of which is due for an update quite soon. Honda does have some segment-firsts to help the new Amaze retain a competitive edge – like paddleshifters on the CVT and cruise control.
CVT automatic comes with both engines
Under the new car's hood, you’ll find the previous-gen Amaze’s engines. The same 90hp, 1.2-litre petrol or 100hp, 1.5-litre diesel motors are mated to a five-speed manual gearbox. Although, the highlight of the second-gen model is that both these engines get the option of a CVT automatic, while it was only available on the petrol on the first-gen Amaze. In a bid to help prolong its transmission life and ensure smoother performance, power figures on the diesel-automatic combination drop by about 20 percent – to 80hp and 160Nm of peak torque.
CVT only available on mid-spec S and V trims
With prices starting at Rs 5.60 lakh for the base petrol-manual and going up to Rs 8.00 lakh for the V CVT petrol (the top-spec VX variant is manual-only and is priced at Rs 7.58 lakh), the new Amaze is on-par with rivals. The petrol-automatic trims are priced between Rs 7.40 and Rs 8.00 lakh, which is competitive for its segment. The diesel-engined variants – priced between Rs 6.60 lakh and Rs 9.00 lakh – are also priced at about the same level as its competition. When compared to the Maruti Dzire AMT (Rs 7.91-9.43 lakh), the only other compact sedan with a diesel-automatic option, the base diesel Amaze with the CVT is about Rs 51,000 less expensive, while the higher V CVT is nearly Rs 43,000 cheaper.
Looks better than its predecessor
The first-gen Honda Amaze was one of the nicer looking cars of the first crop of compact sedans and things have improved for the better on the second-gen model. There’s a more prominent bonnet section, a neatly done rear end and, in general, a greater balance to the design. There’s more than a hint of larger Honda sedans to the styling, and the grille design, with its chrome garnish, serves to link the Amaze to the updated City. New 10-spoke alloy wheels round up the changes on the outside.
It’s bigger on the inside
On the inside, the new Amaze gets a touchscreen infotainment system that takes pride of place on the black-and-beige two-tone dashboard. Interior quality sees a jump up too and Honda seems to have carved out a vital few millimetres in every direction to make the cabin feel even more spacious than the original’s. In fact, Honda claims that there is 45mm more shoulder room, 10mm more rear headroom and 25mm more space between the front and rear seats. Boot space is now up by 20 litres, bringing it to a total of 420 litres.
Viraaj Bhatnagar
Uday Singh
Suraj Viswanathan
