Honda Amaze VX (O) review, test drive

The Honda Amaze VX(O) is the new top-of-the-line variant in the Amaze line-up. What it essentially adds is a 15.7cm (about 6.2-inch) touchscreen interface that’s borrowed from the Mobilio, and more aesthetically pleasing white-painted dials instead of the earlier orange ones. All of which adds around Rs 45,000 to the previous top-spec model. So the VX(O) trims are priced at Rs 7.32 lakh for the petrol manual and Rs 8.20 lakh for the diesel version.

Honda organised a 400km drive for us in the VX(O)s from Ahmedabad to the salt flats of the Rann of Kutch. My first thought was, that’s quite a drive to test a new infotainment system, but then the distance helped refresh my memory of what the Amaze is all about. Before I get into that, let’s look at the biggest addition on the car. The touch-based infotainment screen, Audio Visual Navigation (AVN) system as Honda calls it, adds a wide range of sound and video support that includes a CD/DVD player, USB input, Bluetooth telephony and audio (that’s easy to pair with) and a voice-guided GPS system with preloaded maps. 

I started the drive towards the Rann of Kutch in the diesel Amaze — a car we’ve given a fair bit of stick to for being a bit too noisy. However, as part of their continuous improvement process, Honda says they’ve been working on improving the refinement of the Amaze. The car I was about to drive is supposed to have benefitted from this.