Honda Amaze Expert Review

The Honda Amaze gets a thorough makeover that gives it sharper road presence while staying true to its compact sedan roots. The front fascia borrows design cues from the Honda Elevate with a vertical grille, chrome accents and revised LED-style headlamps, giving it a more mature, upmarket face. Side-mounted door mirrors and wider 185/60 R15 tyres with diamond-cut alloys lift the overall stance, while the rear silhouette takes inspiration from the Honda City’s tail-lamp design.

Engineering remains straightforward — the Amaze continues with a 1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine paired with either a 5-speed manual or a CVT automatic. There’s no factory-fitted CNG option, though a dealer-installed CNG kit is offered under warranty.

Honda has kept the Amaze’s cabin simple yet functional. The minimalist dashboard echoes the Elevate’s layout, with an 8-inch touchscreen and a semi-digital instrument cluster blending analogue and digital elements. Dual-tone beige-black interiors add brightness, though soft-touch materials are limited.

Front seats are supportive but lack under-thigh support, and there’s no front centre armrest — niggles that become more evident on long drives. Rear passengers get good support and backrest angle, but the narrow cabin makes three abreast a squeeze and headroom is tight for taller occupants. The class-leading 416-litre boot remains a strong practical highlight.

Powering the Amaze is Honda’s 1.2-litre i-VTEC petrol making around 89 bhp and 110 Nm, paired with a 5-speed manual or CVT. The engine is smooth and rev-happy, but weak below 2,000 rpm, necessitating frequent gear changes in city traffic.

The CVT masks the engine’s low-end shortcomings well, keeping revs in the sweet spot and making it feel more effortless in stop-go conditions. Sport mode and paddle shifters help when overtaking or engine braking. However, the typical ‘rubber-band’ feel under hard acceleration remains. Cabin insulation could be better, with wind, road and engine noise filtering in at higher speeds.

Official fuel efficiency ratings for the Amaze hover around a respectable 18.65 kmpl (manual) and 19.46 kmpl (CVT), aided by the lightweight engine and smooth transmissions. Real-world figures can vary, but the CVT especially helps keep fuel use in check in urban conditions.

Ride quality leans decidedly towards comfort. The suspension absorbs smaller bumps with ease and isolating urban ruts is a strong suit. Ground clearance is about 172 mm, which helps on uneven surfaces, though a fully loaded car can compress rear suspension over large speed breakers.

Steering is well-weighted and predictable at low speeds, and the tight turning radius makes city manoeuvres effortless. Body roll is noticeable due to the soft setup, but this doesn’t detract from everyday usability.

A major talking point is the camera-based Level-2 ADAS suite, including adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, autonomous emergency braking and blind-spot monitoring — making the Amaze one of the most affordable cars in India with such technology. Six airbags, ABS with EBD, stability control, rear AC vents, wireless Android Auto/Apple CarPlay and wireless charging add to the equipment pack.

Missing features like a sunroof, 360° camera and front centre armrest may disappoint against some rivals.

Priced roughly between ₹8 lakh and ₹10.9 lakh (ex-showroom India), the Amaze sits above some rivals like the Maruti Dzire and Tata Tigor but brings ADAS tech and strong practicality to the core compact sedan segment.

While not class-leading in performance or cabin luxury, its refinement, user-friendly ergonomics and safety tech make it a compelling choice for buyers prioritising comfort, everyday usability and advanced driver aids — especially in the automatic CVT variants.