my review of the new Honda Amaze

Honda Amaze

The first paragraph contains all the technical details and history of the car and the following paragraphs will be about my opinion when compared with its competition. The last paragraph is my final verdict.

To start of the new Amaze is built on a completely new platform, that being said the same engines have been reworked and used even in the new car. There are the same petrol and diesel engines on offer. The petrol unit is a 1.2L rev-happy engine is available in two option of a cvt or a 5 speed manual transmission the power output is 90hp and 110nm of torque this is the same as the old version. The manual gets 19.5km/L and the auto gets 19km/L. the diesel engine is also fitted with a manual or a cvt, it is the first time the diesel is being offered with the cvt. The manual diesel churns out 100hp and 200nm of torque, shift to the cvt and the output reduces to 80hp and 160nm of torque, this has been done for a much smoother power delivery, if it was not reduced then it would have cause the cvt to constantly slip.

Coming to the dimensions the Amaze has grown. The amaze is now not based on the Honda Brio anymore, here are the exact dimensions, L: 3995mm, W: 1685mm and H: 1500mm. the fuel tank capacity is 35L and the boot space has increased from 400L to 420L which is class leading. The rear seats have now been pushed back slightly and there is an increase in legroom by 25mm, this does not compensate for the lack of rear AC vents and moderate amount of head room, to add to this the rear head rests are still fixed. Move to the front and you are welcomed by a new touch screen, which supports apple car play, android auto and a reversing camera and sensors. This helps the amaze stay up to date. The front seats are new and feature adjustable head rests for both front seats and height adjustability for the driver seat. What isn’t that welcoming is the dashboard, it is made with hard and scratchy plastics, which over shadow the nice AC controls and touch screen. One thing to note I did not get a chance to actually use the touch screen, but it looked rather nice and responsive.

how is the ride quality ?

 the new amaze is now 17kg lighter than the old amaze even though the car has grown in size, this is due to the use of high tensile steel. the suspension geometry has been changed and is complimented with strengthened suspension parts. All this adds up to giving it a comfortable ride and handling, however certain bumps still cause the thud noise. the steering has a very progressive feedback and is nice to drive in the city.   

Do I like the design?

No, for all the appreciation it has received for looking completely different from the old amaze, I find it to box like. Now things that could uplifted the cars overall appearance from the outside would be, LED or projector headlamps maybe diamond cut alloys for the highest trim.

How much does it cost? And how expensive is it to maintain?    

The Amaze has four main variants E, S, V, and VX. Want the cvt version then you can chose between S and V only. In the brochure Honda mentions that the maintenance cost for the petrol is 3,500 rupees and for the diesel it is 4,900 rupees.

There are 5 colors to choose from and I prefer the lunar silver metallic or the modern steel metallic.

Would I buy the Amaze or recommend someone to buy it?

If someone is looking at a spacious, reliable, well put together, and a practical buy I would recommend the Amaze as it is value for money. But then comes its competitors and the segment leading Suzuki Dzire which is more fuel efficient and has advantages such as more services centers less expensive to maintain better looking and even better lights, the list goes on and on. Hence I would say that if you are looking at the two and wondering which is the less expensive one, well it is the Amaze however you will miss out on the features offered by the slightly more expensive Dzire. Hence that brings me to the end of my review.