Honda Amaze Long Term Review
The Honda Amaze has been a game changer in the Indian compact sedan space.
The Amaze is a very important model for Honda in India. The Japanese manufacturer had established itself with the City nameplate, which literally has cult following right from the day it was launched in the late 1990’s. The Amaze was the first car in Honda’s Indian history to be powered by a diesel motor, that too in a segment which is exclusive to only the Indian subcontinent. We have reviewed the Amaze in detail in the past and were also a part of the Drive to Discover 4, in which we drove the Amaze from Vizag to Kolkata. This time, however, we use the Honda Amaze for our daily commute and find out what’s so special about this compact Honda.
In India, sub 4-metre cars get a 10 percent excise benefit and that is the main reason why manufacturers are chopping off the boot to fit their cars into this category. Naturally, these chopped trunks take away the aesthetic charm but that’s not the case with the Amaze. Thanks to clever packaging, the Honda Amaze looks very well proportioned. The engine takes up very less space as compared to the competition and this space is utilised in the cabin and boot. Based on the Brio platform, the boot is well integrated making the Honda Amaze the best looking compact sedan.
There is more space inside than what appears. The seats are quite comfortable and the integrated headrests provide a good amount of neck support. The rear passengers find enough legroom but thigh support is only average. The rear bench is slightly reclined, which helps in generating more legroom. The beige interiors look chic but are prone to get dirty over time. Overall, the Amaze is the most spacious compact sedan and this is certainly a point considered by most buyers. Audio quality is good but Bluetooth phone connectivity is sorely missed.
Power comes from the new Honda Earth Dreams, 1.5-litre i-DTEC diesel mill which produces 100 BHP and 200 NM torque. Power is more than sufficient in both city and highway situations along with gear ratios to suit both driving styles. The i-DTEC is an all aluminium engine and is comparatively more noisy than its cast iron engined competitors. We have done more than 1000 kms so far and are approaching the first oil change at 10,000 kms. We expect the noise to come down marginally and will update this in the next report. The Amaze is currently returning 15.11 km/l in the city with the efficiency going up to 17.29 km/l on the highways.
We have been using the Amaze in both city and highway scenarios. The steering is reasonably light which makes it easy to navigate through the city while it’s decently heavy at high speeds. High speed stability is pretty good too. The Amaze has been positioned as a family sedan and hence suspension is tuned more towards the comfort side. Handling is not razor sharp but decently predictable.
Honda is running to full capacity to deliver the Amaze, which is the major volume player for the Tokyo based manufacturer. Honda’s newly opened Takupara plant in Rajasthan will definitely help in catering to the demand. Honda quality is well known and the Amaze has been very well received by the consumers and has us impressed too.
