Japanese carmaker Honda launched a brand-new gen of the Amaze Sedan in India back in 2018. Three years later, the company has given a mid-life facelift to its highest selling car in India that many believe is the benchmark in the segment at least when it comes to design and drive train options. On the facelift, Honda has made a lot of changes on the face and a few on the profile, rear as well as inside. The engine and gearbox options though remain the same.
LOOKS
The face of the new Amaze has gone in for a complete makeover when compared to the pre-facelift car. The chrome laden grille is all new and gets 2 new slim horizontal slats that make the car look more appealing than earlier. Till now the Amaze used to only come with halogen lamps, now it gets LED projector lamps and LED daytime running lamps which are designed very attractively. The car also gets LED fog lamps which are surrounded by a chrome garnish. On the profile the big change is the new dual tone 15-inch diamond cut alloy wheels while the door handles now also get chrome. LEDs are also available on the C-shaped tail lamps and Honda has also introduced a Meteoroid grey colour option on the car.
INTERIORS
A new silver garnish makes its presence felt on the steering wheel, doors, and dashboard. The bucket seats on the front row offer good comfort and the seat upholstery gets a new stitching pattern. The front map lamps are also new. The 7.0-inch digipad 2.0 touch screen infotainment system which is compatible with Apple car Play and Android auto remains the same as before. The instrument cluster looks quite premium despite remaining largely analogue with a small multi-information display in the centre. You also get features like Automatic climate control, start/stop button, rear parking camera, voice commands, height adjustable drivers’ seat and steering mounted controls in the Amaze. The rear seat offers good space and the armrest adds to comfort. The boot space remains the same at 420 litres.
ENGINE
Like earlier, the Amaze is being offered with both Petrol and Diesel engines and both get manual and CVT options. The 5-speed Diesel manual is the most powerful where the 1,498 cc 4-cylinder motor makes 99 bhp and 200 Nm. With the CVT Automatic this engine makes 79 bhp and 160 Nm. At 24.7 kmpl, the Diesel manual also offers the best fuel efficiency. On the CVT, you still get a decent 21.0 kmpl. Honda has made improvements when it comes to NVH levels on this engine, but remember this is a diesel so it will make some noise.
The 1.2 litre 4-cylinder Petrol engine makes 89 bhp and 110 Nm and offers a mileage of around 18.5 kmpl on both manual and CVT. The CVT here also gets paddle shifts while the manual comes with cruise control. A good mix of ride and handling is what you get on the Amaze. The aerodynamic shape of the car has always helped and due to this the car offers great stability, even at high speeds. The suspension is tuned quite well, and the uneven surfaces are taken care of quite well on the car. Talking about safety, the Amaze gets dual airbags, ABS with EBD and ISOFIX child seat mounts as standard features.
PRICES
The Amaze facelift has been priced starting at Rs 6.32 lakh which goes up to Rs 9.05 lakh for the Petrol variants while the Diesel models are priced between Rs 8.66 lakh and Rs 11.50 lakh, all prices ex-showroom. The two main rivals of the Amaze are Maruti Dzire and Hyundai Aura and it comes at a slight premium when compares to both these cars. But it continues to be well-proportioned car which looks the best in its segment. The exterior is now even more attractive, and the cabin also feels more premium. And CVT, specially on Diesel is a novelty.
The writer is Senior Editor at carandbike.com