Honda’s most awaited car of recent times – the Amaze – will hit showrooms near you on 11th April, 2013. The bookings for the Honda's first ever diesel car has also been kick-started across the nation. Honda Amaze will be powered by a 1.5-L i-DTEC diesel engine that is capable of producing 100PS (98-99bhp) of maximum power output and returning 25.8kmpl of fuel efficiency. With this power and mileage, Honda Amaze will become India's most fuel efficient and most powerful sedan in its segment, leaving behind its arch rival Maruti Swift Dzire.
The Honda Amaze sedan will be an important car for the Japanese manufacturer. Not only is it going to be the first diesel Honda in India, but it is also entering a lucrative segment; one where the numbers are reasonably high and the profits decent. The car had its global launch in Thailand on the 25th of November 2012.
Looks:
The Amaze is based on the Brio but unlike other boot-on-hatch jobs, it has designed from the ground up to be a proper small sedan. It is longer than its hatchback sibling slightly wider and a little taller at the back to increase shoulder and head room. The length is different, though; it will be just under-four meters to avail of the excise benefits of being a small car. The wheelbase is 62mm longer, at 2407mm.
The Amaze is based on the Brio but unlike other boot-on-hatch jobs, it has designed from the ground up to be a proper small sedan. It is longer than its hatchback sibling slightly wider and a little taller at the back to increase shoulder and head room. The length is different, though; it will be just under-four meters to avail of the excise benefits of being a small car. The wheelbase is 62mm longer, at 2407mm.
The Amaze still has a very unconventional styling – just like the Brio. Unlike most Honda models the design is not subtle. You will either love it or absolutely hate it. But we have a feeling that a larger number will like the looks of this entry-level sedan. In the front, the Amaze has got a completely new grille to differentiate it from its hatchback sibling but shares other components like the headlights and bumpers. The sides and the rear have changed too for obvious reasons. The rear end now has quite a useable boot of around 420 litres which is significantly higher than its chief rival the Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire.
Interiors:
On the inside, not much has changed, other than the upholstery getting a different colour scheme and a bench in the back to seat three if necessary. The interiors will be typical Honda with beige and black combination. The extra 62mm in the wheelbase will go into increasing the rear legroom, making it a much more comfortable.
On the inside, not much has changed, other than the upholstery getting a different colour scheme and a bench in the back to seat three if necessary. The interiors will be typical Honda with beige and black combination. The extra 62mm in the wheelbase will go into increasing the rear legroom, making it a much more comfortable.
Engine & Transmission:
The Honda Amaze petrol will be powered by an i-VTEC 1.2-litre mill that currently powers the Brio hatchback and the Jazz. The diesel version gets a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbocharged i-DTEC engine that produces around 90bhp. It is based on the Japanese automakers 1.6-litre diesel engine that was launched with the Civic diesel in Europe.
The Honda Amaze petrol will be powered by an i-VTEC 1.2-litre mill that currently powers the Brio hatchback and the Jazz. The diesel version gets a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbocharged i-DTEC engine that produces around 90bhp. It is based on the Japanese automakers 1.6-litre diesel engine that was launched with the Civic diesel in Europe.
There will be the option of a five-speed manual or a five-speed automatic (petrol only). The sedan is just 26kg heavier than the hatch, so we do not expect a dip in fuel efficiency (believed to be 25kmpl) over the hatch. The same engine will be used in the new 2014 City sedan and a compact-crossover based on the Jazz as well as the brio but with higher power and torque figures courtesy a reworked ECU.
