Honda Amaze has a number of practical features making it a compelling buy in the compact sedan space, and here, we list all of them
Honda Cars India has two of its top sellers in the domestic market as sedans. The Amaze and City have long been consistent performers in monthly sales for the Japanese manufacturer and their respective latest iterations are also garnering impressive volume sales. The Amaze is currently the most affordable offering from Honda and is priced between Rs. 6.56 lakh and Rs. 11.41 lakh (ex-showroom).
The facelifted Amaze was introduced last year with an added list of features and it helps the brand appeal to a wide range of customers across different age groups. So, why do so many people buy it? How is the comfort? The mileage? Driving dynamics and ride quality? AC cooling performance? These and many more questions have been asked by our readers on our social media platforms, and to find the answers, we took a Honda Amaze on a 500 km long trip recently, from Gurgaon to Jaipur in 44 degrees celsius heat.
The compact sedan is definitely the most practical offering in its competitive segment due to a number of reasons, and it’s an ideal choice for family buyers in particular. One of the biggest reasons is the large boot space of 420 litres that easily swallowed all our luggage and equipment without any worries. You can pack stuff with ease on a family outing for a weekend outing.
We found the long drive comfort of the Amaze to be unmatched in its segment during our journey. The occupants can enjoy outside views in lazy leisure, or have fun inside with their loved ones with a well-sorted entertainment package, courtesy of the neatly laid out touchscreen infotainment system. Another highlight of the little sedan is its segment-best wheelbase length of 2,470 mm offering ample space for the occupants in the cabin.
The interior feels airy thanks to the space and also the lovely dual-tone colour theme. The cruise control system made life easy for us on the highways, improving comfort for the driver as well.
The knee room, leg room and thigh support emphasise how well engineered a car the Amaze is, as you would not feel discomfort upon spending long hours as a passenger, even in the back seats. The AC worked brilliantly in the summer heat, keeping us cool throughout the journey without complaints.
Having a low kerb weight is another plus for Honda’s sub-four-metre sedan. That, combined with a responsive chassis, made our drive very engaging and fun. Interestingly, the ride quality still remains on the plush side despite the impressive handling. In addition, we greatly appreciated the ergonomics of the car; all the controls are positioned smartly and the infotainment touchscreen is also easy to use.
The planted driveability is another piece of armour in the arsenal for Honda Amaze, and even at three-digit speeds, you would feel confident behind the wheel with best-in-class suspension. Regardless of its compact dimensions, the sedan offers a comfortable rear row and can be used as a chauffeur-driven car as well, for the people who prefer it that way. The driver’s cockpit allows for a relaxed posture, and even when the going gets tough, the supple suspension keeps things comfy.
A lot of buyers opt for sedans over SUVs (or others) purely for the aesthetic, and the Amaze hits a home run in this aspect with its muscular styling. Our favourite aspect is the flat front fascia with the chrome embellished horizontal grille, which gives the sedan a pony car-style look. The Amaze is the most stylish compact sedan thanks to its Accord-inspired front end, and it even has a proper sedan look when viewed from the sides despite being a sub-four-metre vehicle.
As synonymous with Honda cars, the Amaze boasts of a fuel-efficient and refined i-VTEC petrol engine – a 1.2-litre four-cylinder powerplant for the little sedan. Moreover, it is the only sedan in its segment available with a smooth CVT automatic transmission.
In our run, we achieved an average fuel economy of 18.2 kmpl as per the MID of the car. As per our own calculations, the real-life fuel economy turned out to be 17.97 kmpl, which isn’t a huge deviation from the car’s onboard computer. Impressive indeed!
Honda Amaze has a good turning radius, making it easy to manoeuvre in bumper-to-bumper city traffic and even in tight parking spaces, which is another aspect we greatly admired. Last but not the least, the four-star Global NCAP rating certifies it as one of the safest cars money can buy right now for under Rs. 10 lakh.