Why would I buy it?
- Frugal diesel with AT convenience
- Spacious sedan with a big boot
Why would I avoid it?
- The petrol engine feels a bit lethargic
- Misses some modern-age features
Verdict
The Indian market is buzzing with SUVs and the sentiment for buying a sedan is all the more diminishing. Now, with this increasing SUV-crazy consumer base, it looks highly unlikely that a new buyer will choose a compact sedan. And why not, when he or she is getting something that's more trending at a similar price. Yet, a three-box vehicle design has its advantages like a safe, spacious cabin, big boot, rewarding fuel efficiency, smooth ride, and a premium feel. Well, all of which this Amaze has in spades. No to forget, the Honda City, Hyundai Verna, and similar sedans look out of reach with their higher pricing. That's where this compact sedan steps in, and will continue to cater as a key player to the entry-level executive sedan buyers.
Engine and Performance
7.5 / 10
This 2021 Honda Amaze is a facelift and hence remains mechanically unchanged from the one sold earlier. Still, to give you a background, its powertrains include a 1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine producing 90bhp and 110Nm of torque. This mill comes mated to either a five-speed manual or a CVT. The other engine option is a 1.5-litre turbo diesel motor, which makes 99bhp of power and 200Nm when paired with a manual gearbox. We have sampled the one mated to a CVT which produces 80bhp and 160Nm of torque.
Honda's efforts in improving NVH levels show up with the diesel engine noise just being heard as a muffled note than a constant irritating clatter. Even on the run, the road noise is minimal. This CVT's biggest advantage is that there's no head shake, it masks the turbo-lag well, and is quick to accelerate while overtaking. A good mid-range and the additional torque come in handy for it to get going, whether in the city or out on the highway. There's even an 'L' mode if you wish to use up the torque more, and then the 'S' mode to allow you to rev till its redline at 4,000rpm. One may complain about the absence of paddle shifters, but as the engine gets noisy at high revs, you'd better stick to the 'D' mode and cruise comfortably instead of wringing out performance.
The petrol CVT model on the other hand is relatively silent with refinement levels way better than the diesel. That said, this four-cylinder motor does get a little noisy when revved hard. Keep it in 'D' mode and it will take its own sweet time to make progress with light throttle inputs. If you're not patient enough, you’ll end up accelerating more to take the revs more than 4,000rpm. This is when the engine gets very noisy and even the rubber-band effect of the CVT gets more pronounced. Nonetheless, this seven-step CVT comes with paddle-shifters to give you that extra control, and there's even an 'S' mode to let you pull till its redline at 6,600rpm.
If fuel efficiency figures are anything to go buy, the Honda Amaze has always been termed as one of the most fuel-efficient sedans. And reasonably so with real-world figures achievable quite close to the ARAI-claimed figures of 24.7kmpl for the diesel manual and 21kmpl for the CVT version. Similarly, the petrol model isn't bad either with a certified economy of 18.6kmpl for the manual and 18.3kmpl for the CVT.
Ride and Handling
7 / 10
Honda has managed to tune the sedan's suspension to provide a nice and comfortable ride by absorbing most bumps and undulations given our drastic road conditions. It has enough travel to not crash through potholes and dampen the thud. However, sharp potholes will have to be taken with caution as the suspension noise is then audible in the cabin. Also, 170mm of ground clearance will become a concern with a full load of passengers over speed-breakers. Otherwise, it tackles the regular potholes of the road without much hassle. Also, this soft suspension has lent it some vertical movement which will be flagged by rear occupants at high speeds, uneven roads, and flyover expansion joints.
The Amaze is also not the richest in terms of feel and feedback from the steering, but quite manageable when it comes to driving it sanely. The steering feels light and yet weighs up adequately with the increment in speed. However, attack some corners with speed and you'll realise it's not the quickest to change direction and the car continues to understeer if you’re carrying too much speed than required. Nonetheless, it's quite predictable. Body roll is also evident and it’s best not to push around bends in the interest of all passengers' comfort. Still, there's sufficient grip from the Bridgestones on the diesel and even the MRFs on the petrol, as one can stop the car confidently even under panic braking.
Interior Space and Comfort
7.5 / 10
Getting in and out of the car is easy. It’s got good all-around visibility and is a pleasant place with the dual-tone dashboard and new fabric upholstery. The quality of materials used remains the same with a satisfactory feel and no wow factor as such. It's still not perfect to provide a good driver's position for individuals who are very tall and lacks under-thigh support as well. Thankfully, things fall within reach, making it an ergonomic place with enough space for bottle-holders and many stowage and storage places.
Ingress/egress is again good for the rear seats with a good recline angle for the backrest, and more than adequate legroom and knee-room. But then again, for tall individuals, the roof might seem a little close for comfort. And though the floorboard is flat, seating three occupants on the rear seat will be a squeeze. Then, there are no rear AC vents/blowers which help in circulating the car better and quicker. Still, the car's USP remains the 420 litres boot space that will easily accommodate two big bags with a little more space to put in your soft bag-packs.
Features and Equipment
7 / 10
A quick look at the feature list will tell you that all the three trims are specced well with the top-spec VX variant getting additional features over and above the ones available in the entry-level E and S trims. The facelift brings in new auto LED projector headlamps with LED DRLs and LED fog lamps, along with C-shaped LED tail lamps. Then, there's a new multi-layered chrome grille, chrome door handles, and the car rides on 15-inch diamond-cut 10-spoke dual-tone alloy wheels. The top-of-the-line VX trim also gets exclusive new beige seat fabrics. Other noteworthy features include automatic climate control, voice commands, two USB ports, push-button start/stop, keyless entry, keyless boot release, pinch-guard driver window, and rear windscreen defogger.
The 7.0-inch touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay could have done better with its interface, response, and feel. Also, the Amaze was expected to feature a segment-first electric sunroof, but that's not the case. Then, giving an air-purifier and ambient lighting a miss is okay, but with customers getting tech-savvy these days, adding a standard wireless phone charger could have been practical. Also, many manufacturers have already moved from digital instrument clusters to one big long screen, so analogue meters feel outdated in this day and age.
Safety
7.5 / 10
As a part of the safety suite, dual front airbags, ABS with EBD, Isofix child seat mounts, and parking sensors are standard across the trims, with these top-spec variants getting a reverse camera as well. Also, the halogen lamps might look inadequate on the base variants as the top-spec ones get LED projector headlamps and a DRL. Inside, rear headrests are still fixed even though the front ones became separate adjustable ones unlike the fixed ones in the first-gen avatar. No, you still don't get ESP, but Honda is offering an 'anytime' 10-year warranty, the highest in its segment.
Conclusion
7 / 10
Sedans no longer dominate the Indian roads, but compact sedans are still considered given their price point. Entry-level pricing of Rs 6.32 lakh is enticing and even the on-road pricing of the top-spec CVTs (Rs 13.51 lakh Diesel AT, Rs 10.71 lakh petrol AT) keeps it way lower than the similarly specced compact SUVs. With this update, Honda has revised its styling bits with some new features. Yet, the Amaze still is one of the best in terms of smoothness, comfort, space, ride quality, diesel's good drivability, and given its a Honda - hassle-free ownership as well. Prospective buyers of a compact sedan will not have to rethink while considering the Amaze.
Pictures by Kapil Angane
