New Honda Amaze CVT 2024 First Drive Review: Value For Money Package

The new Amaze seems to borrow heavily from the Honda family design DNA which is no bad thing as the face is similar to the Elevate while the rear is plucked from the City

The new Amaze scores on practicality too with cupholders and big enough door pockets.

Source : Somnath Chatterjee

For Honda, sedans matter more as its legacy has been built on the City but now it is the Amaze that would be its new volume seller as it enters the fiercely competitive Rs 5- 15 lakh space with a sub 4m offering. The new Amaze only comes with three variants while it has a four cylinder 1.2 l petrol along with some first in segment features. The talking point here is the fact that it is the most affordable car with ADAS in India while pricing starts at Rs 8 lakh.

Honda Amaze: Exterior Review And Styling

The new Amaze seems to borrow heavily from the Honda family design DNA which is no bad thing as the face is similar to the Elevate while the rear is plucked from the City. The front end has a thick chrome line while the styling is proportionate along with 15 inch wheels. It looks much more aggressive than the previous gen model while from the side it shows a hint of the earlier Amaze as well. Build quality is satisfactory while paint finish is good too. 

Honda Amaze: Interior Review And Space

Step inside and the interiors are much more modern with design elements borrowed from its bigger sibling, City. There is a dual-tone colour scheme while the pattern on the dashboard is an interesting touch. Elsewhere, there is a Honda City like part digital instrument cluster which we think looks neat and blends in well with an analogue look.

Quality is good while the main highlight here is a 8-inch touchscreen which we felt is too basic in its look. That said, you get connected car tech, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless charger, push button start/stop, ADAS, a rear view camera and more. However, there is no sunroof.

The rear camera, while not being a 360 degree unit, has customisable views and works well. The new Amaze scores on practicality too with cupholders and big enough door pockets. The rear seats are spacious and it is amongst the most spacious in class while importantly, there are all headrests at the rear though the armrest is placed too low while thigh support is excellent. There are AC vents here while the 416l boot is easily the largest in class.

 

Honda Amaze: Engine Performance And Mileage

The standard 1.2l petrol is a four cylinder unit with 90bhp 110Nm with either a 5-speed manual or a CVT automatic. We drove the CVT automatic with paddle shifters and the engine is extremely smooth along with being refined too. The refinement and the smoothness is a highlight while at low speeds, the steering is light and the compact size makes it easier to drive around congested cities that we live in. The low-speed ride quality is very good too as the suspension is tough to take on our roads while the 172mm ground clearance helps as well.

The CVT works very well as an everyday car with quick shifts while even at higher speeds, the presence of paddle shifters makes for quicker overtakes although the engine becomes a bit loud. The engine is tuned for lower speeds but for buyers, the refinement plus the CVT stands out. We tried the ADAS features and found that they are not too sensitive and work with our road conditions. Mileage is around 19.4 kmpl for the CVT but in the real world, expected 12-13 kmpl.

 

Honda Amaze Review: Final Verdict

The new Honda Amaze is now a much more desirable offering while the Rs 10.9 lakh model as tested here will give you more features and space over a similarly priced subcompact SUV.  Sure, the engine could be more fun and it misses out on a sunroof, but, the four cylinder engine, CVT, space and features like ADAS make it a great value package. As a compact sedan, it is the only one to get these features and that's what makes it stand out right now in this crowded market.