New Honda Amaze 2018 Launch Tomorrow; May Undercut Maruti Dzire's Prices

Agencies Updated at: 15 May 2018 10:30 AM (IST)

The Amaze will be available in 4 variants with the option of an automatic transmission with the diesel engine for the first time

Honda is set to launch the new Amaze in India on 16 May 2018. The second-gen Amaze is based on a new platform but gets the same petrol and diesel engines as before. However, this time around, Honda will pair its diesel engine with an automatic transmission as well. The Amaze will be available in 4 variants: E, S, V and VX, and the CVT (automatic) will be on offer on the S and V variants with both the engines.

The new platform has allowed Honda to make the Amaze more spacious than before as the wheelbase of the new model is longer than the first-gen by 65mm. Honda claims that by doing that, rear passenger knee room has gone up by 40mm. Other than the wheelbase, overall width has increased by 15mm and the boot now measures 420 litres by volume, 40 litres more than before. Interesting read: New Honda Amaze review in pictures.

The first-gen Amaze was not as feature-rich as its peers but Honda seems to have worked on that front too. So, on the top variant, the Amaze will now get a touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, rear parking sensors and camera, cruise control, automatic climate control, alloy wheels and push start/stop ignition.

Spec comparison: New Honda Amaze vs Maruti Suzuki Dzire

Features like height-adjustable driver’s seat, tilt-adjustable steering wheel with audio controls, rear parking sensors, electrically adjustable and foldable ORVMs, keyless entry, alloy wheels and climate control will be available on the V variant as well. Safety features like ABS and dual front airbags will be standard across the range.

Spec comparison: New Honda Amaze vs Ford Aspire vs VW Ameo vs Tata Tigor

Honda will not offer the option of automatic transmission (CVT) on the top VX variant of the Amaze, at least at launch. So, it’ll be on offer on just the S and V variants, with paddle shifters for changing gears available on the V variant only, and that too with just the petrol engine. The S and V variant will, however, get a 2 DIN audio player with steering-mounted controls.

Honda reveals standard warranty details of the new Amaze. Click here to read in detail.

The second-gen Amaze will be available with the same engines as before, that too in the same state of tune. So, the 1.2-litre petrol engine still makes 90PS of maximum power and 110Nm of peak torque. Fuel efficiency for this engine has gone up from 17.8kmpl to 19.5kmpl for the manual transmission and from 18.1kmpl to 19kmpl for the CVT. The petrol-powered 2018 Amaze is nearly 40kg lighter than the first-gen model.

The diesel Amaze with manual transmission is almost 52kg lighter than the first generation. The 1.5-litre diesel engine still makes 100PS of maximum power and 200Nm of peak torque. It is more fuel efficient that the previous model with the claimed mileage per litre at 27.4kmpl, up from 25.8kmpl.

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This time around, the Amaze will also be available with an option of an automatic transmission with the diesel engine. But the diesel-CVT Amaze will be less powerful than its manual sibling despite sharing the 1.5-litre engine. The diesel-CVT powertrain will deliver a maximum power of 80PS and peak torque of 160Nm, 20PS and 40Nm short of the power and torque output with manual transmission. To know how big or small is the impact of the reduced power, read our review of the new Amaze.

We expect the 2018 Honda Amaze to start from Rs 5.39 lakh and go up to Rs 9.43 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), undercutting the Dzire on the price chart. To read our detailed expected price report, click here. The Amaze will rival other sub-compact sedans in its segment like the Maruti Suzuki Dzire, Hyundai Xcent, Ford Aspire, Volkswagen Ameo and Tata Tigor.