New Honda Amaze First Drive Review: Should You Dzire This?

Honda Cars India's first and only launch for 2024 has arrived quite late in the year. The Amaze, Honda's most affordable offering in India and its best-seller, has been updated to maintain its momentum. The car now features a refreshed design language inspired by the larger City and Elevate. It also comes equipped with additional features, updated mechanicals, and camera-based ADAS technology. We tested it in sunny Goa to determine if it's worth your attention.
 

Exterior

The styling updates align with Honda's current design language. Up front, the massive grille is reminiscent of the Elevate, while the rear resembles a mini City. The side profile remains boxy and proportional, closely resembling the previous-gen Amaze. Notable updates include new door-mounted mirrors and new 15-inch alloy wheels wrapped in wider 185/60-section tyres. The car is now 38 mm wider, giving it a more confident stance.

Interior and Features

The Honda Amaze's interior adopts a design similar to the Elevate but lacks soft-touch materials. Certain dashboard patterns appear soft-touch but are, in fact, hard plastic. That said, the overall fit and finish are excellent, as expected from Honda. The 8-inch floating touchscreen is decent but feels small compared to the larger, more modern units found in other sub-4m cars. The use of black and beige upholstery enhances the cabin's appeal.
 

The front seats are comfortable but lack adequate thigh support. There's no standard front armrest, but one can be purchased as an accessory. The rear seats are best suited for two passengers, as the middle seat is narrow and better suited for a teenager. Rear headroom is limited for anyone taller than 5'10". However, the rear does feature AC vents, three fixed headrests, and segment-leading 416 litres of boot space.

Features

The Amaze includes a semi-digital instrument cluster with a 7-inch display, seemingly borrowed from the City. It provides all essential information in an easy-to-read format. The steering wheel integrates controls for audio and the ADAS system.

Notably, the Amaze is India's most affordable car with Level 2 ADAS, featuring a camera-based system. It includes adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist (functional above 72 km/h), autonomous emergency braking, and a blind spot monitor. The adaptive cruise control works well and is available with the manual variant too, although manual drivers will need to manage gears to maintain activation.

Safety and Convenience

Additional features include six airbags, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, rain-sensing wipers, a walk-away lock function, and remote engine start/stop for pre-cooling the cabin. However, it misses out on features like a sunroof and a 360-degree camera, which the Dzire offers.
 

Driving Experience

The Amaze continues with its 1.2-litre, 4-cylinder petrol engine delivering 90 hp and 110 Nm of torque. The engine is rev-happy, gaining momentum after 2,000 rpm and pulling strongly up to 6,700 rpm. While low-end response is a bit sluggish, performance becomes adequate once past that range. Honda has shortened the first and second gears in the manual variant, improving 40-100 km/h acceleration by 1.4 seconds. The clutch is light, and the gear shifts are smooth and precise, making it user-friendly. The CVT has also improved, feeling less sluggish and providing enough performance to overtake slower vehicles on highways.
 

The ride quality is comfort-oriented, effortlessly absorbing sharp potholes. Ground clearance has increased by 2 mm to 172 mm but could still struggle over large bumps when fully loaded. Body roll is noticeable but remains better controlled than in comparable SUVs.

There's no CNG on offer but Honda dealers will offer a retrofitted unit for a premium of Rs 1 lakh. Thankfully, this fitment will not void the official warranty. 

 

Verdict

The Amaze has always been a well-rounded product, and the latest updates further enhance its strengths. It offers improved features, enhanced safety tech, and a more refined CVT, compensating for the naturally aspirated engine's average performance. While it may lack the flashy appeal of the updated Dzire, the Amaze doesn't have any major drawbacks to deter potential buyers.