What’s it like? A minor facelift and a lot of noise around it?
The Amaze, Honda’s biggest Fortune changer in recent times, has gone under the knife. After selling 2 lakh units in a span of three years, the compact sedan will now boast a new face. This time, with some added chrome and more in sync with Honda’s design language.
Up front, it gets a redesigned bumper, the one that makes it look like a big car and a new grille with more chrome that before. Overall, it makes the Amaze look younger and more pronounced. At the back, bumper and tailgate design remains the same, but the tail-lamps see a change in styling.
Changes are restricted only to the exterior?
Thankfully, no. Honda has changed a lot on the inside and it now looks more like the Jazz, the dash. It’s clutter-free and the quality of plastics is better this time around. The instrument cluster, too, is like the Jazz – more Jazzy than what it used to be. It shows far more information than before. The music system, too, has been updated with the one that gets Bluetooth connectivity.
So, it’s all cosmetic, isn’t it?
No, it isn’t. While the designers were busy restyling the Amaze, the engineers were busy mating the Jazz’s CVT to the Amaze’s petrol engine. It’s a nice piece of kit that changes ratios seamlessly, keeping the engine at the exact point where it’s the most fuel efficient. And for days when you need to reach your destination real quick, there’s a ‘S’ mode that keeps the engine on the boil, where most of the 1.2-litre engine’s power lies.
That’s good. What about engine options?
There’s no change in the engines and Honda gives you two choices – 1.2-litre petrol that churns out 88bhp and 109Nm, and 1.5-litre oil burner that develops 99bhp and 200Nm. Apart from the new CVT mated to the petrol, nothing changes mechanically.
Have they tried to reduce the NVH levels in the cabin?
Yeah, finally you won’t be able to hear so much of the diesel clatter in the cabin.
Has Honda also jumped the AMT bandwagon?
Thankfully, not. It is more kicked about CVT-tech than an automated manual gearbox. And we just hope they don’t fall prey under peer pressure.
And new features?
Yes, there are few. Firstly, Honda had loaded the Amaze pretty well in the first go, but now in its mid-life refresh, it has brought the two things that were given a miss the first time – Bluetooth connectivity and auto climate control. Of course, both of which are available only on the top-end VX trim. Also, Honda has announced that it will make airbags standard across all variants of all models from fiscal year 2016-17. Great!
How much are they asking for this model?
The base variants for both petrol and diesel are exactly as much as the outgoing model, but the CVT is more than what the 5-speed torque converter used to be. The petrol starts at Rs 5.29 lakh, while the CVT, in two specs is pegged at Rs 7.2 lakh and Rs 8.2 lakh respectively. The diesel range starts at Rs 6.4 lakh to Rs 8.2 lakh. All prices, ex-Delhi.
Any word on the BR-V launch?
Hold tight. Honda’s long awaited compact SUV, the one that will compete with the Ford EcoSport, Mahindra TUV300 and the new Maruti Vitara Brezza will be here within two months. “In the first quarter of 2016”, according to a Honda spokesperson. Given that, there will be two new players in the segment, the fight will be worth a watch. Bring on, Honda.