Honda Amaze facelift review

• Published On: 27 March 2017
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Honda has brought about a few key changes to improve its compact sedan.

Honda's Amaze sedan has had a pretty successful run in India since its launch. However, competition in the compact sedan segment requires frequent updates to keep customer interest alive. Honda has done just that and has refreshed its Amaze.

On the outside
Styling is bolder now, particularly when you look at the car from the front. The car’s old smiling grille makes way for a chrome-heavy one that now extends from headlight to headlight. Below this bold new grille sits a large, all-new bumper which features a revised air dam and large faux air intakes with fog lights in them. The car looks the same when viewed from the side - the re-profiled tail-lights though point at this being the new Amaze.

On the inside
Honda received a lot of negative feedback for the earlier car’s slightly bland dashboard - it's good to see that the Japanese manufacturer is listening and has improved this aspect on the facelift. The Amaze’s new dash is similar to the Jazz's as far as layout and design are concerned. The centre console, however, is all-new and is user-friendly. Honda has also gone and added automatic climate control to this car. The facelift doesn't get the touchscreen-type control for the air-con system though like the unit in the City and Jazz. The Amaze uses a more conventional arrangement that’s nice and straightforward to use. The instrument cluster is now more informative as well.

The steering wheel, gear lever and window switches are unchanged, but Honda has worked on improving their functionality – the buttons are intuitive to touch and there are two additional cubby holes as well. There’s more equipment on offer as well. You now get Bluetooth connectivity, along with the option of the Honda Connect package. ABS is standard across all variants (except the base petrol) and airbags are standard on all but the base models (entry-level E and S trims get airbags as an option).

The cabin remains as spacious as before, with more than sufficient legroom for the rear passengers. The thin seats from the earlier Amaze have been retained and they continue to offer adequate support and comfort.

From behind the wheel
The driving experience isn’t very different from the earlier car. Honda hasn't altered either engine or gearbox, however, the diesel car is notably quieter than before. The petrol automatic car feels the most different to drive of the lot. That's because Honda has dropped the earlier unit and replaced it with a more efficient CVT unit. The gearbox executes shifts in a smooth and seamless manner and what's nice is that the familiar rubberband effect that CVTs are known for isn't all that pronounced here. The gearbox works well on the highway too – floor the accelerator and it holds the revs at 4000rpm as it starts gaining pace. The car returns an impressive 18.1kpl. The engine is as refined as ever, with acceptable levels of engine noise and vibration filtering into the cabin.

The suspension feels largely unchanged. It's set on the softer side though there's an underlying firmness. At low speeds, ride quality is decent. The Amaze is comfortable but doesn't feel as settled, neither does it absorb bumps as well as say the Figo Aspire or Tata's Zest. Handling is light and entertaining but again, not, the best in its class – this car’s more for city commuters than the enthusiast. The steering fees nice and weighs up well to give the driver confidence at high speeds

Is it worth the money?
With the facelift, Honda has upped the car’s style quotient, has added more features, given it a richer interior and added a well-suited CVT gearbox. All these changes help enhance the Amaze's overall appeal. Honda has priced the car competitively too. Prices start at ₹5.52 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) and top off at ₹8.44 lakh for the VX (diesel) model.