Honda is all set to enter the entry level compact sedan segment with the launch of its Amaze on 11th of April 2013. The new sub 4 meter car will offer extremely strong competition to the likes of the Swift Dzire and the Tata Indigo eCS. While a section of the media from India has driven the car in Japan, not many images of the Indian version of the car have surfaced on the internet yet.
Now a member of team-bhp forums has managed to take some pictures of a production version Amaze from one of the Honda dealerships. The new images reveal quite a few details about the new car, including the features, interior space and the quality of materials used.
The design of the Amaze’s interior looks strikingly similar to that of the Brio hatchback, as majority of the parts have been shared between the two cars. The Amaze boasts more features though as it represents a higher segment. The leg space for the back benchers too is significantly higher in the Amaze, thanks to its longer wheelbase.
The spied images are that of the top end VX variant of the Amaze. A look at the interior reveals that the top end version will feature dual front airbags, steering mounted audio controls, a center console layout similar to the Brio, beige colored interior theme and integrated headrests to keep costs low. ABS with EBD will be standard on the top end VX variant.
The Amaze will be powered by a 1.2-liter petrol i-VTEC engine and a 1.5-liter diesel power plant. The petrol engine will produce 90 PS of peak power, and 110Nm of peak torque. The diesel unit is expected to deliver about 90PS of power and complement it with an impressive 220Nm of peak torque. Expect a 5 speed automatic transmission to feature on the petrol variant as an option.
Being only 26kg heavier than the Brio hatchback, the Amaze is going to be a light car, and is expected to deliver fantastic fuel efficiency in its diesel version. Expect an ARAI figure which nudges 23-24kmpl. This engine will also be used in the future Jazz and City diesel variants, albeit in a different state of tune.
Honda have previously been known to price their cars very optimistically in India. They had to correct their mistake when they had to slash the prices of the City sedan and the Jazz hatchback massively due to increasing pressure from the competition and a lack of a diesel engine. The Japanese carmaker will have to be careful with the pricing of the Amaze sedan as well, as an optimistic price tag will render it dead on arrival in this extremely price conscious segment.
A price in the region of the Dzire should be acceptable to the Indian customers. Pricing the Amaze above the Dzire may be a mistake, as the Maruti compact itself is a very capable machine. We can only hope that Honda have learnt their lessons.
Do share with us your views on what would be a fair ex-showroom price for the top end Honda compact sedan. Enjoy the image gallery
A starting price of upto 5.25 Lakhs Ex showroom for base version (Petrol that is 0ne lakh above Brio) would do wonders for Honda and Maruti’s monopoly will end in the upper B+ class segment too. As with my experience with Honda, Maintenance is cheap and service is friendly than Maruti’s.