LIVE: Honda Amaze launched in India @ INR 4.99 lakhs

The much publicized Honda Amaze compact sedan has finally been launched in India. Prices for Honda Amaze start at Rs. 4.99 Lakhs for petrol variant and Rs. 5.99 Lakhs for Diesel variant. We are reporting LIVE from the event and here are all the details you need to know before you head to the nearest Honda Cars dealership with your chequebook.

Regulars here would remember that we have already reported enough about the new car and our initial impressions are that the Amaze compact sedan from Honda is looking poised to become the most successful car from Honda Cars India yet.

The Honda Amaze has a lot of firsts to its credits. The car becomes the first sub 4 metre compact sedan in Honda India’s product portfolio. The car also becomes the first Honda sedan that will cater to the entry level sedan buyers. Finally and most importantly, the car becomes the first Honda car in India to come with both diesel and petrol powerplant options.

The new Amaze will be seen locking horns with the very popular Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire, the Mahindra Verito and the recently launched Chevrolet Sail. Honda has been fast losing out to most carmakers in India and this was because of the lack of diesel engine options on all its cars. However, now that the 1.5 litres iDTEC EarthDreams diesel engine has made its debut with the Amaze, the above situation is looking all set change. In near future, the new iDTEC EarthDreams motor will also be found powering the Brio hatchback, next gen City and the next gen Jazz in Indian market.

The Amaze will come in as many as four variants- E, S, EX, S, VX. The automatic gearbox with petrol engine will be offered in two variants- S and VX. The Honda Amaze has been launched in India with both petrol and diesel engine options.

Variant wise price list

Petrol: E-Rs 4.99L, EX- Rs 5.24L, S- Rs 5.62L, VX- Rs 6.60L, S AT- Rs.6.62L, V AT- Rs. 7.50L

Diesel: E-Rs 5.99L, EX- Rs.6.24L, S-Rs 6.67L, VX-Rs 7.60L

The entry level E variant comes with power steering, central locking, AC , chrome front grille, body coloured bumpers, front and rear power windows, tilt steering, Eco lamp, rear micro antenna, immobiliser and fuel consumption display. The EX variant also gets a single DIN audio system with front speakers, body coloured rear view mirrors and door handles. The S variant further gets a Double DIN integrated audio system with steering mounted audio controls, keyless entry, power adjustable rear view mirrors, driver seat height adjustment, full wheel cover and rear seat arm rest with drink holders.

The VX, which is the top end trim level in the Amaze line up, comes with dual airbags, ABS with EBD, 8 spoke 14” alloy wheels, height adjustable driver’s seat, rear defogger, ORVMs with turn indicators and rear seat arm rest with cup holders. It is being said that the VX trim level will also be launched in the Brio in coming months.

The Honda Amaze comes with a 2-years /40,000 kms warranty. Buyers can opt for a 2-years/ 40,000 kms maintenance package for INR 9996 (for petrol Amaze) and INR 15,375 (for diesel Amaze).

The petrol variants of the car are powered by a 1.2 litre iVTEC 4 cylinder petrol engine. This is the same engine that also powers the Brio hatchback and is good for a max power output of 90PS. This makes the petrol variants of the Amaze as powerful as any other petrol car in its segment. The petrol engine comes mated to a 5 speed manual transmission and gets an option of a 5 speed automatic gearbox.

As mentioned above, powering the diesel variants of the new Amaze is a new 1.5 litre iDTEC diesel engine that has been developed alongside the much hyped 1.6 litre iDTEC diesel engine that can be found powering the diesel variants of the UK spec Civic and CRV. Very much like the 1.6 litre engine, the new 1.5 litre diesel motor benefits from Honda’s trademark EarthDreams technology. This new diesel engine has a maximum power output of 100PS and boasts of a peak torque figure of 200Nm. The engine comes mated to a 5 speed manual gearbox as standard. (No automatic transmission option is being offered with the diesel engine variant.)

This means that the new Honda Amaze is the most powerful car in its segment. The Amaze is not just more powerful than the diesel variant of the Dzire and other entry level sedans but is also more powerful than diesel variants of bigger cars like the Fiat Linea and Maruti Suzuki SX4. The new diesel engine has a claimed fuel efficiency of 25.8 kmpl and this means that the car might be the most fuel efficient car on sale in the country. This also means that Honda Cars India has good chances of having a winner in its hands.

The engine comes factory filled with a specially developed engine oil that maximizes performance.

The new Amaze is basically a ‘booted’ version of the Brio hatchback and hence, comes with many components that can also be found on the smaller car. The Amaze benefits from increased leg space for rear passengers and this is due to a longer wheelbase. Further enhancing the comfort levels is the higher equipment that is on offer. Visually, the new car is identical to the hatchback sibling till B pillars after which, the Amaze comes with an entirely different rear half that has new rear doors, different C-Pillars and of course, a boot.

Full points to the designers at Honda for having done a good job with slapping on a boot to the Brio and having it seamlessly integrated it with the original car.

The Honda Amaze has been launched with 6 colour options- Blue, Titanium, Silver, Red, Black and White.