Honda Amaze Facelift Road Test

The Honda Amaze has been facelifted for 2016, but its core value remains the same as it has since the time it arrived back in 2013: to offer a comfortable and durable motoring experience for a typical nuclear family. This facelifted version has joined the compact sedan space at a time when competition is the fiercest it has ever been. Times have changed and so have buyers’ preferences – bare-bones vehicles just do not cut it anymore and even those who swear they "simply need a basic sedan” inadvertently want something desirable. And desirability is one area where the previous Amaze didn’t do well, what with all the old-school interior bits and an uninspiring look on the outside.

Naturally, Honda has taken the cue and upgraded the exterior and more importantly, the interior as well. The Japanese carmaker has also replaced the old 5-speed torque converter in favour of the more efficient CVT for the automatic trim. At this point it goes without saying that the Amaze facelift is a more compelling package than before, though by how much? Read our detailed road test to know the scale of upgrades.

The Amaze facelift continues to make use of the Brio’s extended platform and weighs in at 950kg and 1070kg for top-spec petrol and diesel variant respectively. As for the new look, the exterior upgrades can only be described as evolutionary, with minor freshening touches over both front and rear. Upfront, the Amaze still greets you with its cat eye-like headlights and a stubby hood. What’s new here is the dual chrome grille (unlike the earlier twin beam grille) and a more protruding bumper design to lift up the street presence. This facelifted model also gets a new colour called Urban Titanium Metallic. The darker option is a welcome addition as it makes the car that extra bit nice to look at.

Moving onto the sides, the Amaze retains its cohesive profile which isn’t necessarily a bad thing at all. Thanks to its short hood length and a well extended boot-lid, the Amaze manages to squeeze under the crucial 4-metre length without looking disproportionate. The same certainly cannot be said for some of its rivals. Lastly, upgrades at the rear are limited to just the redesigned tail lamps which not only look a whole lot bigger but also appear in sync with the thick chrome strip on the boot-lid.

All in all, these minor upgrades help differentiate the Amaze facelift from its more traditionally styled predecessor. If you have got a liking for simple designs, the Amaze facelift is more than likely to leave a good impression.

Rating: 6/10

The new Amaze represents a genuine step forward inside the cabin compared to what it replaces. Honda has finally bid adieu to the dreary old dashboard and moved forward with a far more upmarket look (borrowed from the City) which delivers a premium feel behind the wheel. Step in and take a good look around and this compact sedan is instantly recognisable as a Honda. Despite the beige treatment, it’s a relatively dark cabin with the usual silver highlights for the steering wheel and the air vents, but there are more hard plastics to be found than in its competitors. We will get to the overall quality and feel in a bit.

The cabin may still not be as elegant as some of its rivals but when it comes to the ergonomics it’s hard to fault. Thanks to the low-set window lines and a rather large house, visibility all around is simply great. The driving position also happens to be spot on – its low, the steering wheel is the correct size and the whole dashboard is also low-set, aiding the unhindered view of the road. As for the all-important space and comfort, the Amaze offers seating for five although realistically four adults are a comfortable fit. Up front, the fabric seats are not only the widest in this class but also well contoured to strike the right balance of comfort and support for those long highway blasts. Despite its entry-level credentials, the Amaze boasts of a properly comfortable rear bench. The stretched wheelbase from the Brio has certainly worked in favour of Honda as the Amaze easily has the most amount of legroom in its class. Like in all compact sedans except for the VW Ameo, the seatback doesn’t fold down though it is set at a near perfect support angle and the cushioning is great too.

The 400-litre boot has a decently low loading height (lower than the Swift Dzire but higher than the Xcent) and while it’s no champion in the depth department, it still presents a large, flat floor and decent aperture size to swallow most of your luggage.

The Amaze facelift can be had in four different trim levels: E, S, SX and VX. Whereas the entry-level E trim gets you central locking, an immobilizer and ABS with EBD for the diesel-powered car, the top-spec VX trim comes with all of the above as well as dual front airbags as standard. What’s commendable here though is the fact that Honda is offering dual airbags as optional for lower E and S trims as well.

The Amaze has never really been a feature-rich car and even with this facelifted model packing in more goodies than before, you will find a longer list of features in rival models. Nonetheless, Honda has added electrically foldable wing mirrors, climate control and multi-information display for the first time here. Besides these, the higher grade trims also get keyless entry, height adjustable driver’s seat, audio system with Bluetooth connectivity and steering mounted controls.

The petrol-automatic Amaze now gets a CVT instead of the 5-speed torque converter. This more convenient version produces a bit more power than the manual, at 90bhp. Peak torque delivery has also changed from 4500rpm to 4800rpm. Now unlike a conventional automatic, a CVT doesn’t get fixed number of gear ratios. What this means is that the Amaze picks up speed seamlessly without any jerks that would usually be associated with an automatic. Sure, the throttle response is no longer as immediate as before but the CVT works well with the motor to offer seamless acceleration. That said, the rubber band effect is quite obvious when you floor the pedal but to be fair it’s something even high-end CVTs are plagued with.

Honda has made no changes to the 87bhp/109Nm 1.2-litre, 4-cyl petrol or the 99bhp/200Nm 1.5-litre, 4-cyl diesel, meaning those who have driven either of these models before would not find the experience behind the wheel to be any different in the facelifted Amaze. The 1.2-litre petrol motor is just as silky smooth at idle as it’s ever been. It’s certainly no firecracker with peak torque not arriving until 6000rpm, but it is a rather rev-happy engine and boasts of enough pep to get going around town. In our tests, it recorded a 0-100kmph time of 13.17 seconds and took a respectable 13.98 seconds when accelerating from 20-80kmph in third gear. The CVT-equipped model meanwhile is slower flat out, hitting 0-100kmph in 15.07 seconds.

The 5-speed manual box is an absolute delight to use with slick and precise throws, adding a tinge of pleasure into everyday driving. Having said that, the shift action for the 5-speeder in the diesel powered model is a bit rubbery and needs extra effort.

Whereas the petrol-powered Amaze begs you to downshift to pick up decent pace, the diesel remains unfazed and gets up to speed with plenty of punch, thanks to all that torque on-board and well-spaced out gear ratios. The driveability is simply great, with the 1.5-litre i-DTEC mill developing torque evenly throughout the low and mid-range and when driven correctly, presenting little in the way of lag. This explains the impressive 0-100kmph time of 12.99 seconds and 40-100kmph (roll-on) in fourth in just 15.12 seconds. The stop-start traffic within the city didn’t seem to faze the diesel Amaze either. The only downer here is the low refinement - there’s a persistent drone that can be heard as soon as you get off the clutch and slight vibration can be felt in the pedals too.

When it comes to braking performance, the ventilated discs up front and the drums at the rear do a decent job of shedding speed. However, they lack the necessary initial bite and aren’t are strong as some of the rivals. Dropping the anchor at 80kmph, the Amaze takes 26.92m to come to a dead halt while cars like the Xcent and the Swift Dzire take noticeably less distance. The braking distance could certainly be reduced with more grippy tyres.

Besides looks and fancy features, there’s also ride quality which goes a long way while making buying decisions. In this regard, the new Amaze does rather well. Using McPherson struts up front and a torsion beam spring at the rear, the Amaze rides firmly without ever being uncomfortable although the ride quality can get a bit choppy for the rear passengers, especially going over sharp potholes. Overall, Honda has managed to strike a good balance between ride and handling by keeping the low-speed ride compliant and good high-speed stability. However, over potholes the suspension is noisier compared to some of the rivals like the Figo Aspire and the Ameo. There is also relatively more wind noise especially from the large wing mirrors.

While it cannot match the Figo Aspire or the Ameo for feel and feedback, the Amaze’s steering is light and the car itself is agile during turn in. It also sits reasonably flat through the corners as long as its driven at street legal speeds. The steering, in fact, performs best in the city where it’s light and effortless and works well in conjunction with the light clutch and the effortless 5-speeder.

Honda is known to demand bit of a premium for its products and the Amaze facelift is no different. Be it any fuel or trim, the Amaze facelift is more expensive than its rivals. To put it in numbers, the entry-level petrol-powered Amaze E costs Rs 6.49 lakh on-road compared to equivalent VW Ameo (Rs 6.18 lakh) and Maruti Swift Dzire (Rs 6.20 lakh). Moving to the top-spec trims, the Amaze VX comes in at Rs 8.74 lakh, compared to Ameo Highline (Rs 8.28 lakh) and Swift Dzire (Rs 8.14 lakh).

Things are more or less the same for the diesel range. Whereas the base Amaze E is priced at Rs 8.05 lakh on-road, both the Swift Dzire and the Xcent are priced lower at Rs 7.85 lakh and Rs 7.48 lakh respectively. Lastly, the top-spec Amaze VX can be seen nudging the Rs 10 lakh mark, at Rs 10.01 lakh while the Swift Dzire (Rs 9.57 lakh) and the Xcent (Rs 9.60 lakh) remain closely matched.

Final Rating: 3.75/5

So there it is, the Honda Amaze facelift. While it doesn’t set any premium benchmarks and the standard equipment is still patchy, there is a lot of depth in its blend of space, comfort and ease of driving. As an effective tool for cutting through the urban jungle, its right up there thanks to a light steering, effortless gearbox and brilliant visibility all-around.

Always a solid compact sedan, the Amaze now has few weaknesses and strengths not many entry-level sedans can boast, making it one of the most well rounded recommendations for those on a budget.

Photos by Kapil Angane

Click here for on-road price and full specifications of the Honda Amaze Facelift range

Click here to read our comparision test between the Amaze facelift, Hyundai Xcent and Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire