[CarguyNish]

Mod Note: Our Amaze Report has been taken live at this link (Honda Amaze : Official Review). Please continue the discussion over on the new thread. Thanks!

Honda is close to completing the development of the second generation Honda Amaze. It is expected to make its global debut at the 2018 Delhi Auto Expo, before seeing market launches in Thailand and India.



It will be the next all-new model from Honda Cars India, and is expected to have its first public showing at the 2018 Auto Expo in Delhi. That will also mark the global debut of this model, unlike the first gen that had made its first appearance in Thailand. Honda is also expected to showcase the HR-V at the expo next year, as that will be the next all-new model to follow the Amaze in to the Indian market.

The new car is expected to carry a number of significant upgrades, including a more powerful iteration of the 1.5 diesel. It will be available in petrol as well, and Honda is closely studying the market performance of the Dzire's AMT to help decide its own automatic strategy for the next Amaze.
While the new Amaze may be shown as a production car or concept at the 2018 Auto Expo, its market debut is only likely to happen only around August or September 2018.

Source

[landcruiser123]

It'll be interesting to see what Honda does to this platform. I'd love to see a more premium car and hope that Honda can tick all the boxes this time around.

Originally Posted by CarguyNish

Honda is closely studying the market performance of the Dzire's AMT to help decide its own automatic strategy for the next Amaze.

For god's sake, I hope Honda isn't considering an AMT. I think the AMT should be restricted to the low end cars.

A well tuned CVT is what the car deserves.

[i74js]

Honda use to set the standards while others use to follow; quite interesting to see that Honda is watching out Suzuki and success of its AMT in Dzire for plugging something similar in the next iteration of Amaze.

Such a reactive approach will increase the struggle of Amaze in already crowded CS market. Amaze is already not among the top picks for Indian buyers, they should try to launch the next version by this festive season to give an alternate option to the Dzire (wait listed) buyers.

[GTO]

Just a note: this isn't an insider scoop . Honda organised a factory visit for the media last week (Mobike008 was there too). One of the journos must have clicked this picture. Now, the million $ question is whether this car was intentionally parked there!

Whatever Honda does with the Amaze, it's going to have to be a vast improvement over the current car in terms of quality & NVH. The new Dzire has raised the bar. If you're going to fight with the market leader, you better have all the ammunition you can get your hands on.

It's interesting to see how the landscape has evolved in just 4 years. In 2013, the Amaze was launched with an ugly dashboard and without many important features (climate control, adjustable neck restraints, full MID). It's 2017 and the segment king (Dzire) has arrived with LED headlamps, touchscreen ICE, dual airbags & ABS as standard, ISOFIX mounts, a flat bottom steering, wooden inserts and what not.

Originally Posted by landcruiser123

For god's sake, I hope Honda isn't considering an AMT. I think the AMT should be restricted to the low end cars.

Honda will follow the market. A majority of customers are fine with the AMT's trade-off between price & smoothness.

Originally Posted by i74js

Honda use to set the standards while others use to follow; quite interesting to see that Honda is watching out Suzuki and success of its AMT in Dzire for plugging something similar in the next iteration of Amaze.

Well said! 2 decades back, Honda was a technological leader. They have nothing path-breaking to offer today - no direct-injection petrols (like the VW Polo), no dual-clutch ATs, no hybrids (or even the lame SHVS), no nothing. As sweet as their engines are, they're still flogging the same old Vtec technology. And lest we forget, it took them years before launching a diesel engine.

[karan561]

Initally the respective hatchbacks were launched 1st;

By Tata;
Indica then Indigo

By Maruti;
Swift then Swift Dzire

& so on ...

But now thanks to the popularity of compact sedans & taxi/uber/ola market they are taking the reverse approach in India by launching the compact sedan first followed by the hatch;

Ford;
Figo Aspire then Figo

Maruti;
Swift Dzire then Swift (yet to launch)

& Now Honda;
New Gen Amaze then the Brio

[CoolFire]

In the flood of AMTs, the biggest differentiator Honda can think of is good CVTs on models lower than Jazz, including Amaze. Follow it up with good marketing and people graduating from AMTs could be a very big market for them. Wish Honda is smart enough for that move.

[bansal.sushant]

I personally think Honda will stick to AMTs for the amaze, as that's the market norm in this segment. And seeing their recent approach, I don't think they will be doing anything to disrupt the norms.

They'll want to go with the cheaper AMTs in this extremely price sensitive segment. Plus it makes sense to leave the CVT for Jazz, City and cars above this segment, else it may lead to cannibalism.

[sgiitk]

Will the engine capacity be free, since the 1200cc or less leading to Excise benefits is now history. So will we be seeing a more common 1300cc petrol engine. My daughter-in-law has an Amaze (petrol) and the kids are quite happy with it. In fact as a local run around they like it more than his City.

[sajo]

Originally Posted by CarguyNish

Honda is closely studying the market performance of the Dzire's AMT to help decide its own automatic strategy for the next Amaze.

Dear Honda,
As it is its very difficult to make a rational case for your products given the poor price to features ratio, the Dzire would anyway beat you hollow on all the gimmicks, at a lower price. Your USP has been a refined and seamless driving experience, please continue with the fantastic 5-Speed auto/CVT in all your future products.
If you go with with an AMT , you would lose both sets of buyers :
- The VFM+reliability seekers, for whom Maruti makes much more sense.
- The refinement seeking discerning buyers, who are ready to pay a bit more for a Honda hoping to get all the brand's traits.
Please don't make us associate Japanese slickness as your "erstwhile" trait.
Yours,
A Honda AT Customer.

[Numb_Locked]

Originally Posted by karan561

Maruti;
Swift Dzire then Swift (yet to launch)

Internationally the latest generation Swift (Baleno Platform) was developed first, Maruti Suzuki bullishly developed the Dzire for India to launch before the Swift, I'm guessing they wanted to address the declining numbers of the previous gen Dzire in the compact sedan space as the hatchback segment was taken care by Baleno.

[karan561]

Originally Posted by Numb_Locked

Internationally the latest generation Swift (Baleno Platform) was developed first, Maruti Suzuki bullishly developed the Dzire for India to launch before the Swift, I'm guessing they wanted to address the declining numbers of the previous gen Dzire in the compact sedan space as the hatchback segment was taken care by Baleno.

Yes i am aware about that fact, similar is the case with the Figo / Ka. But my point was of launching preferences in the Indian scenario.

[Reinhard]

Considering the sales for the Amaze, the overall crowd of the CS segment & especially the average calculations that CS buyers do (which generally lead them to the DZire in most cases), I don't see the "all new" amaze actually bringing anything "all new" as such that will suddenly catapult it ahead of others.

Instead I think HCIL should do a huge rework on the Mobilio. Use the platform and re-position it as a better station wagon with better dynamics. Change body panels a lot while doing it. I feel the market has certainly now matured & has a need of capable station wagon versions of hatchbacks that something based on a Mobilio can certainly do. Its certainly not very capable as an MPV/MUV/People mover. This neither here nor there car can be chopped a bit to make a sporty station wagon version instead.

Fastback / station wagon versions like the European Peogeot 308 / Renault Megane are certainly very useful compared to compact sedans in our use spectrum I feel & that's where HCIL can do something before someone seizes the segment big time. TATA has already created a bridge between the CS and SW by putting the TIGOR style-back in the mix.

If Honda wants to do something before others - this they could try.

Originally Posted by Numb_Locked

Internationally the latest generation Swift (Baleno Platform) was developed first, Maruti Suzuki bullishly developed the Dzire for India to launch before the Swift, I'm guessing they wanted to address the declining numbers of the previous gen Dzire in the compact sedan space as the hatchback segment was taken care by Baleno.

Indeed must be to do with outgoing Dzire's sudden lack of features compared to new/upcoming entrants. Well pointed out there.

Perhaps something also to do with marketing tactics. "Hah..boot slapped on to a hatchback" -- car makers are trying to hide this obvious thought. Remember Tata? The childish attempts they made - by saying "We started with the ZEST. Bolt was not even thought of at that time". All knew it was a Vista. Its a trend started by the Zest/Bolt twins which is being followed. CS before the hatch.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by karan561

But now thanks to the popularity of compact sedans & taxi/uber/ola market they are taking the reverse approach in India by launching the compact sedan first followed by the hatch

There are also marketing reasons:

1. Launch the big brother first; that automatically makes the smaller one appear a bit more premium. Mercedes has mastered this practice for decades (e.g. new design language on the S-Class first).

2. To stop people from calling the compact sedan a 'hatchback with a boot'.

Originally Posted by bansal.sushant

And seeing their recent approach, I don't think they will be doing anything to disrupt the norms.

Honda = Once a leader, now a follower. Agreed 100%.

Originally Posted by sajo

Your USP has been a refined and seamless driving experience

And quality. My 1st-gen City Vtec was impeccably put together, as was my Civic. Can't say the same about the latest City. People aren't going to accept niggles & ill-fitted parts on a Honda.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by sgiitk

Will the engine capacity be free, since the 1200cc or less leading to Excise benefits is now history. So will we be seeing a more common 1300cc petrol engine.

Amaze can still manage with the 1200cc engine as the segment standards are almost similar.

It's the more premium products like Jazz and WRV that require a change of engine at the earliest.

[RavenAvi]

Sleeker headlamps, a front reminiscent of the current-gen WR-V & the Jazz - could this be the all-new 2018 Honda Amaze, as rendered by ACI?