Re: Honda Amaze @ Auto Expo 2018. Now launched at Rs 5.60 lakhs So I got a chance to drive my friend's new Amaze 1.2 Petrol V Variant, and came away fairly impressed with the car overall.
Note: I haven't driven any of the Amaze's competitors - except the Etios which we own if that counts as competition. Prior to this, I don't even recall the last petrol manual car I've driven recently - probably our old Lancer / friends Octavia 1.8 Rider.
Also, this car was literally one day old and still being run-in, so didn't really get a chance to drive it normally.
Observations as follows:
1) Ride & Handling are fairly decent. A little on the softer side, so it does bob a little on undulations, but in the city the ride is muted and comfortable! Handling too seemed fairly decent and body roll was better contained than the Etios.
2) The clutch and steering are super soft, combined with a slick gearbox are going to make this car very popular as a city car!
3) Headroom and legroom was impressive. I could sit behind myself (6'2") on the passenger side, though the rear headroom was spoilsport with my hair brushing on the headliner (to be fair, I faced the same issue in the Vento / Ciaz / Verna). However for the mass market, the car will be spacious enough!
4) Great NVH, especially compared to the Etios. It's quiet inside, with a powerful AC - no engine noise, no road noise filtering in as such!
5) I personally found the engine a little sluggish with 3 people on board, whilst trying to climb a flyover. But then again, this car was in it's run-in period, barely having covered 150kms when I drove it.
6) The ORVMs are on the smaller side, I could see my friend struggling to see the corners when changing lanes, and I felt similarly as well. For reference, my friend drives an Innova and a SX4 petrol (which was replaced by the Amaze).
7) I wasn't 100% comfortable in the passenger seat. I felt it was a little lacking in underthigh support and the seats will result in a little back pain on long drives due to their softness.
8) The boot, though large for it's segment, is not too deep which IMO could hamper the amount it can carry.
9) Overall interiors, refinement, ambience are a big step up from the earlier Amaze! My only pain point was the window switches which were quite cheap as well as the IRVM - both of which are seemingly better on the Etios. No complaints about the stalks and switches though.
10) Brakes provided decent bite. I was quite comfortable driving the car around, though the Etios brakes when new were a lot sharper. Maybe this will improve after a few more kms, but overall not a deal breaker for sure.
11) The ICE was decent for a stock system, but lacks bass and loudness.
In a nutshell - the car isn't perfect, my biggest grouse being the seats. That being said, the car is brilliant for the city commute and IMO far superior to the Xcent. I haven't driven the new Dzire so cannot comment, and I think the Aspire is a nicer driver's car (I am a little biased here). The Tigor may have better ride and handling, and the Etios is another segment all together in terms of pricing, spaciousness and practicality.
However, for a jack of all trades - this car does very well!
If I were to buy a car for city driving, errands, etc. - this would be my pick from the segment. For highways I'd still pick the Aspire S, and for bad roads the Tiago.
In fact, I wish Honda launches the BRV with these interiors and a diesel CVT which would be the ideal replacement for the Etios. |