Honda Amaze Diesel CVT: Review

The new Honda Amaze has been tailor made to take over the sub-4m segment, unlike earlier, when sub-4m sedans seemed like an afterthought. But is it everything you’d Dzire?

Car Tested: Honda Amaze V diesel CVT

Engine: 1.5-litre i-DTEC Diesel CVT | 80PS/160Nm

ARAI Certified Fuel Economy: 23.8kmpl

Road Test Fuel Economy: 19.28kmpl (City) / 22.63kmpl (Highway)

Price when tested: Rs 9.0 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi)

Pros

• New design is more eye catching than the previous model

• Honda have managed to eke out a little more passenger space within the 4-metre constraint.

• Convenience of an automatic with the economies of a diesel

• Cabin design looks more upmarket

Cons

• Fit and finish of some of the panels are not great

• The CVT diesel variant sorely misses out on a VX option

• No paddle shifts, which are available in the petrol CVT

Standout Features

• The effortless ease with which the Amaze drives, both in the city and on the highway, thanks to the delightfully refined and hassle-free CVT transmission and diesel engine combination.

The new Honda Amaze explained

• New platform with a 65mm longer wheelbase and 15mm wider body that has been designed to further maximise Honda’s ‘Man Maximum, Machine Minimum’ philosophy.

• Interior design is also new and a nice improvement over the older one.

• The Amaze now comes with a refined CVT automatic option with both the petrol and the diesel engine.

• The 420-litre boot is now the largest in the segment.

• Some plastics, like the panel housing the USB and 12 volt socket and the whole glove box lid, feel a little flimsy.

• The option of an automatic is only available in the V variant, which misses out on creature comforts like 7-inch touchscreen and rear parking camera, but does get push-button start, climate control and 15-inch alloy wheels.

What’s changed on the outside?

• The design of the new Amaze is much more striking now.

• The soft curves on the nose of the outgoing model have given way to a much sharper, taller nose.

• The rear design is a little flat and bulky and even the sharp angular tail lamps aren’t able to disguise its bulk.

• Overall, the design is a little boxy but is much more striking than the safe design of the first generation car.

• The Amaze now sports LED positioning lamps, but no projector or LED headlamps.

• Both the V and VX variants get 15-inch alloy wheels while the E and S get 14-inch steel rims.

What’s changed on the inside?

• The new dash design is quite nice, but this V variant (both petrol and diesel automatics are only available in the V variant) does not get the 7-inch touchscreen with Honda’s new Digipad 2.0.

• New driver console is nicely laid out and the multi-info display tells you outside temperature, fuel consumption info and range.

• Driver and passenger seats now sport thicker cushioning and are more comfortable, but lack outright legroom for really tall occupants.

• Rear passenger space is the big change and at 700mm to 925mm of kneeroom, the Amaze offers even more space for rear passengers than the previous segment leader, Maruti Dzire (680mm-915mm).

• There’s more shoulder room as well with the added body width.

• It misses out on adjustable rear headrests which will bother taller passengers.

• There are no aircon vents on the second row, but the updated aircon compressor unit itself is very powerful and even on a hot and sunny day with three people in the car, we still had to turn the climate control up to 25.5 degrees as it was getting a little too cool for comfort.

What about performance?

• New tune of the iDTEC diesel engine makes 80PS and 160Nm as compared to the 100PS and 200Nm unit in the diesel manual variants.

• No noticeable lack of performance in city driving.

• Real-world fuel efficiency of 19.28kmpl in the city.

• Real-world fuel efficiency of 22.63kmpl on the highway.

Acceleration

0-100kmph - 11.27 seconds

Kickdown 20-80kmph  - 6.63 seconds

Braking

100-0kmph - 41.53 metres

80-0kmph - 25.96 metres

Fuel Efficiency

City: 19.28kmpl

Highway: 22.63kmpl

What it’s like to drive

• The CVT diesel was a delightfully smooth experience both in the city and out on the highway.

• The lack of shifts makes for one of the smoothest driving experiences we’ve had and unlike with some petrol CVTs, the annoying ‘rubber band’ effect associated with CVTs has also been minimised.

• Like most Hondas, the steering has a medium weight to it, which we like and it weighs up further as speeds increase.

• On the open road, as long as you are not in a hurry, everything remains calm and composed. Even when you floor the throttle for an overtake the revs do creep up to near the redline, but it never feels strained.

• The brakes feel like they could be a little sharper though and need a firm prod to bring the car to a stop.

• It’s a much, much quieter cabin now and Honda’s efforts in improving sound insulation have helped a great deal in keeping the diesel clatter on the outside.

• Over small undulations, the suspension is on the firmer side, but it does a good job of handling larger bumps and potholes.

• We’re so impressed with the way the diesel engine gels with the CVT transmission that we hope Honda can manage to give us the same option in the City and the new Jazz as well.

Safety features

• ABS with EBD as standard

• ISOFIX child seat mounts are also standard

• Rear parking sensors are standard

• Driver and passenger airbags are standard

• Impact-sensing door unlock

Verdict

The Honda Amaze V diesel CVT really shines in the city with a silky smooth transmission and its much improved sound insulation. The space for passengers is nearly the best in the segment as well, making it great for families. The only real downside we see is that to keep its ex-showroom price of Rs 9.0 lakh below the Maruti Dzire’s (Rs 9.43 lakh), Honda is only offering the diesel CVT in the S and V variant and that means it misses out on some creature comforts like the touchscreen infotainment system and a rear parking camera that are available in the VX variant. Overall though, we liked the way the Amaze diesel CVT drives so much that we really have to give it a solid thumbs up if you’re on the lookout for a hassle-free commuter for the city.