[Turbokick]

http://www.zigwheels.com/reviews-adv...parison/16096/

The above is the shootout between Amaze and Dzire by Zigwheels. No prizes for guessing the winner.
Some good pics I thought like sharing separately.

[moralfibre]

Had a chance to see the Amaze in person. A colleague was eager to trade his Chevy Spark for the Amaze and I accompanied him to the dealer:

Positives as compared to the DZire (chief competitor):

- Very well integrated boot. Doesn't look like a compromised job.
- Flat floor would help make the 5th passenger comfortable.
- Big boot can take your weekend luggage comfortably.
- ABS is a standard fitment right from base version.
- Very spacious on the inside despite being a sub four meter sedan.

Negatives
- Presence from the front and front three quarters is a little dwarfish as against the DZire.
- Sits lower and therefore takes some effort to get in and get out.
- Top end version should have had climate control but looking at the City, it seems that isn't a priority for Honda.


Price list for Pune, PCMC and non-LBT (Local body tax) areas:



Specifications

[narsi_6989]

Went to Olympia Honda in Ambattur to take a look at the Amaze. Was able to get the feel of the car but could not get hold of a test drive vehicle since the showroom was swarming with people. They all had pre-booked the vehicle and were waiting in queue for the test drive. Spoke to few people who had booked and got the following answer from everyone, "We booked the car for the Honda badge". The SA has promised me a TD tomorrow afternoon.

The SA is not commiting on delivery dates as yet. May be it will take a day or two.

My Take on the car:

• The interior is simple and spacious
• Easy to find a driving position and it is very confortable as well
• The rear leg room is great but I feel the 5th passenger will not be happy (atleast in my family)
• The boot is really spacious
• The quality of plastics cannot be termed as bad IMHO. It is decent enough
• The exterior paint quality is very good

My Verdict:
Honda has got a winner with its killer pricing. We can expect a stiff competition for Dzire.

Attached is the price list in Chennai.



PS: I will not be going for this car since the 5th passenger cannot be comfortable on long drives.

[rajshenoy]

With the launch of Amaze, i am now able to give a serious thought about Toyota Etios. Its not that bad deal as compared to Amaze now.

Toyota engine too is proven workhorse, is known for excellent fuel economy(no one will get 25.8kmpl on our roads anyway, What matters is real world FE). Has alot of space and huge boot too. Toyota dashboard looked bland, but its nothing great in Amaze too.

So I wish someone can do a nice comparo between Etios vs Dzire vs Amaze.

[RavenAvi]

Official Press Release :-

Honda launches its new family sedan Amaze in India

• Forays into the diesel segment in the Indian car market with 1.5L i-DTEC diesel engine
• Amaze Diesel is the most fuel efficient car in the country with best in class power output

New Delhi, April 11, 2013: Honda Cars India Limited (HCIL), leading manufacturer of premium cars in the country, today launched its much awaited family sedan, the Honda Amaze for the Indian market. The Amaze marks Honda’s entry into the diesel segment in Indian car market. Honda Amaze, offered as a perfect package for the current customer preferences, embodies the best of Honda’s technologies to deliver great performance with unparalleled fuel efficiency in a spacious, comfortable and attractive looking form.

Honda Amaze has been developed at Honda R&D Asia Pacific Co., Ltd. located in Bangkok, Thailand following extensive market surveys in India on people’s driving needs and lifestyles. India is the first country to launch the Amaze with Honda's latest i-DTEC diesel engine technology. The petrol model of the Amaze will be equipped with the acclaimed i-VTEC petrol engine.

Talking about the development of Amaze, Mr. Yoshiyuki Matsumoto, Managing Officer, Honda Motor Company and Representative of Development, Purchasing and Production in Asia & Oceania Region said "Honda Amaze is our most strategic model in the Indian market and has been developed with strong focus on Indian requirements. The Honda Amaze and the compact i-DTEC diesel engine are engineering marvels and we are very confident that we will exceed customer’s expectations and would set new benchmarks in the industry in terms of design, packaging, cabin comfort, and fuel-efficiency."

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Hironori Kanayama, President & CEO, Honda Cars India Ltd., said "With the launch of Honda Amaze, we are looking towards newer horizons in the Indian market. We have worked on aggressive localization overcoming many challenges in terms of timelines, technology and costs to be ready to launch the Honda Amaze in India at an attractive and affordable price. This will enable more customers to experience the joy of owning and driving a Honda car. With the best of both petrol and diesel technologies, we are very confident that we are ready for an exponential growth in our business in India. Amaze will be a game changer for us and over the next few years we will look to increase our operating universe in India to around 50%."

The All New Amaze powered by the 1.5L 4 cylinder DOHC i-DTEC diesel engine is the most fuel efficient car in the country with a certified mileage of 25.8 km/l, as per test data. In linewith the objective of producing more power along with high torque at low rpm, the 1.5L diesel engine of Amaze gives best in class max power output* of 100PS@3600 rpm and 200 Nm of torque @1750 rpm that makes the car so enjoyable to drive. The 1.5L i-DTEC engine has been developed exclusively for India considering Indian driving conditions and is based on the Honda's latest 'Earth Dreams Technology' realizing both excellent driving performance and offering matchless fuel economy. With an all aluminum cylinder head joined to an open deck engine block, it is the lightest engine in its torque performing class. The use of lightweight crankshaft and a number of friction-reduction technologies help to control friction in a diesel engine to gasoline engine levels.

(*Diesel engine Power value has been rounded off on measured value)

The 1.2L 4 cylinder SOHC i-VTEC petrol engine successfully delivers maximum output of 88 PS @ 6000 rpm and Torque of 109 Nm@ 4500 rpm, while giving an impressive fuel economy of 18 km/l for MT and 15.5 km/l for AT as per test data.The emission from the Amaze meets the stringent Bharat Stage 4 emission standards.

The grand concept for the all new Honda Amaze is Smart Micro Limousine which reflects values of stylish design, compactness, manoeuvrability and class leading space. The Amaze design takes Honda's "man maximum machine minimum" concept to a new level, maximizing the space available for people and minimizing the space required for mechanical components. Exceeding customer’s expectation, the efficient packaging of Amaze adopts a right balance between Rear occupant space and Trunk room which helps to achieve one class above interior space with significantly superior Knee Clearance, Head Clearance & Leg room inside cabin and offers a class leading boot space of 400L accommodating 2 piece of medium size luggage and 2 piece of small size luggage.

The Amaze's Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body enhances self-protection while mitigating damage to other vehicles in the event of a collision. The Amaze features host of Honda's active and passive safety technologies including Dual SRS airbags, Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) which prevents wheel locking, Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD) which enhances braking performance, Pretentioner seat belts with load limiters and impact mitigating headrests. The ABS with EBD is being offered as standard across all Diesel and AT variants. The front body structure of the Amaze is equipped with Pedestrian injury mitigation technology designed to absorb impact energy.

The Amaze is available in 4 grades offered in Petrol and Diesel variants –E, EX, S and VX with Manual Transmission. Additionally, the Amaze will be available in Automatic Transmission in S and VX petrol grades.

Honda Amaze will be available in six exciting range of colors – Majestic Blue Metallic (New and exclusive), Carnelian Red Pearl, Urban Titanium Metallic, Alabaster Silver Metallic, Crystal Black Pearl and Taffeta White. It comes with a 2 years or 40,000 kms warranty as standard value for all customers.

With a view to give the Amaze customers, a transparent and quality service experience, HCIL has offered an attractive Honda Care maintenance package for 2 years or 40,000 kms (whichever is earlier) for Rs 9,996 for Amaze Petrol and Rs 15,375 for Amaze Diesel.

Honda Amaze is being manufactured at HCIL's facility in Greater Noida, U.P. with localisation level of more than 90%. The body panels, critical engine components for both i-VTEC and i-DTEC engine and Manual Transmission are being manufactured in-house at HCIL's Tapukara facility and are supplied to Greater Noida plant.

Bookings for the car started from the 1st April 2013 and the deliveries of Amaze are beginning from today through company’s vast distribution network of 150 dealers in 97 cities across the country. HCIL is continuing to expand and strengthen its dealer network which is likely to go up to 162 facilities in 102 cities by the end of 2013 – 14.

[rangarx]

@ Narsi - I was there too and could test drive the Diesel for which I was waiting.

Amazing vehicle except one thing - Bad NVH when revved. Gear shift works like charm. The vehicle moves approximately at 30 kmph sans any throttle input. ( a la Skodas and VWs) Great torque indeed.

I'll book it ASAP once my current drive confirms it's new owner

[prakasse]

Can someone share the presentation that Honda used it during today's launch?

[VishnuNarayanan]

Pricing seems to have a mixed response from the crowd. From my point of view it is the base diesel variant (E) and the petrol automatic (S AT) that seems to be offering the most value for money.
Regarding the Amaze effect on Dzire, I don't see any reason for an evident dent in the sales figures of the Swift Dzire. Dzire LDi is thoroughly overpriced , but the top end ZDi and the Amaze Diesel top end with ABS and Airbags costs almost the same (premium of 20k for Dzire over Amaze) . Dzire with its proven MJD engine and long after sales network would still be worth the price.
More than predictions, it would be the sales numbers of Amaze and the competing sedans in the coming months that could interpret who is the clear winner.
If I am to choose between Dzire LDi and Amaze Diesel E variant it would be Amaze Diesel. At the same time if it is between Dzire ZDi and Amaze Diesel VX D , my choice would be Dzire ZDi anyday.

[sparsh]

Lets hope that Honda fixes the NVH part before the actual launch and also the boot padding. It looks well put together and hoping the panel gaps are uniform across the board. Hoping that Honda's quality focus should help them here. Additionally Honda should keep the ex showroom price constant across India. This was done successfully by Mitsubishi for their Cedia and Hyundai for the Accent.

[Guna]

Originally Posted by Turbokick

The above is the shootout between Amaze and Dzire by Zigwheels. No prizes for guessing the winner.
Some good pics I thought like sharing separately.

It is true that Amaze is slightly (only slightly) ahead in most aspects but I would choose the DZire just for the interior (especially the dash)design alone.

[hellmet]

Originally Posted by rajshenoy

With the launch of Amaze, i am now able to give a serious thought about Toyota Etios. Its not that bad deal as compared to Amaze now.

Toyota engine too is proven workhorse, is known for excellent fuel economy(no one will get 25.8kmpl on our roads anyway, What matters is real world FE). Has alot of space and huge boot too. Toyota dashboard looked bland, but its nothing great in Amaze too.

So I wish someone can do a nice comparo between Etios vs Dzire vs Amaze.

I don't know about the internals, but just a visual look at Etios' interiors and exteriors, and after esp. looking at how Etios end up after an accident, I'd pick the Amaze any day over it.

[nik_kapur]

Wish tints were still allowed in India.
This pimped out Amaze from thailand brio amaze fan club looks awesome.

[coolmel]

Honda is here to ruffle a few feathers and do some sparkling business as well. Look at those variants. As many as 12 for the Petrol version and nearly 8 for the diesel, buyers will certainly face problems deciding which one to go for. Makes sense on their part as they engage in a fierce battle, but so much industrial waste.

But really, this is an epic return of the mighty Samurai .

[subratasenn]

Originally Posted by sgiitk

A word of caution. I will stick with my Golden Rule, wait for about three to six months for the wrinkles to be ironed out. This is the first Honda Diesel 1.5 anywhere in the world!

Finally, the voice of sanity again. So far only I had been saying this. Seriously, I am not ready to believe in any badge unless a car is tested on road by owners.

[ramzsys]

Originally Posted by subratasenn

Finally, the voice of sanity again. So far only I had been saying this. Seriously, I am not ready to believe in any badge unless a car is tested on road by owners.

Blindly believing in any badge is not advisable, but then this 1.5 engine is not their(Honda) first diesel engine. And this is not an all-new engine either; To quote from the first page of this thread,

• Same block as Honda's 1.6L diesel (available internationally) with common internals, but a reduced stroke to bring down the displacement to <1,500 cc. Engine development work started in 2007
• Engine ancillaries (e.g. water pump) have shrunk from the 1.6L motor

PS: is the camshaft belt or chain driven?

EDIT: the engine(looks huge!) picture gives that it is chain driven.