[46TheDoctor]

Congratulations for your new car and wish you a lots of happy miles wih your brownie!

But, i would like to state here that unfortunately i cancelled my booking for my Brownie (amaze diesel cvt V in golden brown) today after much thinking:|
Although i totally liked the engine gearbox combination and space especially in city conditions ( which made me book the car in the first place), i simply couldn't come to an agreement with the flimsy built quality and fit/finish, cost cutting in the car. Blame it on the cars that i have been using in the past and present, but i have cancelled my booking and buying a Nexon AMT diesel now. Gearbox of the Nexon diesel isn't perfect being an AMT but it is the best AMT i have driven till date and liveable; but, built quality, fit/finish and cost cutting in the amaze isn't something i can ever get comfortable with!

But, i wish you have a great ownership experience with your brownie!

[scorpion_blore]

Brownie was involved in a small accident yesterday. Some guy who was totally drunk came in the wrong lane and hit the Brownie on the front driver side bumper.

The impact is such that the front bumper may need to be replaced along with the plastic/fiber housing for front driver side fog light.

Had to spend a good three hours at the traffic station just to get an acknowledgement so that I can claim my insurance.

As for that guy, he was not even aware where he was, and kept puking all over. His alcohol test results came out positive. The cops have put a drunken driving case against him.

Need to drop the Brownie for repairs shortly. Being my first experience with Honda Assure, I'm not sure what to expect with respect to the damage on my pocket. Luckily I took the zero dep cover along with bumper-to-bumper insurance, so I hope the damage on my pocket would be less, if not zero. Also not clear whether the premium will increase for the next renewal.

[gunsho]

Very unfortunate to go through this. Does the cops case enlist your car too? If there is an FIR mentioning he hitting your car, then your repairs can be done via his insurance. That way, your insurance premium won't go high next year. Though the process may be little time consuming. Another option is to discuss for a settlement, once the guy is back in his senses. Hate drunken drivers. Because hitting 3rd party in a drunk driving state, if this goes into record, its not something good for him. He would be willing to settle down without upsetting you, than getting into FIR etc.

Originally Posted by scorpion_blore

Brownie was involved in a small accident yesterday. Some guy who was totally drunk came in the wrong lane and hit the Brownie on the front driver side bumper.

The impact is such that the front bumper may need to be replaced along with the plastic/fiber housing for front driver side fog light.

Had to spend a good three hours at the traffic station just to get an acknowledgement so that I can claim my insurance.

As for that guy, he was not even aware where he was, and kept puking all over. His alcohol test results came out positive. The cops have put a drunken driving case against him.

Need to drop the Brownie for repairs shortly. Being my first experience with Honda Assure, I'm not sure what to expect with respect to the damage on my pocket. Luckily I took the zero dep cover along with bumper-to-bumper insurance, so I hope the damage on my pocket would be less, if not zero. Also not clear whether the premium will increase for the next renewal.

[scorpion_blore]

Originally Posted by gunsho

Very unfortunate to go through this. Does the cops case enlist your car too? If there is an FIR mentioning he hitting your car, then your repairs can be done via his insurance. That way, your insurance premium won't go high next year.

The cops have filed a separate drunken driving case against the bike rider.

The cops mentioned I have two options from here.
Option 1: File a FIR against that guy mentioning "drunken driving". I can't claim insurance from my insurance provider for drunken driving cases. This will turn into legal case, and I would have to fight this in court by hiring a lawyer. I can mention "Property Damage" and request for compensation. As per the cops, the court may levy a fine of Rs 5000 max. Worst part is that I would have to visit the court multiple times and pay the lawyer fee as well.

Option 2: File a report mentioning about the accident including my vehicle make, accident date and time, registration details of my car and the bike, and accident location. This will not include anything about "Drunk Driving". The report clearly mentions that I need an acknowledgement for claiming my own insurance. The cops just put a seal and sign on the letter and this needs to be handed over to Honda service/insurance for further processing.

With the current state of affairs in Indian Judicial System, option 1 is a lost cause. I can't be running behind lawyers and courts instead of being in my office (sorry for the rant, a bit OT).
I opted for option 2 since with this approach at least I can make use of Honda Assure. Thank God, I took zero dep cover with bumper-to-bumper coverage.

[theapollohelios]

Originally Posted by scorpion_blore

The cops have filed a separate drunken driving case against the bike rider.

The cops mentioned I have two options from here.
Option 1: File a FIR against that guy mentioning "drunken driving". I can't claim insurance from my insurance provider for drunken driving cases. This will turn into legal case, and I would have to fight this in court by hiring a lawyer. I can mention "Property Damage" and request for compensation. As per the cops, the court may levy a fine of Rs 5000 max. Worst part is that I would have to visit the court multiple times and pay the lawyer fee as well.

Absolutely appalling that you can claim only Rs. 5000 as damages to something that will clearly cost more excluding the operational cost of running back and forth between the court and the lawyer's fees.

I would recommend you to consult a lawyer whom you or a friend knows personally in any case. Also ask the lawyer if the method BHPian 'gunsho' recommended of reaching a setllement is a good option.

Even though the FIR is already filed, I believe you can drop the charges meaning the option of reaching a settlement would still be valid.

[vsrivatsa]

Originally Posted by scorpion_blore

Being my first experience with Honda Assure, I'm not sure what to expect with respect to the damage on my pocket. Luckily I took the zero dep cover along with bumper-to-bumper insurance, so I hope the damage on my pocket would be less, if not zero. Also not clear whether the premium will increase for the next renewal.

Sorry to hear - I understand how it feels when something like this happens to a new car.

Nothing to worry at all, I have used Honda Assure before. I think you will have to pay the minimal charge of Rs.2500/- irrespective of what the bill comes up to. I don't think there will be other consumables that need to be replaced given that its mainly the bumper. Your renewal cost, however would be higher as you lose the NCB.

[harry10]

Originally Posted by vsrivatsa

Sorry to hear - I understand how it feels when something like this happens to a new car.

Nothing to worry at all, I have used Honda Assure before. I think you will have to pay the minimal charge of Rs.2500/- irrespective of what the bill comes up to. I don't think there will be other consumables that need to be replaced given that its mainly the bumper. Your renewal cost, however would be higher as you lose the NCB.

I believe the minimal charge is 1000. At least that's what I have paid twice with my Honda Assure. Or it may depend from place to place.

[dieselbelly]

I did a test drive of the Diesel Automatic V model. Very impressed with the auto-box and small diesel combination. Absolutely no jerk with great pick-up and superbly suited for city use. Honda has hit the sweet spot by addressing the need for a non-AMT automatic option for small diesel cars. The torque of a diesel at lower Rpm ensure that the rubber band effect is non existent.

The minus points is that there is no cruise control. Which i think is essential especially in an Automatic. The car is big enough for highway use. The future of Indian highways is that it will be speed regulated with fines imposed for over speeding. This is already the case in Kerala where the new stretch between palghat and Kudaran -Thrissur has some 30 fixed speed cameras for a distance of 50 odd kms. Also the cost of such an addition is minimal in an Auto box. The funny thing is that the salesperson says that this feature is available on the VX version which comes only with manual gearbox. However the auto does not have the high end VX trim.

Secondly i was very disappointed with the beige colour interiors and low quality seat fabric. The door trims are also in beige. Simple black would have been more elegant and practical and there is no variant which offers this.

I think i will hold off my purchase decision till Honda comes with a VX automatic diesel variant which addresses the above issues.

[gunsho]

Sadly, I have to agree with you. Option 1 is painful, though we will get it from his insurance. It won't be property damage, unless the other guy was driving without insurance. As you said, its very painful, so we would forget going via option 1.

For option 2, one can take to the service centre. Yours is a new vehicle, there will be a basic amount which you may end up paying. Rest all will be taken care. Some bike guy or another can could have crashed into ours, when we have parked somewhere. Obviously we wouldn't be able to find who it is. No need for cop's acknowledgement, in this situation. Here, claim will be on your insurance, and service person would handle everything for you.

Originally Posted by scorpion_blore

The cops have filed a separate drunken driving case against the bike rider.

The cops mentioned I have two options from here.
Option 1: File a FIR against that guy mentioning "drunken driving". I can't claim insurance from my insurance provider for drunken driving cases. This will turn into legal case, and I would have to fight this in court by hiring a lawyer. I can mention "Property Damage" and request for compensation. As per the cops, the court may levy a fine of Rs 5000 max. Worst part is that I would have to visit the court multiple times and pay the lawyer fee as well.

Option 2: File a report mentioning about the accident including my vehicle make, accident date and time, registration details of my car and the bike, and accident location. This will not include anything about "Drunk Driving". The report clearly mentions that I need an acknowledgement for claiming my own insurance. The cops just put a seal and sign on the letter and this needs to be handed over to Honda service/insurance for further processing.

With the current state of affairs in Indian Judicial System, option 1 is a lost cause. I can't be running behind lawyers and courts instead of being in my office (sorry for the rant, a bit OT).
I opted for option 2 since with this approach at least I can make use of Honda Assure. Thank God, I took zero dep cover with bumper-to-bumper coverage.

[scorpion_blore]

Dropped my Brownie for repairs. Asked the service technician to take care of the first service as well, and resolve the glove box issue.

If everything goes well, the insurance clearance would arrive by Thursday evening, and the service technician is confident of delivering the car by Friday evening. The estimated repair cost was quoted at 12k in the insurance form.

Good to see that Honda is relentless in following up with me via email and phone after I shot an email.

[kautilya]

Congrats for being one of the earliest owners of the new Amaze on the forum.

Originally Posted by scorpion_blore

The glove box is very flimsy, and it keeps opening whenever driven at high speeds over small spead-breakers or potholes. How can Honda miss something as basic as this?

Does this mean Honda never tested the new Amaze on Indian roads? :confused

[coolmel]

Great purchase. Wishing you many happy miles. They sure have hit a sweet spot with that diesel CVT combo. I'd highly suggest upgrading to better rubber.

What's your take on the suspension? Is it a flat ride?

[scorpion_blore]

Originally Posted by kautilya

Does this mean Honda never tested the new Amaze on Indian roads? :confused

It is possible that Honda did test of the new Amaze only on highways with minimal unevenness. I'm no expert on how the road tests are carried out, so can't comment much on that.

The easiest way to reproduce the flimsy glove box issue is to drive at moderate speeds (>35) especially at the intersection spots of un-tarred and tarred roads. We see such spots at multiple places in Bangalore. These are the spots where one does not usually slow down to a great extent. I saw the glove box open in such spots even in the test drive vehicle.

After few calls from Honda it looks like Honda does listen to customer complaints. There was a sense of urgency in the service station and the Honda executives to fix this.

If everything goes well, Brownie will be done with the first service after bumper replacement tomorrow. Hopefully Honda can give a long lasting fix to the glove box issue *Fingers Crossed*

[dsnaveen21]

Congrats for the new car and wish you a lots of happy miles, sorry to hear about the accident, please get a dash cam installed in your car.

[scorpion_blore]

Brownie came back from service fully fresh and energised. The Honda Assure insurance claim was really smooth, and the service center got the car ready in just two days. They took care of replacing the front bumper, and even the first free service was done.

After driving back home, I noticed that the floor had not been vacuumed. Wouldn't it be part of the first free service?

Originally Posted by coolmel

I'd highly suggest upgrading to better rubber.

What's your take on the suspension? Is it a flat ride?

The suspension is on the softer side, the potholes and small speedbreakers are easily absorbed and does not affect the ride quality. Overall a big from my side for the suspension.

Originally Posted by dsnaveen21

sorry to hear about the accident, please get a dash cam installed in your car.

Dashcam is one item in my wishlist for some time. As of now I'm researching whether to hardwire it or power it through the mobile charger port. Since there is only one slot for charging mobiles in the driver side, I'm looking at possible options.