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-   -   Life with my 'Brownie' - The 2018 Honda Amaze Diesel CVT (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-drives-initial-ownership-reports/199234-life-my-brownie-2018-honda-amaze-diesel-cvt.html)

It has been a long time since I contemplated writing a thorough ownership review, and here it is now! Let me get straight to the point for those who are looking for a quick summary.

Likes:

• Excellent drivability, the IDTEC CVT works like a charm in traffic, creep functionality is a boon!
• Rubber band effect popular with CVTs not seen in regular city driving conditions in diesel CVT
• No jerky feel seen which is popular with AMTs
• Excellent placement of dead pedal for left foot
• NVH is very refined compared to the competitors in the same segment
• Excellent acceleration from stand-still. Easily reaches 0 to 40 in seconds, no lag seen
• FE of 16 in city conditions, where the daily usage includes bumper-to-bumper traffic in Bangalore. FE of 22 in highways.
• 170mm of ground clearance
• Safety: All variants come with front dual airbags as standard. Great move by Honda!
• Overall HU experience with sound quality will suffice for vast majority of users, audiophiles would definitely look for an upgrade.
• Excellent Automatic Climate Control which will chill you to the bone!
• Excellent storage options in all doors to hold 1-2 liter bottles with space for other items as well
• ORVM are of good size
• Mobile charge point for rear seat passengers
• Excellent leg room for rear seat passengers
• Most important, my left foot can now relax in this infamous Bangalore traffic

Dislikes:

• Engine takes 0.5 to 1 second to respond to quick acceleration, however no such issues seen with gradual linear acceleration
• Flimsy glove box: The glove box keeps opening whenever the car is driven at >30 speed over potholes or rough surface. This has happened 5-6 times in 1000 kms of my drive so far.
• No storage space other than the glove box in the dashboard, Honda could have accommodated at least a cubby hole
• HU when playing USB remembers the play mode preference as long as you remain in the same folder. The moment you visit another folder, te play mode preferences are lost. There is no global play mode preference option which is applicable to all the folders when playing through USB.
• No AC vent for rear seat passengers
• IRVM is a bit small for my liking. Also the day/night option for IRVM is not 'auto', but through manual intervention via a switch button.
• No illumination for buttons on driver side right door
• Door pads, dashboard, and roof flex with little pressure

The hunt so far:
The hunt for a new car to replace my beloved Ritz VXI started in early 2017 itself. Ritz had already completed more than 6 years by then, and the reading on the odo was more than 70k kms. Also my daily commute of 70 kms required 3 to 4 hours of drive, and this had started giving me sleepless nights due to pain in the left leg. Multiple visits to the doctors, and over the counter pain relievers also couldn't help. It was at this point that I decided there is no point pushing off the purchase to a later date, and starting considering all the options.

Must have's for the new car:

• AT
• Diesel engine
• Decent FE
• Safety: Dual Airbags and ABS
• Budget max of 6.5L
• Ground Clearance of more than 165 mm

The requirements were very clear this time - It had to be AT with at least front dual airbags and ABS. The budget that was set aside initially was a bit low for my liking since I already had an EMI running, and this would add to the burden. Also I was trying to put off the purchase as much as possible. But the relentless throbbing pain in the left leg every night made me reconsider my decision sooner than I expected.

Options Considered:
Ford Aspire 1.5 TDCi Titanium
No wonder many call this a "Driver's Car". The front grille design was a very bold move. Although I was always looking for an AT, took a TD of the TDCi Titanium this thinking that I can purchase the manual itself if the drive is smooth. Although the engine, ride quality, suspension, and the overall VFM factor was too good to ignore, finally sense prevailed and I decided not to make an impulsive purchase since I really needed a diesel AT, and not petrol AT.
Few findings that helped with this decision include the low boot capacity, and missing AT in TDCi variant.




Volkswagen Ameo 1.5 TDI Comfortline Plus AT/Highline Plus AT
The first thought that came to mind when I saw this in showroom was:"How can a compact sedan have so less space for rear passengers when the other competitors can manage to squeeze the maximum space". Went to the rear end of the display vehicle and was shocked to see the boot space. Even more shocking was the OTR pricing of AT variants (~11L for Comfortline, and ~11.75L for Highline in Bangalore). The above observations itself gave a negative vibe about this model in my mind, however I still decided to go ahead and take it for a ride.

What really impressed me during the drive was the smoothness of the DSG, and the ease with which the car can be taken around in city traffic. Add to this some essential features like Hill-hold assist, dual front airbags and ABS as standard across all variants, and my impression on this model changed after the TD.

Even my wife who accompanied me to the TD also liked this model. This was during the early days of 2017 when there were hardly any diesel automatics available in this segment (except Maruti Dzire). However budget played a spoilsport here. ~11L OTR for a compact sedan with such less boot space, ARAI FE of 21, and low rear-seat legroom didn't go well with us. Also the price for Highline variant intersected the price of few variants of Vento and Honda City, and in the end it did not look practical for us to purchase this.




Tata Tiago XZA
This is one model that ticked all the right boxes. If it wasn't for my wife's insistence to get either a sedan or small SUV, I would have picked up the Tiago XZA variant any day. The icing on the cake was the OTR of ~6.5L in Bangalore (Note the pricing was 7-8 months back, and the OTR has increased by 40-50k now)

Although I never took a TD of this car, I've been seeing and hearing a lot of positive reviews. The AMT variant with good suspension, top notch Harman Infotainment system, excellent build quality and FE made me seriously consider this. However the only downside was the 3 cylinder petrol engine and TATA's infamous ASS.

Even today, if I have to go and pick up a second car for daily use, then Tiago XZA would be my top choice among the hatchbacks. This is probably the best VFM AMT hatchback available in the market currently.




Tata Tigor XZA
The only reason I considered the Tigor was because wifey was insisting on a sedan. SInce the Tigor is based off Tiago, it shares the same set of pros and cons with Tiago. However the ARAI FE which is about 15-20% lesser than Tiago, and a premium of ~70k over Tiago made be drop this from my list. Also the fact remains that this is in its own territory, and not a proper compact sedan like Amaze, Dzire, Xcent, or Ameo. However this is still a VFM compact sedan.




Maruti Dzire ZDI AMT
I was really impressed with the diesel AMT variant, and had booked the ZDI variant after taking a couple of TD. The only downside I saw with diesel AMT was the frequent jerks noticed during sudden acceleration, which really was a deal breaker for me. The engine noise was evident throughout the drive, the NVH levels could have been improved my Maruti. Before the launch of Amaze CVT, this was probably the best diesel AT transmission available in <10L budget.

Pros:

• The interiors have that certain WOW factor which is very hard to ignore. The dashboard and driver armrest with wooden touch looks premium.
• Before the launch of Amaze, this was the only compact sedan to offer AT in diesel variant
• FE of 28+
• Maruti's reliable ASS
• Rear mobile charger and AC vents
• Excellent rear leg room
• 378L boot space (increased in the new gen model)

Few cons observed:

• The 163 mm of ground clearance is a big concern. Although I did not scrape any speed breakers during TD, the real world usage may tell a different story.
• AMT gets very jerky during sudden acceleration
• The biege interiors are big NO for Indian conditions, what was Maruti thinking!
• The IRVM is of smaller size.
• ZDI+ AMT costs 11.45L OTR in Bangalore. This is too pricey for an AMT.

Maruti Swift ZDI AMT
I had considered the ZDI variant since there is no ZDI+ AMT available in Swift. Although it carries over all the pros and cons of Dzire, it misses out on certain items like the ream armrest, and the wooden panels. Also the rear legroom is very less compared to Dzire. Finally decided to drop this from the list since the Dzire ZDI at 10.35L OTR is a much better bet than Swift ZDI at 9.7L OTR. It is worth giving 65k premium for Dzire over Swift.

Exteriors
During the last two weeks of my drive in Bangalore, at least there have been more than 10 instances when I have been asked about this car in traffic signals. Most of the curious enquiries about the OTR, FE, and the overall response was that the car really looks great compared to the older version, and some of them mistook it for Civic facelift! I'm not sure how long this attention will continue, but I'll try to enjoy the limelight till it ends!

The exterior looks much better than the outgoing model. The front may not be liked by everyone due to its unconventional vertical design. The headlights add certain elegance to the front looks. However personally I liked the front and the rear end looks. The rear end looks more or less similar to Civic and City, and now looks more premium. Overall the car looks proportionate in this facelist edition. Personally I would have preferred de-badged look on the rear end. The iDTEC and V CVT are clearly embossed on the right rear end.







Although the sides look plain, addition of body side mouldings add certain style and character to the otherwise plain side body. Also, the additional of Chrome strip (available as an accessory) at the rear end would definitely highlight the rear end, but not many would like the extra chrome.





The fit and finish looks decent with uniform panel gaps all round. The boot space is more than the outgoing model, and can easily accommodate luggage for occasional airport trips, or frequent weekend holiday trips. Notice the cladding which is missed behind the boot door, Honda should have provided at least a thin cladding here.




The smart-key request buttons are provided for both the front doors:


PSI markings for the tires:


Notice the shark-fin antenna which looks really cool:


The V CVT variant comes with Bridgestone tires:


Notice the protection plates provided for each door:


The ORVMs does not seem to be India-friendly. Looks like they cannot turn both ways.

Driving the Brownie in the city
The 1.5L four cylinder diesel engine works like a charm, and the CVT really gels well with this diesel engine. The diesel CVT never feels under-powered. During my 1000+ kms till date, never have I felt the urge to shift to 'S' mode.

There is a wry smile on my face every time I am at the front of the traffic signal. The CVT quickly moves from 0 to 40, and since the power delivery is linear unlike the AMTs and MTs where there is a drop-and-go power delivery during gear shifts, one can easily leave the other MT sedans and SUVs behind when the traffic light turns green. Even with a bit of aggressive driving, I have seen the engine quickly move till 80. However I have never went past 80 till date as per the dealer's recommendation to keep the speed limit within 80 till the first free service.

The CVT takes half a second to full second to respond to sudden acceleration. Also when the accelerator is floored when in standstill, the engine behaves as if it first moves to creep mode, and then moves to non-creep mode with increasing linear speeds. Although this is not much of a deal-breaker, I'm not sure if this is expected with CVTs. Overall the diesel CVT is lively to drive in city, and the creep mode really helps in city bumper-to-bumper traffic conditions.

The NVH levels are decent. Note that the engine noise can be heard throughout the drive. However I found the same in almost all the other diesel engines that I test drove. The NVH levels in Amaze seems to be far more refined compared to the competitors.

Although Honda claims FE of ~24, I've been able to pull off FE of 14 during the first fillup. This later increased to 15.7 during the second refill, and recently increased to 16.3 during the third refill. Note that these are the numbers seen in Bangalore roads where my office commute has 30-40% of bumper-to-bumper traffic. During the recent highway run, the FE increased to 21.7.
Note that the FE is measured using the method recommended in T-BHP. I fill the diesel till auto cut-off and reset the trip meter. During the next refill, I make sure to stop at auto cut-off again. I calculate the FE based on the distance run an shown in the trip meter divided by the volume of fuel consumed during refill.

It is good to see that Honda has given insulation sheet under the bonnet. Amaron battery can be seen in the engine bay:









The ground clearance of 170 mm is a great move. Never have I scraped any speed-breaker during 1000+ kms of my drive in Bangalore.

A quick look at the GC in offer:


A couple of ugly spots in the left and right end portions of the engine bay. What was Honda thinking?

Interiors
The cabin buttons are well placed, and I found no problem when moving from my earlier Maruti car. The legroom is sufficient for both the front and rear passengers.

Honda has equipped Amaze with dual-colored dashboard. The top portion is in black, where as the bottom portion, doors, and seats are in beige. The default floor carpet that runs throughout the entire floor area is fortunately black (good thinking Honda!). However the floor mat that comes as part of "Essential Package" by Honda is in beige.





The HU is of decent quality, and supports USB playback and AUX as well. Even BT streaming is supported. The four speakers located one in each door provide good bass. However the HU has the nagging issue of not remembering the play mode preference of a particular directory in USB. The preference will be remembered as long as you keep playing songs in that particular directory, but the settings will get reset once you move to another directory of the pen drive.
BT phone calls works flawless, and there was no lag or echo seen in audio.




Both the front passengers get dedicated AC vents on the left-most and right-most side. The AC works really well in hot weather, and I have really received lot of positive feedback about the AC from all the friends and colleagues who have checked out the car.
However there is no rear AC vent for the passengers seated at the back.

AC control unit just below the HU:


Notice the driver-side AC vent:


The Engine Start/Stop button is very nicely integrated on the dashboard. Notice how the color of the button transitions when the engine is ON.




Notice the change in console display when the engine is switched ON:




Honda badging on the steering:


Steering mounted audio and call controls:


Notice the fuel latch opener, bonnet opener, and boot opener levers on the driver side:




Mobile charger and USB plug point for the HU is provided just below the AC control unit.


Notice the storage area available before the CVT control lever. This can easily accommodate two water bottles, sunglass, hand sanitizer, and few more small items:


Driver armrest has buttons for rolling up/down all four windows. It also has buttons for closing ORVMs, adjusting ORVMs, window lock/unlock, and door lock/unlock. Only the driver window gets auto roll down functionality when a long press is done.


The IRVM is a tad small for my liking, and the rear visibility is very limited. However the reverse parking sensors come to the rescue here. The diesel V CVT variant doesn't come with reverse parking assistance camera. The IRVM does not come up auto day/night functionality, however a toggle switch is provided.


The ORVMs offer sufficient range of vision:


The position of dead pedal is top notch. My left leg has never stopped thanking me after I switched from manual to AT:


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?


Wiper and light stalks along with headlight throw adjustment buttons:






Cabin light located at the center, brightness is decent and illuminates the entire cabin. However I would have preferred white colored LED lights here instead of the usual yellowish lights that we have been seeing for ages.


Notice the power outlet and storage slot for rear passengers:


Notice the bench space for rear seat passengers:

Hearty Congrats. Brownie looks amazing in you pics cpics:

The glove box issue has been mentioned in few other threads too. Did you asked Honda guys, if its a known issue and any fix they plan for the same?

Probably they added all those need in amaze to Jazz. That has lots of them.lol:

New amaze is a surprisingly good package. My neighbor wants to buy a new sedan within 10 lakhs. He was open to petrol/diesel, manual/AT. I suggested him Amaze as he was keen on having a sedan. It was surprising that you get top end manual petrol for 8.8 lakhs OTR. That's crazy vfm and the car gets a lot of features!

Even petrol AT V is priced 9.3 lakhs OTR Trichy. One area Honda messed up is with not providing AT in VX variants.

Congratulations on the buy! Amaze is a very good package and looks amazing too, unlike the older Amaze. In fact Amaze makes more sense than the City if you are looking at diesel and if you are not too focussed on space.

Great review here :)
Congratulations on the car and enjoy her for many years.

I'm glad Honda close to detune the engine and mate it to a CVT rather trying to get an AMT.


I think this a serious misalignment issue. Push the dealer until you get it fixed.

Congratulations for your new ride. I have seen the new Amaze very closely and I concluded that Honda has compromised on build quality amd other plastics quality. I have a Ford Aspire and the quality in my Aspire is much more superior than the Amaze. Ask the dealer to fix the glovebox issue. I am sure that this issue can be rectified.

Looks like the glove box issue is common across all cars, and not localized to any particular unit. When I enquired the dealer about it, he mentioned that the glove box issue has been mentioned by all his customers. He further mentioned that till date Honda has not provided any fix for it.

Brownie completed 1000 kms within two weeks of delivery, and is due for the first free service. My salesperson has promised to get the glove box issue fixed during the first service. I'm not sure how he will be able to pull it off since Honda has not provided any fix for it yet.

Good to hear they are admitting and willing to work on it. Plz share with us on how it goes.

Just shot an email to Honda about the glove box issue. Will keep this thread updated with Honda's response and action from Honda service during the first free service.

After taking your thread live today, guess what car I've headed out in (posting this from the highway) :D. Summary: This diesel CVT comes as a breath of fresh air in a sea of jerky AMTs. If you want a Diesel AT in this segment, the Amaze is the one to buy. I've always liked this 1.5L diesel engine for its driveability, and the CVT is mated superbly to it :thumbs up. I simply cannot live with a jerky AMT:


Did someone say glovebox? See the panel gap in this test car I'm in:

Nice review.
Will wait and see how they resolve your glovebox issue. Such trivial issues do spoil a new car experience.
I am curious to know how is the drive experience in comparison to a manual Amaze. If you did a TD of the same before finalizing your automatic then do let us know the difference in drivability.
Have fun driving your Brownie. :)