The car scored 27.85 points out of 34 for adult safety and 8.58 points out of 49 for child occupant protection.

The Honda Amaze has been awarded a 2-star rating by Global NCAP. The car scored 27.85 points out of 34 for adult safety and 8.58 points out of 49 for child occupant protection.

In the frontal impact test, the Amaze offered good protection to the head and neck of the driver and passenger. Chest protection was rated as adequate for both front occupants. The driver and passenger’s knees showed marginal protection, while their tibias showed good protection.

The Amaze offered good protection to the head and pelvis in the side impact test, while protection for the chest and abdomen was rated as marginal and adequate, respectively. The side pole impact test was not performed on the vehicle.

The child seat for the 3-year-old was able to prevent excessive head excursion during the frontal impact test. However, the child seat of the 18-month-old was not able to prevent ejection risk during the test, which led to the car receiving 0 dynamic points in the front and side-impact tests.

For someone looking at sedate driving and ok with the rubber band effect, this is not a bad option.

BHPian aayusht recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Test Drive experience of Honda Amaze CVT petrol

On Sunday, 14th April, I finally test-drove the Honda Amaze CVT. Sharing a summary of my experience of the car and the showroom experience with Frontier Honda Sohna Road Gurgaon:

Experience with the showroom: 5/5

Experience with the car: 3.5/5

Pros:

• Fairly decently priced for what it offers (at least the SX variant); personally, I do not care for fancy features, but most of the useful ones are there in the SX variant
• Decent quality of interior plastics (in most places), decent quality of the headlamp & indicator switch, and good ergonomics overall. Nice clear large dials and a simple easy to read instrument cluster
• Folks at the Frontier Honda, and Sohna Road were pretty helpful. The test drive vehicle was a new car, spotless, barely driven 30km to date - felt good to drive such a test drive car. Never had such an experience. Accommodative with my request to drive the car on open roads to test out the pickup and check the CVT's rubberband effect, rough roads to test out the suspension.

Cons:

• The CVT's rubber band effect: I was struggling to see good pickup. The RPM shot up but the speedometer took its own sweet time to catch up; I could feel that the car was struggling to speed up, but the transmission was not letting it
• Though a small factor - Honda is still using plastic gear sticks, unlike some of the other companies offering leather/leatherite wrap. A few other sections of the lower dashboard had plastics that were not up to the mark and not similar to the plastics used on the higher sections. This does not give a premium feel, though I don't think Honda is positioning Amaze as a premium car
• Sadly, Amaze (along with Dzire, and Aura) have gained the taxi image (though not a reason I would drop the Amaze)

I forgot how the Jazz CVT with my in-laws drove, hence needed to drive the Amaze. I am not sure if I will actually buy the car. I still need to test-drive a few more cars. If I do not buy this car in my ongoing search for a small auto car, the primary reason will be the rubber band effect of the CVT.

For someone looking at sedate driving and ok with the rubber band effect, this is not a bad option.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The Amaze gets seatbelt reminders for all 5 seats as standard.

Honda has upgraded the safety features offered on the City and Elevate. Both cars now get 6 airbags as standard across all variants.

In addition to 6 airbags, the City and Elevate models will now come equipped with 3-point Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR) seatbelts and seatbelt reminders for all five seats as standard across all variants.

The City Hybrid, which already features 6 airbags, will now get seatbelt reminders for all five occupants. It is now available in a single top-spec 'ZX' variant priced at Rs 20,55,100 (ex-showroom). The Amaze gets seatbelt reminders for all 5 seats as standard.

In addition to safety, Honda has also made some changes to the features list. A 4.2-inch digital instrument console is now available in the SV variant of the City, while an 8-speaker sound system and a rear sunshade are offered in the VX variant.

The SV, V and VX variants of the Elevate get a sunvisor vanity mirror with a lid on both the driver and passenger side, while a 7-inch semi-digital instrument cluster is available in the SV and V trims.

Honda City ex-showroom prices:

Petrol MT

• SV – Rs 12,08,100
• V – Rs 12,85,000
• VX – Rs 13,92,000
• ZX – Rs 15,10,000

Petrol CVT

• V – Rs 14,10,000
• VX – Rs 15,17,000
• ZX – Rs 16,35,000

e:HEV

• ZX – Rs 20,55,100

Honda Elevate ex-showroom prices:

Petrol MT

• SV – Rs 11,91,000
• V – Rs 12,71,000
• VX – Rs 14,10,000
• ZX – Rs 15,41,000

Petrol CVT

• V – Rs 13,71,000
• VX – Rs 15,10,000
• ZX – Rs 16,43,000

Honda Amaze ex-showroom prices:

Petrol MT

• S – Rs 7,92,800
• VX – Rs 9,04,000

Petrol CVT

• S – Rs 8,82,600
• VX – Rs 9,86,000

I really feel this car should sell more than monthly 2500 pcs compared to Dzires 15000 count!

BHPian INDIAFIRST recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I have an 18-month-old CVT VX. I am in awe of the class and quality of this machine.

Just completed a 650 km round trip from NCR to Solan District (HP). Sharing observations:

Mileage: Calculated using tank-to-tank method with 4 adults & luggage. Nitrogen instead of air in tyres. Driven in D mode.

On plains highway- 23 kmpl. Caveat- Max speed 90 kmph, average speed 70 kmph.

On the incline (40 km stretch) 14 kmpl

I use regular (not premium) petrol.

On the return leg, the car was running non-stop with AC for 6 hours- only stopping to cross toll plazas. Yes, no bio breaks either! Interestingly engine was not (excessively) heated- this is outstanding & shows the car was well within its comfort zone.

The trick with the CVT is to understand the RPMs and feather the accelerator accordingly. Typically I stay within 1500 rpm. I used S mode only for engine braking on the way down, maybe 5/6 kms.This car is a beauty when relaxed. Heavy /squat stance leads to less body roll which translates to minimum fatigue. I was pretty fresh after the drive. Well yes, 300 odd km isn't much compared to most of you folks, but then my weekly drive is a total of 50 km!

Braking is, as GTO says "sans drama". True- you can really rely on the stopping power.

Since (gimmicky) features are not my thing, this car meets all my basic requirements. Safe, reliable, classy.

I really feel this car should sell for more than monthly 2500 pcs compared to Dzires 15000 count!

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The infotainment unit works flawlessly and connects to Bluetooth in no time and I don't miss the touchscreen at all.

BHPian JDMBOI recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Odometer - 1152 KM

Mileage - It stayed around 11 KMPL (usually driven in the city) but after crossing 1000 KM it has gone up. The best I have seen in the cluster is 14.2 KMPL. It's going to go up after the first service.

Headlight- (OSRAM 12V bulb) Its performance is okay for the city, if you do highway run at night you definitely need an upgrade. (ours is a mid-variant with halogen bulb (reflectors) and no fog light, the top variant comes with LED projectors & LED fog lights)

Light on boot is neither a reflector nor a light, just there for aesthetic purposes. I am thinking of pasting the red reflector tape in a small stripe like the tail light design.

NVH level - On a well-paved road almost none. Poor road surface (crack lines) then it's a whole different story, it's too loud.

• Only 2 months and the clutch spring is making noise (needs lubrication)
• Noise from the dashboard (driver side) (randomly comes and goes)
• Engine noise - No sound enters the cabin at low rpm and idling but around 3K RPM (in 1st and second gear) engine and gearbox noise starts to come inside.
• Vibrations - No vibrations transfer to the steering wheel and the gear knob does not shake.
• Fit and finish - Overall I would rate it 7/10.

Panel gaps of doors and trunk area are uniform. Lacks (at corners) where the bonnet meets the lip and poor around the headlight.

I am not satisfied at all with the glove box quality. It has panel gaps and I hate the lock mechanism, it feels cheap. This is what I do to close it softly - Pull the lever, close the glove box and then release the lever. The tabs provided to hold the glove box are not proper tabs that you press to access the filter. they made a small cut so that you can flex the plastic to access the filter. The glove box has a coin holder though.

Ride quality - It's comfortable (175/65/R14 Bridgestone tyres) but when there is an undulation on the road the ride becomes bumpy at the rear (by bumpy I mean you feel the suspension compression and rebound) maybe it's because of small size tyre or soft suspension setup at back. If you are doing good speed you may lose confidence. With those small-size tyres, you have to slow down ( almost completely stop) for speed breakers. In future, going to upsize the tyre to top variant specifications.

Gearbox - NOT A FAN.

If you are standing still and driving at slow speed it is butter smooth, no complaints at all. It's the second (sometimes first too) ruining the experience and even questioning myself did I make a wrong choice? if you have read my initial thoughts you may remember I mentioned the problem of slotting second gear well, I am still facing the issue. At low speed it ain't a problem it is smooth, it happens when you are shifting from third to second (around 20 KMPH) that the stupid gearbox won't go into second or need a hard push, leaving me in the middle of the road at slow speed with people honking from behind.

Recently, faced the issue a few days ago trying to slot 2 coming from 3 gear (this time the road was empty I used the momentum to pull over) when the car stopped I tried slotting second with no luck tried the first no luck but 3, 4, 5 were smooth. Somehow I managed to engage first and kept going.

Intimated the sales guy many times about the problem at first he said you are not depressing the clutch fully. He even test-drove the car on showroom premises (at one point I engaged gears for him and it was smooth) but I took some notes about this issue and found out it doesn't happen at low speed it happens when you downshift from third to second but after repeated complaining he agreed and told me to forward the address so that he and service guy will come to check. (so nice of him, he always helps me) but I refused as the car was not at home and told him that I would bring the car later on myself. I finally went to the showroom and he drove the car agreed to my theory and said it needed lubrication plus tried avoiding shifting to second gear around 20KMPH (shift below 20KMPH). He also mentioned that he has seen this problem in the new Honda Elevate (their test-drive vehicle) and our Amaze. plus a bonus for you he also mentioned a new Amaze coming in July.

Gear throws - 1,3,5 are okay but 2,4 and Reverse are longer.

Rev match - It's a struggle, you have to press the accelerator more than usual to gain around 1.5-2K rpm now it's getting easy as it crosses 1K KM. (The engine is now rev happy)

Steering - Feels good to hold, neither thin nor thick (I have big hands) it has okay weight. There is a slight play where it doesn't respond to movements at high speed but the car is nimble.

AC - Can't complain it is simply the best.

Infotainment- The infotainment unit works flawlessly and connects to Bluetooth in no time and I don't miss the touchscreen at all. Love physical buttons. I don't think I have used a touchscreen on our Kushaq at all while driving.

Can't comment on Bluetooth call functionality & call quality it offers. I don't use my phone at all while driving if I have to answer a call I pull over and use my mobile rather than a car mic and speakers)

Brakes - Hit or miss. Sometimes I am okay and sometimes I'm not. Need improvement.

Seats- The seats are comfortable but they don't hug you though (front seats) & The driver seat has height adjustment.

Stability - Haven't gone above 85 KMPH but it is stable that bumpy feel over the undulating road is a problem at high speed. (big size tyres may solve the problem)

Surface rust - Surface rust has been there on the axle rods in a brand new car (saw it during PDI) cost-cutting by Honda. Just paint them, Honda.

Visibility -Side view mirrors are huge and offer good visibility, no issue at all.

Speakers - Need improvement. As more and more time I spend with it the more I am getting used to it and the built-in equalizer helps a lot.

Parking sensors - Boy oh Boy! They are sensitive (not complaining) its better safe than sorry.

Footrest - The plastic footrest was not pasted properly I accidentally hit it while placing the mat and had to glue it again in its position.

Wiper spray - Pathetic spray only covers the lower bottom part.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The Amaze and City also get benefits of up to Rs 90,000 and Rs 1.20 lakh, respectively.

Honda has announced several offers on its cars this month. Besides the Amaze and City, the carmaker is also offering discounts on the Elevate.

The Honda Elevate was launched in September last year. The SUV is available in four variants: SV, V, VX and ZX, with prices starting from Rs 11,57,900 (ex-showroom). The mid-size SUV is now available with a cash discount of up to Rs 50,000.

The Amaze gets benefits of up to Rs 90,000. These include a cash discount of Rs 35,000 or free accessories worth up to Rs 41,653. Honda is also offering a corporate discount of up to Rs 20,000, an exchange bonus of up to Rs 10,000 and a loyalty bonus of up to Rs 4,000. The Elite trim gets an additional discount of up to Rs 30,000.

The City gets the highest benefits worth Rs 1.20 lakh. These include a cash discount of up to Rs 30,000 or accessories worth Rs 32,196. Customers can also avail of an exchange bonus of up to Rs 15,000, a corporate bonus of up to Rs 20,000 and a loyalty bonus of Rs 4,000. The Elegant trim gets additional benefits worth Rs 36,500, while the VX and ZX variants get extended warranty worth Rs 13,651.

The new Amaze is said to be based on the same platform as the City and Elevate.

According to a media report, the third-generation Honda Amaze is likely to be launched in India this Diwali.

The new Amaze is said to be based on the same platform as the City and Elevate. However, it will be modified to achieve a sub-4 metre overall length and a shorter wheelbase.

In terms of styling, the new Amaze could borrow design cues from its stablemates, the City and Elevate. We can expect a clean and simple exterior design that’s typical of Honda. Inside, the car is expected to get a larger, free-standing touchscreen infotainment system similar to that of the Elevate.

Reports suggest that the next-gen Amaze will be powered by a 1.2-litre petrol engine. It is said that the 1.2-litre 4-cylinder unit from the current model is likely to be carried over. It produces 89 BHP and 110 Nm and is paired with either a 5-speed manual or a CVT.

Source: Autocar India

Overall, I'm happy with the decision I made. Amaze S MT is one of the best and VFM car in Rs 8L (on road).

BHPian JDMBOI recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hii, Team-BHPians, here is my experience buying the Honda Amaze & initial thoughts.

Preference - Hatchback (Sub 4M) and not to buy base variant. Started looking for a car for my sister back in August.

Budget Rs 9L (on road).

Cars considered

• Amaze
• Brezza
• Altroz
• i20
• Fronx
• Baleno (kind of)

Ruled out and why?

• Brezza was out of the list as 2nd variant was above Rs 11L on the road. In my opinion, it's not worth it (few features + hybrid technology removed and price remained the same) I would rather spend that much on slavia/virtus/kushaq base variants. The waiting period was 7 months but the sales guy said to buy Rs 25000 worth of accessories & I will deliver the car on the date of your choice which is very considerate of him. I said thanks and left.Altroz - To be honest not a fan of Altroz looks (other Tata cars too) and there are 17 Petrol variants (yes, you read it right) Are you kidding me?
• i20 - Almost decided to go with the i20 Sportz manual but then I saw Amaze on the road (almost forgot this car) and the i20 was put on hold.
• Baleno - My mother was forcing me to go with Baleno (her colleagues told her, to buy Baleno) but I said NO. Safety is questionable.

• Nexa sales guy remarks on the safety of Baleno.

Me - What is the safety rating of Baleno? (I know it's never tested)

Sales guy (Looks at me for 2-3 seconds) - 5 Stars.

Me- No, this will only get 2-3 stars (if tested)

Sales guy (changing topic) - Are bhai safety kisko chaiye sab bhagwan ke hath mein hai, feature aur mileage mangte hai log. (Brother, Who need safety? it's in God's hands. People want features and mileage)

Me - Alright.

• Fronx - Its 2nd model was Rs 8.4 and on the road would have been around Rs 9.3L. I am against spending that much money on Maruti plus she denied (looks).

Why did I choose Amazon?

• 4 Star safety.
• Honda reliability.
• Parts availability and economical service.
• Under 4 meter.
• Spacious cabin.

Visits and experience with Honda

In September - Went to check the car (around 5 PM) and to get a quote. Was attended to within seconds by salesperson Mr. Gaurav. He knew all the feature differences between S and VX. (good to know as sales guys usually don't know much) but they were a little hesitant to show the car had to say 3 times. (The showroom is under renovation, maybe that's why)

In October - On 10 October 2023 visited them again for booking but sales man (Gaurav) was not present another guy said Sir, the occasion is not good now, come on 15 October it's Navratri. I said I don't believe in this sort of stuff but he insisted, and I was skeptical whether to go for it or not, so I left without booking the car.

In November - On 10 November 2023 went again attended within seconds again by Mr. Gaurav (he recognized me) talked to some figures and booked Amaze S Manual in Silver at Malwa Honda,Sonipat. Could have gone with VX but there is a Rs 1.30L difference (on the road).

Price

On Road Rs 8.25L. Told him, I would pay only 8% road tax (Haryana) + Insurance

Feature difference between S and VX

• Full LED Projector headlight.
• Fog lamps. (LED)
• Push button start.
• Smart key. (Keyless entry)
• Rear Defogger.
• Automatic Climate Control.
• Diamond-Cut Two-Tone Multi-Spoke R15 Alloy Wheels.
• Rear Multi-View Camera with Guidelines.
• 17.7cm Touchscreen (Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, Weblink)

What I opted

• Fast tag - Rs 500
• Extended warranty.
• Zero Depreciation.
• Return to Invoice.
• Rat bite (was told it is included in IIFCO insurance)
• Hydrostatic lock/ Engine Protection.

Not paid

• Logistic/Handling Charges- At the first visit he said it was necessary to pay the charge but later on was OK with me not paying. NOTE - Buyers are not bound to pay logistic/handling charges, it is illegal.
• No basic accessory kit.
• NO RSA.

Accessories
Paid Rs5000 for

• Mud Guard.
• Floor Mats.
• Body cover.
• Air pump.
• Anti-fog film (for ORVM)

Received 2 pillows (as a gift)

Pictures of the S variant

No dead pedal.

Driver-side door hinges.

Halogen headlight with DRL.

Pasting (looks cheap) and gap on the side.

Rear right door hinges.

No 60:40

Minimal hump

Rubber beading stops in the middle.

Partial cladding.

PDI

I asked the sales guy to fix the PDI date (Friday, 17 November) but he said 18 November, I agreed and told him that I want a fresh lot of cars in at least September. He again changed the date to Sunday 19 November. I called him on 18 to remind him about PDI and reiterated about the fresh lot (at least September) he said okay.

PDI Day - Wastage of time & utter disappointment
18 November - I was ready, printed the PDI checklist noted the VIN decoding instructions.

19 November - Reached the showroom and the very first thing I checked was VIN and Voila it was August manufactured not September or October. Didn't even proceed further & rejected the car. He offered a Grey metallic Amaze (September manufactured) I denied it because I have been telling him, for the past month, that I want Silver. I was somewhat okay with 3 month old car and asked about more discounts but no luck. Sat there to talk about new stock arrival and discount on silver Amaze but he got busy with new customers and waited for around 30 minutes (unattended) then I left.

20 November - Decided to go with grey metallic and did PDI using Preregistration check list. It took me around 40 minutes. I would suggest taking someone with you as time passed, I became lethargic & did the left-over procedure in a hasty manner. After PDI 25 November was set as delivery day.

Delivery Day
Took delivery of the vehicle early in the morning, and the process was smooth (20-25 minutes). Gave sweet boxes to the sales guy and to the staff. Was given a chocolate box, clicked a few pictures, and off we went.

Rating (Malwa Honda, Sonipat)
8 out of 10

Initials thoughts


My observation after the small trip (40 KM) (I was in the back seat) and a short drive

Mileage - 11.4 KMPL (MID) 5 people on board.

• The engine is silent (do hear it when driven hard, no complaints at all)
• The brakes are good.
• Back seat comfort is good.

• Prominent sound transfer into the cabin when rocks hit the wheel well.

Short drive

• Easy to maneuver in the city.
• Steering has good weight.
• The clutch is perfect neither short nor long nor very light.
• Gear shifts are smooth with a medium throw.

Likes

• Refined engine.
• Spacious cabin.
• Effective AC.
• Infotainment, steering wheel & window (control) buttons give good feedback.
• Seat comfort is good.
• Brakes offer a good bite.
• NVH level well contained.

Dislikes

• Partial cladding.
• Pasting in the engine bay looks cheap & with huge fender gaps (see engine bay pictures)
• Reflectors at the back (near tail light) are just for esthetic purposes.
• The gear knob has played when in neutral and I was having difficulty slotting second gear but after a few minutes getting used to it. (same thing told by my brother)

Wants

• Underbody protection.
• Fog lamps.
• Good speakers.
• 60:40 seat.
• Dead pedal.

Build quality
The build quality is good for the Rs 8L car. The seat fabric, roof liner, dashboard fit, and finish are good but the glove box has a slight panel gap. The button provided (AC, Infotainment, steering & windows control gives a good tactile feel). Panel gaps are uniform outside. The doors don't offer thud noise and the boot lid is light.

Engine & Variant
1.2L NA engine| Amaze S MT

Wheels & tyres
175/65 R14 Bridgestone tyres (Spare too)

Interior space & comfort
The comfort is good at the front and back seats, can't complain & the driver seat has height adjustment.

Visibility & size of mirrors
Ample visibility - huge windows, A-pillar doesn't protrude visibility, big ORVM & IRVM (manual in S) provide great visibility of the back.

Air conditioner cooling & Effectiveness
It's a Honda, it blows cool air as soon as you turn on the AC.

Audio system & sound quality
Decent, if you love music you are going to get disappointed like me. No inbuilt equalizer or subwoofer.

NVH levels
Haven't driven it much but based on our 40KM trip I would say the NVH levels are well contained, with no road noise, you do hear the engine when you accelerate hard but prominent sound transfers into the cabin when a rock hits the wheel wells.

Overall, I'm happy with the decision I made. Amaze S MT is one of the best VFM cars in Rs 8L (on the road).
CIAO

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The Amaze and City limited editions are available with manual and CVT transmissions.

Honda has launched two new limited editions based on the Amaze and City this festive season. The Amaze Elite Edition is priced from Rs 9.04 lakh to Rs 9.86 lakh. Prices for the City Elegant Edition range from Rs 12.57 lakh to Rs 13.83 lakh (ex-showroom).

Amaze Elite Edition:

The limited-edition Amaze is based on the top-spec VX trim and is available with manual and CVT transmissions.

The car gets additional features such as a rear spoiler with an LED stop light, TPMS, front fender garnish, a sliding front armrest, anti-fog film on ORVMs, illuminated sill plates, a tyre inflator, and Elite Edition seat covers and badges.

City Elegant Edition:

The limited-edition City is based on the V trim and comes equipped with a rear spoiler with an LED stop light, front fender garnish, illuminated sill plates, a wireless charger, and Elegant Edition seat covers and badges. 

The City Elegant Edition is also available with manual and CVT transmission options.

The Honda looked perfect & I had made up my mind to close this deal in the first 5 minutes of the test drive itself.

BHPian Singh09 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hello everyone!

This is my initial ownership and car selection review for my Pre-Owned 2019 Honda Amaze V CVT - Diesel.

PROLOGUE

Well, the hunt for a new car started back in 2022 when I sold my XUV 500 W8 bought back in 2012. It had clocked almost 150,000 kms and still ran like a new car. It was a gem of a vehicle and I really miss her. But I had to let her go because of the 10-year rule in NCR since I travel a lot to Delhi NCR from Moradabad. So when we decided to let our beloved XUV go I approached a couple of dealers to get a price for my XUV including franchises like Car24, Olx etc but all of them gave me a price hovering near 2.5 Lacs only as the car was about to complete its 10 years in October. So, I put an Ad on Olx and got a good deal for my XUV and our long-term relationship finally ended in March 2022. Now we were only left with one car in the garage, our 2017 Tata Tiago XZ Diesel.

One year passed and we somehow managed with Tiago as I got too busy with my business and other stuff but recently in the last month couple of incidents happened which made me take this quick decision which was pending anyways. First, the Engine mount in my Tiago went Kaput which I got fixed from the TASS for Rs. 4500. Then after one week the left axle went kaput and it cost me approx. 15k rupees including the front pads. So in all, I had spent 20K in repairs in just 8 days. Now the AC also started acting up and the 70K service was also on the edge. I was never pleased with the TASS from the beginning. So, all this added and I thought of replacing my car. Rest I’ll be updating my ownership thread regarding Tiago. So, the most difficult question hit me once that bug hit my mind “WHICH CAR”.

Now talking about my current usage, I have a good amount of highway usage as well as city driving. One thing was sure that the car has to be diesel and should be automatic as I feel I am done driving manual considering the traffic conditions in my city and Delhi NCR as I travel a lot to NCR. Now this car had to be an upgrade over the Tiago and not XUV because we are planning to get an SUV, I know for sure but just don’t know when that might happen, maybe end of this year or might be sometime next year. So, I was open to both New and Pre-Owned cars.

One evening I just casually opened Carwale and started searching for a diesel car with automatic transmission under 10 lakh rupees (my max Budget for a new car) as I didn’t want to take any loan since we are planning for another car which is definitely going to cost upwards of 25 lakhs. But to my surprise, I couldn’t find a single diesel car under 10 lakhs let alone the automatic part. There is no option available in the market for a diesel car in that range. The cheapest option in diesel you can get is Tata Altroz XE Plus for 9.33 lakhs and I didn’t want to get another Tata as I was not happy with the ASS and frankly, I am done with Tata for good.

So, I started looking for used cars everywhere I could like carwale, Olx, Spinny, Cars24 etc. And I extended my search from Moradabad to Delhi NCR, Ambala, Chandigarh, Lucknow where I could easily get the car transfer to my name. I narrowed down my choices and the requirements were very dead clear in my mind which were as follows:

• Had to be diesel.
• Automatic Transmission
• Safety: At least 2 airbags, ABS, should have at least 3/4 star safety rating.
• Decent ground clearance
• Should be spacious as compared to Tiago
• Max budget 7 – 7.5 Lakhs.
• Should have a nice Mileage
• Less driven
• Good ASS

Should not be older than 2018. But I was open to 2017 if the car was super clean.

Options Considered:

Since my requirements were very clear I had the following options in my mind. And I have driven these cars which belonged either to my friends or close family members. So my main objective was to find a good car first and then move forward with Test drives, price negotiation etc.

Honda City

It was one of my favorite sedans (4th Gen being my favorite). And it was fulfilling almost all of my requirements hence was the no.1 contender. Saw a couple of models from 2017 till 2019 and almost finalized one in Lucknow as it was 2018 Model V variant with 45k kms on the ODO. The dealer praised the car like anything but when I got the history checked it had 5 claims and 1 one of them was a major claim. The entire car was repainted, so dropped it from my list. Found a couple of more models in Delhi but all of them were rejected because of some or other reasons like meter back, claims, accidental etc. So I kept searching and searching only to get disheartened as I knew somewhere in my mind that it was not possible to get a good one in my budget but I still kept trying.

Maruti Ciaz

Ciaz was the last option on my list even though the diesel Ciaz is a very good option and comfortable to drive on highways. As I have driven this car (one of my friends) on a highway for a good 200 km. I really liked the comfort and the feeling of being in the car plus the MASS is also good with its large network and the car has good resale value. But I was only getting cars with high mileage upwards of 50K and that too 2017/2018 model for 7 Lakhs. But safety was a concern hence it was on the list with a condition that if I don’t get anything then we will focus on this car.

Hyundai Verna

Well, this was my first choice and I really love the way this car drives. It literally feels like a diesel rocket. Also, Hyundai diesel engines are refined and the cars come with a decent number of features as well. But I couldn’t find a single 2019 or even 2018 model with Automatic transmission in my budget. All the good cars that I came across were almost north of 10 Lakhs.

Honda Amaze

This was the second contender in the list as Amaze also ticked almost all the points in my requirements list. Short listed a couple of Amazes in Delhi and Lucknow. Found 1 in Lucknow which was a 2018 model diesel S variant with 38000 kms on the ODO with a service record and looked pretty nice and the asking price was 6.5 lakhs which could have gone to approx. 6.1 but I let it go because I was keen on finding an automatic Amaze.

But then one day (on 2.7.23, Sunday) I saw a listing which appeared to be uploaded only a couple of minutes before on OLX. It was a 2019 Honda Amaze V CVT in Modern Steel Metallic color with just 29273 kms on the ODO and the car looked very clean in the AD.

Final Decision Made

I scrolled over the listing and contacted the concerned person who turned out to be a dealer in Dwarka. We had a discussion for about 10 mins in which I asked him all sorts of questions. And after the discussion, I told Mr. Saurabh (Dealer’s son) to hold the car for me and that I’ll be coming tomorrow to check the car and if everything goes well then, I would buy it right away. Few things that I insisted on were that they provide me with the service history and that if we will be okay with the price then I would like to get the car checked at an Authorized Honda dealer before making the payment to which he agreed. So, it was decided that Dad and myself will go together in our Tiago and if everything turns out to be good then we will buy the car the same day and return to Moradabad.

Delivery Experience:

So the very next day on 3.7.2023 we left at 9:00 AM from Moradabad and reached the Dealership around 12:30 PM where we met Mr. Naresh (Saurabh’s father) and were greeted by him very nicely. After 5-10 mins of small chat, we stepped outside his office where Amaze was parked. I took a walk around of the car and God it was clean just some minor scratches on the rear bumper and that’s it. I opened the door and it just felt like a new car. Took the driver seat and cranked the engine with a slight touch on the Start/Stop button. It was smooth and we left for a test drive. Everything looked perfect to me ride, suspension, NVH levels, sitting posture, CVT transmission, pickup etc. I mean I could literally feel the age of the car once I was inside and the way it drove, it just felt as if I am driving a new car. I had made up my mind to close this deal in the first 5 minutes of the test drive itself.

We came back to their office after a good 15-20 minutes of driving and discussed the final rates. Once the rate was final between us, I took the car to a Honda Authorized dealer accompanied by his son and got the entire car inspected. I told the Service Advisor to let me know even if they find something which does not require to be reported. It took them 2 hours for the entire process as they had a lot of cars in the service Centre. They put the car on the lift and checked the entire underbody, engine bay, body panels and everywhere they could look. Meanwhile, we had already gone through the service history of the car on the Service Advisors desktop and everything was up to the mark. After inspecting the car thoroughly, it was sent out for a test drive with us and again the Amaze passed with flying colors. Only the cap for the windshield washer tank was missing so I got a new one for Rs. 37 only. We paid the diagnostic charges and left the Service Centre and returned to the dealer’s office.

Finally, we started the paperwork and everything was done in 30 mins as I had already bought the scan copies of my IDs and picture with me. By the time we finished everything and left it was 5:30 PM. Luckily there was a fuel station close to the dealer where I made the first top up which cost me Rs. 2918 and it took 32.56 Liters of Diesel. After topping up we left for Moradabad and reached home around 10:00 PM with a small Coffee break in between as we were tired and had crossed the entire Delhi in office hours traffic.

What did I get

• 2 car keys
• All original documents including the original payment receipts, invoices from the first owner, Temp RC copy etc.
• The car is under warranty till December 2023
• Zero Dep. Insurance till February 2024
• PUC till April 2024
• Next service due in February 2024 as the car got serviced in February 2023.
• It has genuine Honda accessories worth 54000
• Spare tire is unused
• Fog lamps have projectors
• Headlamps have HID setup

Things done so far:

• Got the Honda RSA for Rs. 1840 for one year
• Got the rear bumper painted from outside

Things planned:

• Music system upgrade – Will get the speakers changed since I have been spoiled by the Harmon system in my Tiago
• Tire upgrade
• Rain visors
• PPF – since this shade is prone to scratches and even the swirl marks will be easily visible.

Dealer Experience and Price:

So the dealer's name was SEHGAL CARS and they are located in Sector 1 Dwarka. Mr. Naresh Sehgal is the owner and his son Mr. Saurabh Sehgal was the person I talked to over the phone. I would rate my dealer experience 10/10 as everything turned out the way they told me. They had the car clean and ready for us and didn't make us wait for anything or did any tantrums. I highly recommend this dealer if someone is looking to buy a used car or sell one of theirs. They are very professional and speak the truth and only have clean cars in their inventory. Mr. Saurabh assured me that they don't deal in cars involved in accidents, cars with tempered odos or anything that may destroy their goodwill.

Now let's talk about the price, The asking price was 7.60 Lacs and we closed the deal at 7.15 lacs which included the broker fees and transfer of ownership into my name.

I think the price was justified since the car is already under warranty. Also, I don't have to take insurance since the insurance is good until February 2024 and it includes zero dep, Engine Protect Plus and Key Protect. Also, the insurance has been done with Honda itself and is cashless. Also, the last service was done in February 2023 at 27,926 kms. So I just have to fill diesel and keep driving until the next service is due. Even the PUC is valid until 22/4/2024.

First Impressions:

Engine & Transmission:

Well, I don’t have to tell you what a great combination this engine and transmission makeup as it has been said so many times already. But coming from Tiago the engine does feel refined and definitely has more power and that CVT just brings joy while navigating through traffic. Though I am new to this car but right on the delivery day itself I got to experience the Delhi office hours traffic and then had a chance to drive good 160-170 kms on the highway. The 1.5 liter, four-cylinder turbocharged diesel i-Dtec engine under the hood does the required work in city and on highways as well. You have enough power to overtake slow-moving vehicles in the city. The engine doesn't require excessive revving to initiate motion due to the ample torque accessible from a low 1,750rpm, and it also allows for smooth and comfortable acceleration to higher speeds.

Ride & Handling

It maintains a comfortably cushioned suspension, effectively absorbing the majority of obstacles encountered on Indian roads. Only the most severe bumps may be felt inside the cabin, causing a noticeable jolt. Such road imperfections are typically overcome effortlessly by SUVs.

The steering feels slightly heavy when manoeuvring at low speeds, presenting challenges when navigating through city traffic and parking spaces. At higher speeds, the weight of the steering becomes less noticeable, but the lack of feedback is clearly evident.

Design & Finish

Overall I like the design of the car's front end which exudes a stronger and more aggressive appearance, conveying a sense of power. Honda has prioritized aerodynamic sleekness, evident in the elongated nose and spacious bonnet that seamlessly connect to the rear trunk. Adopting Honda's renowned 'Solid Wing Face' seen in their flagship models such as the Honda Accord and Honda Civic, the face of the all-new Amaze showcases this distinctive feature. Additionally, the car's low and wide styling is accentuated by bold character lines originating from the front grille.

Space & Comfort:

Now coming from Tiago there is a huge difference and Amaze is way more spacious than Tiago. Seats are big in size and there is ample space and legroom in both the rows. The big and clean dashboard design with that dual tone finish gives you a big car feeling and definitely gives you the premium feel which was not the case in Tiago. The beige tone in the car goes from the dashboard to the doors and seats. And another big difference for me is the 420 litres of boot space compared to 240 litres in Tiago. Also, it can fit in 1 litre bottle in the door pockets which was not the case with Tiago.

Lighting

I can’t comment on the original light setup that came with this car as mine comes with an HID setup for the Head lights and projectors in the fog lamps. And they did a great job when I was coming back home on the day of delivery. Also, the cabin lamp has white led light which illuminates the interior nicely during the night.

ICE

My car has a 7 inch Digipad touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and rear camera display with a 4 speakers. The audio quality is mediocre and definitely needs replacement for someone like me who loves his music while driving. The unit has an in built navigation system which is a plus as well.

FE

So far I have refilled it twice and coincidentally from the same pump in Delhi. And according to the tank full method the car is giving me an average of 19.5 kmpl. This includes both city and highway driving.

NVH

The NVH levels are good if not excellent as you do have that diesel engine sound penetrating the cabin. It’s not like regular noise you get from other diesel engines instead it feels like a drone or something hovering around you.

Things I didn’t like

• The steering controls do not have any kind of illumination.
• Same goes for the transmission. You cannot see anything in dark, though you can check the MID.
• The boot door has no insulation and looks very naked and bad. Purely a cost cutting tactic from Honda.
• I think the tyres are on the skinny side and should have been 16 inches.
• The headlight throw is not up to my liking though it does the required work
• NVH levels could have been better.
• The feedback from the steering is not that great and it does feel heavy. In fact, my Tiago has better steering feedback.

Now I'll let the pictures do the talking:

I really liked the frontend with the long hood and the signature chrome grill. It gives that big car/sedan look.

Even the rear looks way better than the outgoing model and the C shape tail lamps add to the beauty of rear end.

Personally, the side profile looks very clean and elegant.

Both the front door handles have smart key buttons and it does give a premium look plus is very convenient as well.

The boot is very spacious and will accommodate your luggage for a long weekend trip and big enough for those quick airport runs.

As mentioned earlier, cost cutting tactics of Honda. Looks very naked, Honda should have provided a thin lining or at-least something similar to hide all these bunging wires and inner body panels.

A decent ground clearance for a sedan.

Bridgestone Ecopia 175/65R15 84T tires.

Looks like the tire life is almost between 40%-50%. Anyways I am planning for tire upgrade.

Front seats are decent in size and the first row feels quite open and spacious. It was easy for me to find my perfect driving position in the first go itself.

The driver seat is a nice place to be in and is quite comfortable. It comes with height adjustment function which is a very useful function.

Rear seats are big enough to accommodate 3 medium size adults or 2 adults and a child. Rear legroom is also sufficient and second row gets a dedicated charging point as well.

Full view of the dashboard from rear seats. I personally liked the dashboard layout and the dual tone shade of the dashboard does gives that premium feel. Also, the quality of material used is way better than Tiago and as a matter of fact XUV 500 as well.

The center armrest is something I really missed in my Tiago. And it does have storage space underneath.

Door's open wide and the dual tone shade is carried over to the doors from the dashboard which really make the interiors look nice and premium.

Driver side door has all 4 power window buttons, Lock/unlock buttons, power window lock, and ORVM retract and adjust buttons. The ORVM fold/unfold option is a very welcome feature.

The fuel lid opener and hood release buttons are very well integrated under the dashboard and it looks very neat. Requires some cleaning though.

Boot release lever is present on the right hand side by the driver's seat.

Panel gap on the glove compartment box looks bit weird.

The glove box has a very decent size but does not close by itself when you push it back. You have to hold the lever and then close it.

Only the passenger side sun shade gets the vanity mirror but no lights to go with it.

A very simple and good looking gear shifter for the automatic transmission. But on the other hand Honda has not provided any illumination for the gear indicators and it really shows cheap cost cutting from Honda. And you cannot see anything in night if you look at the gear lever.

There is a nice storage space right in front of the gear lever which includes 2 cup holders and space to keep some small stuff like wallet, keys, glasses, mobile etc. Also the quality of housing on which the usb and 12v socket is placed is very flimsy as it reflex's if pressed a little hard.

That's the Digipad with touchscreen, Android auto, Apple car play, Inbuilt navigation system, Bluetooth and Usb. I really liked the buttons on the touchscreen which makes it easy to use while driving. My phone gets connected and Android auto comes into play as soon as I connect it to the usb port.

You are greeted with a screen with Honda Logo when you turn on the system.

It is very simple to use the Digipad and everything is laid down in a very simple manner.

There is a small space under the handbrake lever which can easily sallow your car key or a cell phone.

Wiper controls are on the left stalk.

Right hand stalk has the headlights and fog lamps control.

Headlight adjuster switch but the other black spaces looks as if Honda forgot to add some switches

Only the driver side power window switch is illuminated out of all the buttons on the driver side door. Again cost cutting techniques from Honda but cheap ones.

Steering controls for volume, you can change modes and change songs and channels on the radio. But again these buttons are also not illuminated

Start/Stop button turns red when the engine is ON

Start/Stop button turns white when the car is unlocked and the engine is OFF.

The DRLs come to life when the parking lights are on. Fog lamps are pretty useful when compared to Tiago.

Lights on low beam have a good throw.

Lights on High beam and they are pretty much sufficient for city as well as highway drives.

Yours faithfully while taking the delivery from Dealer.

FE from my recent trip to Delhi on last weekend. And god it was raining like cats and dog. I could hardly see anything and was driving very slow like 40-50-60 kmph and it took me forever to reach Moradabad.

My overall average since I bought the car.

Also during the last fill up I got 19.5 KMPL which includes both city and Highway drive and yes it was done through Tank full Method.

The MID shows you all the required information including time but Honda missed the temperature gauge and I don't know why but it would have been better if they replaced the mileage bar with a temperature one which I personally think would have been more useful.

I have tried to cover as much as I could and will be updating the thread as our journey with Amaze moves forward. And if there is anything that someone want's me to share I'll be more than happy to do that.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.