2016 Honda Amaze Facelift Road Test Review
Amaze is the model that got Honda Cars India out of the lurch when launched in 2013. Honda was at its all-time low with sales figures drastically falling for the lack of a diesel car model. The Amaze changed it all, coming at the right time to revamp the fortunes of the Japanese carmaker. The Amaze was Honda’s first sub 4 meter compact sedan and did very good numbers since its launch. Now, with the onslaught of new rival models, Honda has refreshed it, and here we drive the 2016 Amaze around some busy roads of Delhi to get the real feel of it.
Food For Thought:
The Amaze is based on the Brio platform that also has the Mobilio and the upcoming BR-V. These cars were developed for the South Asian markets, including India. When launched in April 2013, the Amaze Diesel had a class leading mileage of 25.8 kmpl.
Exteriors:
The exteriors on the 2016 Amaze are more or less the same as the older one, the only change being the front end and the tail. The face on this car gets a much bolder and wider look thanks to the all-new grill. This is a dual slat thick chrome finish on the middle and a thin lining on the bottom design grill.
The front bumpers too, get an all new design and now come with more bolder and sharper design lines on them. The air dam gets broader and also gets the honeycomb design mesh grill. Fog lamps are in oval shape, housed in honeycomb surrounds. Headlight design remains the same, but now looks sportier, thanks to the redesigned broader front bumper and grill.
The side profile also remains unchanged on this new Amaze, as compared to the older one, except for the inclusion of new wing mirrors. These wing mirrors can now be electrically folded along with electric adjust, and also come with LED turn indicators placed on them. The sides continue to have the strong and bold three character lines flowing across at a sharp angle. The door handles are also placed at an angle to go along with the flow of the character lines. The 2016 Amaze drives on 175/65 R14 spec Good Year tubeless tyres mounted on multi-spoke silver alloys.
The rear profile is where the change is evident along with the face. The car gets a new set of tail lamps. These are clear type ones with a new flow, design type glow in them. The rear bumper too gets a new design along with a thick chrome strip placed just above the registration plate. Overall, the New Amaze looks fresher and sportier with these changes from the outside. The new face and tail gives it a wider and planted stance making it look younger now.
Interiors:
The changes on the inside are on a larger scale. You get an all-new dashboard. The dash comes with angular designing to it, in dual tone color. Neat metal inserts run across it giving it a classy look. The build quality on this new dash is also far superior to the older one.
The instrument cluster is also new and the same one carried on from the City and Jazz. Neat 3D styled round dials with blue LED around it gives a very niche feel to the dash. The steering remains the same as the older Amaze and continues to have the much needed multi-function control buttons to control the integrated audio unit.
The new Amaze also gets a new integrated audio unit with lesser buttons on it. You get Bluetooth telephone connectivity and wireless audio streaming on this unit. The climate control unit is also an all new one and now has buttons in place of the older one that had dials.
The seats are the same with the front ones coming with integrated headrests, and the rear ones with integrated headrests and a foldable center armrest. Seating is very comfortable with good amount of leg room, head room and shoulder available.
There are lots of storage spaces placed across the center console, door pads etc. What is commendable, is the use of much better plastic material in the cabin and the dash. Overall, it has a very well appointed and ergonomic cabin.
Engine – Transmission – Drive:
Honda has not altered the engine or transmission on the New Amaze. It still continues to be powered by the same Petrol and Diesel engines. The diesel comes with a 4-cylinder 1.5-Liter i-DTEC power mill that makes 100 PS at 3,600 RPM and pumps out 200 Nm of torque at 1,750 RPM. This is an excellent engine that is high on performance and fuel economy. Honda claims it has reworked on the NVH levels and made the cabin a lot less noisy. This engine has a lot of mid-range power and has been fine-tuned for best performance at low and mid end. Power delivery is good for traffic and city use. On the highways there is decent amount of punch. The 5-speed manual transmission is also carried forward from the older Amaze. Shifting is smooth and precise and the golf ball-styled gear knob feels nice to grip.
A 1.2-liter i-VTEC 4-cylinder engine powers the petrol version of the New Amaze. This engine makes 88 PS at 6,000 RPM and hits out 109 Nm of torque at 4,500 RPM. Honda makes one of the best petrol engines and i-VTEC engines are very well known for their drivability and refinement. This engine is high on performance and refinement. The drive on the Petrol variant is typical Honda with the engine always being rev-happy.
There also is a CVT automatic option available on the New Amaze. The older Amaze came with an 5-speed Automatic variant. Honda has opted for the CVT transmission over the Automatic as it feels the CVT transmission is much more refined and efficient, and also more fuel efficient than even the petrol manual version. Driving the CVT automatic can be a boon in traffic conditions and that’s just what you need in Delhi.
There are no changes to the suspension setup or the steering feedback. The ride quality remains same as the older Amaze. The overall drive feel is good and the steering feedback is on the lighter side more suited to the traffic and city conditions. Handling is good with typical Honda drive character.
Verdict:
The Amaze was always a winner from Honda, but its looks were slowly fading with time. This facelift is just perfect to give it the much needed boost. The cabin is one of the roomiest and with the new interiors and dash now becomes even better and upmarket. Honda has ironed out most of the shortcomings on the older Amaze with this refresh, making it a strong contender in the compact sedan segment.
2016 Honda Amaze Facelift Photo Gallery:
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