Third generation Amaze boasts a frontal appearance heavily derived from the Elevate. Image: Honda India
Described as a model that “outclasses” its rivals, Honda has debuted the third generation Amaze in India as its second new product after the Elevate to be assembled at its Greater Noida Plant in the state of the Rajasthan.
The replacement for the second generation that debuted six years ago, the new Amaze uses the same platform as the Elevate, but with different dimensions surprisingly not disclosed at the launch event held on Wednesday morning (4 December).
Offering slightly less boot space at 416-litres than its predecessor’s 420-litres, the newcomer derives heavily from the Elevate on the styling front, with the front facia sporting the same grille with chrome upper surround, LED headlights and position of the fog lamps on the flanks of the bumper.
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At the rear, the Amaze draws visual hints from the facelifted City, known in South Africa as the Ballade, in that it gets the same light clusters, bumper profile and a shortened bootlid.
In India, three trim levels are offered; V, VX and ZX, with the colour chart comprising six hues; Platinum White Pearl, Golden Brown Metallic, Lunar Silver Metallic, Meteoroid Grey Metallic, Obsidian Blue Pearl and Radiant Red Metallic.
Inside, the interior also shares its design with the Elevate most likely as a result of the same platform usage.
This means the integrated seven-inch infotainment makes way for a freestanding eight-inch system on higher-end models, the analogue instrument cluster supplemented by a seven-inch TFT display, and the entire centre console redesigned to include a pair of cupholders.
As well as a new digital climate control panel with physical buttons and toggle switches, the lower section of the dashboard houses a wireless smartphone charger flanked by a 12-volt power outlet, plus an HDMI and two USB ports.
Depending on the trim grade, the Amaze’ spec list, besides the items mentioned, includes a dual-tone dashboard finish, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, rear air-conditioning vents, push-button start, a six-speaker sound system and folding electric mirrors.
Taking care of safety is six airbags, Electronic Stability Control, and for the first time, Honda’s Sensing array of driver assistance system, comprising the LaneWatch Camera, Adaptive Cruise Control, Collision Mitigation Braking, Lane Keep Assist, Lead Vehicle Alert, Lane Departure Warning and Hill Start Assist.
Up front, no changes have taken place. This means unchanged outputs of 66kW/110Nm from the normally aspirated 1.2-litre petrol engine fed to the front wheels through either a five-speed manual gearbox or a CVT.
Claimed fuel consumption figures are 5.4 L/100 km and 5.1 L/100 km respectively.
On-sale now aimed at the newly launched Suzuki DZire and the Hyundai Aura, known as the Grand i10 Sedan in South Africa, pricing for the six-model Amaze range kicks-off at Rs 799 900 (R171 275) for the entry-level V manual and ends at Rs 1 089 900 (R233 370) for the CVT-equipped ZX.
No confirmation of the Amaze coming to South Africa has been made, however, should approval be given, expect it to arrive in early 2025.
As a reminder, pricing for the current three-model Amaze starts at R253 600 for the base Trend and concludes with the Comfort CVT priced at R292 400.
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