Honda Amaze FAQs

1. Since this is Honda’s first diesel car, will it be reliable enough?

Ans. Honda has always been known for its reliability all these years with its petrol cars. A lot of research and smart engineering has gone into their first i-DTEC engine and the powerplant has been put through rigorous testing before the launch of the Amaze as well. Reliability shouldn’t be a problem at all.

2. Are NVH levels at par with the competition? 

Ans. As far as the Amaze is concerned, NVH levels do leave more to be desired. The i-DTEC engine’s clatter is clearly audible from within the cabin and a little more road and ambient noise does seep into the cabin than we would have liked. It isn’t too bad though, but Honda needs to work on its NVH damping to make the overall experience with the i-DTEC Amaze even better.

3. What is the mileage that the Amaze diesel offers in real world conditions?

Ans. The ARAI tested efficiency according to the Indian Driving Cycle is 18 kmpl for Petrol manual and 15.5 kmpl for the Petrol automatic. ZigWheels has already performed an intensive real world instrumented test of the diesel Amaze though, and it returns 20.5 kmpl in the city and 23.2 kmpl on the highway, giving it an overall fuel efficiency of 21.18 kmpl which is quite impressive.

4. Diesel cars are normally heavier than their petrol counterparts, add to that the fact that Honda cars have a relatively low ground clearance. How will the Amaze do on our roads?

Ans. The measured ground clearance for the Amaze is at 165mm, which is on par with most cars in India. We have been driving the Amaze in and around Pune for a few days now and we haven’t had any problems with the vehicle grounding on speed breakers, potholes or even on slightly off-road sections.

5. Honda is known for silent and smooth cars, does this characteristic carry over to their first diesel offering?

Ans. While the i-DTEC engine in the Amaze is a little gruff, and NVH levels could do with better damping, the overall functioning of the diesel Amaze is smooth. Power delivery is linear and driveability on the car is unmatched. The diesel Amaze is a fun car to drive, so it is smooth but not as silent as its petrol counterpart for obvious reasons.

6. Honda has never done a diesel car before. Are they geared up to service this vehicle properly?

Ans. Honda has always ranked high in customer satisfaction surveys in the past and that aspect is a big part of their brand image. Despite the Amaze i-DTEC being their first diesel powered car in India, Honda will have made sure that its technicians across all dealers have been well trained in advance to handle any issues during service.

7. How much bigger is the Amaze to the Brio? How much more luggage can I carry in the Amaze as compared to the Brio?

Ans. The wheelbase on the Amaze has been stretched by 50mm compared to the Brio and it also has a boot at the back. This not only means that there’s more room for the occupants, but also a lot more room for luggage. While the Brio has just a 175 litre boot, the Amaze has a 400 litre boot.

8. Does it make any sense to buy the Amaze over the Brio hatchback?

Ans.  If you’re looking for a sedan rather than a hatchback, then most definitely, yes. The Amaze costs about a lakh more compared to the Brio sedan, variant to variant for the petrol engines. Also, with the Amaze you get a bigger car with not only more room in the boot, but also a lot more room for the rear occupants. And there is also the option of choosing a diesel engine.

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9. Should I just go for the Brio top-end variant or the Amaze base variant?

Ans.  Apart from the inherent advantages of having a sedan instead of a hatch, please also compare the features you get in the variants according to your priority. Price-wise, in the same money you will pay for the Brio top variant, you could even look at the mid-variant of the Amaze.

10. How many variants of the Amaze have been launched, both in petrol as well as diesel?

Ans. The Amaze is being offered in 4 variants in both petrol and Diesel. – E, EX, S and VX in Manual Transmission. Additionally, the Amaze is available in Automatic Transmission in S and VX petrol variants.

11. What is the variant-wise features list?

Ans.  By simply clicking on our special coverage link Read : Honda Amaze Special Coverage you can apprise yourself of the complete variant-wise listing of the new Honda Amaze and download the brochure (Right Hand Side) for the entire list of features that are being offered as per variants (Petrol and Diesel).

12. What will be the delivery time/waiting period for the Amaze?

Ans. The Amaze is already available in Honda dealerships across the country since the 11th of April 2013 and deliveries for the same have already begun. Please check with your local dealers for specific timelines based on which city you are in.

13. How much is be the warranty on offer on the Amaze?

Ans. Honda Amaze comes with a 2 years or 40,000 kms warranty as standard value for all customers. With a view to give the Amaze customers, a transparent and quality service experience, HCIL has offered an additional attractive Honda Care maintenance package for 2 years or 40,000 kms (whichever is earlier) for Rs 9,996 for Amaze Petrol and Rs 15,375 for Amaze Diesel. Please check with your local dealers for specific information regarding the package.

14. What will be the Amaze’s price? (Variant-wise, ex-showroom Delhi and Mumbai if possible)

Ans.  Refer to launch story : Read Honda Amaze Launch report

15. Will Honda be offering any exchange scheme against the Brio hatchback?

Ans. Honda Auto Terrace at all Honda showrooms will cater to the car exchange requirements of all customers for all models.

16. Will Honda introduce the diesel engine in the Brio as well? What about other diesel cars from Honda?

Ans. We aren’t aware of any specific timelines for introducing the i-DTEC engine in the Brio, but it could be likely that Honda is already working on it since diesel hatchbacks are a big market in India.

17. How does the Honda Amaze compare to the Suzuki DZire diesel?

Ans. ZigWheels has done a proper comparison between the Honda Amaze i-DTEC and the Suzuki DZire DDiS. Driving both the cars back to back, it almost seems like the Amaze was designed and built just to topple the DZire from its throne. The cars are so similar in almost everything that they do, but the Amaze gets the better of the DZire by a tad bit in almost every section of the road test. Click on the following link https://bit.ly/11afphj to read the entire story.

18. Will the 1.5 diesel be as fuel efficient as Maruti’s 1.3 litre?

Ans. The 1.5 litre i-DTEC in the Amaze returned a fuel efficiency of 25.8 kmpl, while the Suzuki DZire had given us 14.8 kmpl in the city and 19.2 kmpl on the highway. So the Amaze is actually more fuel efficient.

19. In terms of drive feel, does the Amaze offer more pep than the 1.3 DDiS Dzire?

Ans. The Amaze definitely feels more peppy and the performance test figures prove that. With great drievability in all the gears, the Amaze has better roll on figures in all the gears. Also the lack of any major turbo lag on the Amaze gives it a lot of pep at any rpm.

20. What about ride comfort and handling? Is the Amaze sorted in these departments as well?

Ans. The ride quality on the Amaze is one of the best not only in this segment but compared to higher segments as well. The suspension is very well set up to handle our road conditions without any problems. The Amaze is also very planted not only at high speeds, but even under hard braking during our brake tests.

21. Is there enough space at the rear bench for tall adults?

Ans. The Amaze’s cabin layout with the forward-biased dashboard helps free up a lot of space for the occupants all round. With the stretched wheelbase, the rear bench manages to easily accommodate tall adults as well.

22. What safety features (variant-wise) are available on the Amaze?

Ans. The Honda Amaze offers safety equipment similar to that offered by other compact sedans in its class. The option of Front Dual SRS Airbags unfortunately is only offered in the VX (Petrol and Diesel) models and the VX AT (Petrol) model. ABS and EBD are offered as standard across all diesel variants, but only on the SAT, VX and VXAT petrol model variants. Driver Seat Belt Reminders, WAVE key and the High Mount Stop Lamp are all offered as standard features across all variants.

24. Adil, what’s your personal take on the Amaze? I was planning to go in for a diesel car with a budget of 8.5L in mind; had short listed the i20 and was waiting all this while to get an idea about the Amaze. I'm already in love with it though!

Ans. On the subject of the Amaze my personal as well as professional take is that on details like style, design, practicality, space, driveability and fuel efficiency it has no peers in its class of cars, which also of course includes the Swift D'Zire, which is the present leader of this segment.

It is impossible to not fall in love with the Amaze and I have seen many love struck nuts hovering around Honda dealerships, on our web site and such! Welcome and there is nothing wrong with you all at all!

25. Is there going to be shortage in spares and prices? Will it come down, considering the fact that they're increasing their production in India?

Ans. Spares would be needed only if there should be problems. I don't envisage any such. Also consumables during regular course of maintenance should be well stocked and freely available. Also the new service package that Honda has announced is a step in the right direction. The good thing is that the Amaze starts out with a very high local content so don't worry about shortages and such. Also quality is of a very high order.

26. Since the Amaze does not have a climate control AC, will it make any difference in hot summer vis-à-vis the Swift Dzire?

Ans. What will make a difference is the glass area and how much cabin it has to cool. I think in that regard the Swift D'Zire has an edge but when you factor so many other things, the two come out near about the same with the Amaze nudging ahead.

Related Honda Amaze stories: 

Honda Amaze : Video Review

Honda Amaze : Road Test

Honda Amaze Price

Honda Amaze : All you wanted to know, 

Honda Amaze : ZigWheels Road Test Pics, 

Honda Amaze : ZigWheels First Drive Report, 

Honda Amaze : First Drive, 

Honda's new 1.6-litre diesel engine: In Pictures, 

Entry-level sedans in India compared : In Pictures!, 

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