2025 Honda Amaze Review

Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. When Maruti announced it would be launching an all new Dzire, how could arch rival Honda be left behind. After all, the Amaze is the second best seller in this segment and a consistent performer in the Honda portfolio for over a decade. The highlight of the Amaze is its ADAS suite, which makes it the most affordable car in India with this safety tech. But is that enough to win it new customers? Read on to find out.

By now you would have seen the comments on many Amaze videos, which accurately suggest that Honda designers have copied the front end of the Elevate SUV and the rear design of the City sedan. The car looks like a miniature City from the rear with the same design. The front end has a similar bold and massive grille like the Elevate too. The side profile is similar to the earlier car but the tyres have got a small upgrade. The Amaze now comes with 185mm section tyres running on 15-inch wheels.

Overall, while the design may not be very innovative, it manages to look well balanced and proportionate, which is something other compact sedans miss out on. And yes, the mini-City looks should bode well with aspiring car buyers, graduating from a hatchback or buying their first cars.

The front end of the cabin now gets a chunkier steering wheel, again borrowed from the City. The ZX trim we tested came with ADAS control buttons on the right side of the wheel. The gauges are again from the City and the half analogue, half digital gauges do look sharp. However, the touchscreen is very average to use. The fonts, menus, submenus all look too boring and the stereo is average as well.

What you will like though is the overall seat comfort. The seats are supportive and have the right amount of cushioning as well, although a front arm rest for the driver would have added to the overall comfort quotient.

Plastic quality is decent and at par with rivals. The overall dashboard design mimics the larger Elevate SUV, which isn’t a bad thing, because it does look very unique and stylish. The base versions of the car come with 6-airbags and a touchscreen as standard among other things.

At the rear, the Amaze has always been a very roomy car and the new one does not disappoint either. The backrest angle is spot on and the seat cushioning is generous as well. However, there are no USB charging points inside the car at the rear. Only a 12v charging

socket. The large door opening also makes getting in and out a breezy affair. The 416-litre boot is massive too. It is bigger than most compact SUVs priced in the same range.

Honda’s 1.2-litre i-VTEC motor is a gem of a unit for refinement. Honda says that they have reworked the engine to deliver better low-end performance and responsiveness. The unit makes 88bhp of power and 110nm of torque. Power delivery at the lower end of the band is decent but you need to rev up this engine to get the best out from it. Being a four-cylinder unit, the Amaze is a lot quieter and refined compared to the Dzire, its main rival. Where the Dzire feels harsh when revved the Amaze feels remarkably quiet and the cabin is an abode of calm.

The manual gearbox is a typical Japanese unit with slick shifts and short throws. The light clutch action also makes it an easy-going car to live with. However, if it is ultimate hassle free driving that you are after then the CVT-automatic is the one to go for. This is the most affordable CVT in India and the only one in the segment. Honda also offers you paddle shifters behind the steering wheel to give a sense of control over the gearbox.

The wider section tyres on the new car give it a more pliant ride than before and you will also feel more confident at faster highway speeds. The ride is supple and the Amaze displays the ride comfort of a car from a segment higher. Only the worst of worst rumble strips and potholes enter the cabin.

Honda makes some very driver focused cars globally but the Amaze errs on the side of comfort. The steering is sharp enough for daily use but like the other cars in the segment you can’t call it a sporty handler. For most users though the direct feeling steering will be more than sufficient and they will enjoy the overall drive experience with little reason to complain.

The latest generation of the Amaze will sell along with the older model as well. The current car retails from Rs 7.99 lakh and goes upto Rs 10.90 lakh(both, ex-showroom) for the top end CVT. For the price the car comes well kitted and the only feature that is missing is a sunroof. But you get more useful features like ADAS safety tech, which Honda claims almost 60 percent buyers go for in the Elevate and City’s top trims.

Overall, though the new Amaze might not be too exciting, buyers will find little reason to complain, especially for what it offers at a good price.