Honda Amaze made its way to India in the second quarter of 2013. This was the first diesel compact sedan in the country from Honda Cars and got appreciated for its both the petrol and diesel powertrains. Though the performance of the engines listed the vehicle in the top selling passenger cars of the domestic market, yet Honda Amaze has continuously been criticized for its bland interiors and some missing essential features.
Since Indian Auto Expo 2016 is about to bring many launches and facelifts from the automakers, we expect one for the Amaze as well. In the line, Honda has started surprising its customers, initiating with the updated Mobilio launch yesterday in Indonesia and the second phase will be seen with the Amaze and later with the Brio facelift in India.
Mobilio has debuted with some revised interiors and technology additions for its facelift version. This includes the cabin, dashboard, auto climate control, instrument cluster and many other sides. Similar updates are expected to be borrowed in the Amaze facelift as well.
The cabin which has become a segment norm these days, will be beautifully enriched this time with the brand new dashboard derived from the upcoming BR-V compact SUV. In fact, this dashboard is originally a repetition of the one found in the City and Jazz. Even, the instrument cluster is also inherited from the Jazz and City’s base trim. It is slightly toned down and features the multi-drive info screen that is absent in the ongoing model. The dials with a three pod setup and blue surrounding rings are also a refreshing appearance.
Another missing fundamental is the auto climate control that Amaze will opt from the Mobilio. Apart from these, a three-spoke steering wheel and the Audio-Video-Navigation (AVN) unit would also be carried forward. Moreover, a good quality material including chrome applique for accessories with better fit and finish is also awaited for the inside story of the Amaze.
On the exteriors part, a restyled front grille and a new set of alloys along with a few exclusive changes can be predicted.
Mechanically, no alterations can be figured for the Amaze facelift as it would remain unaltered. At present, the four-cylinder 1.5L i-VTEC petrol mill delivers 86.7bhp @ 6000rpm and 109Nm of peak torque @ 4500rpm. On the other hand, the four-cylinder 1.2L i-DTEC diesel motor belts out 99bhp @ 3600rpm and 200Nm of max torque @ 1750rpm. Both the powertrains are mated to the standard 5-speed manual transmission. But, Honda might introduce the automatic petrol variant as well.
The diesel engine is the all-aluminum unit and so becomes a light-weight machinery. Though, it is very fuel efficient, yet the engine noise remains the only drawback here. For achieving better NVH (Noise Vibration Harshness) levels, the facelift would have been definitely reworked.