New Honda Amaze CVT Road Test review

The interior of the car is where we can see some real changes. Contrary to the previous design the dashboard on the new Honda Amaze is much more contemporary. However it does remind you of the Honda City and the design has definitely been borrowed from the City as well. It now features a Bluetooth enabled audio system with steering mounted audio controls. The car also gets an optional fully automatic climate control system which I found to be one of the better ones in the segment. The quality of plastics, however, is a letdown and has not seen too much improvement. The overall package of the Amaze has definitely got some handy features like electrically foldable and adjustable ORVMs, rear reading lamp, Bluetooth, USB and AUX connectivity but one does feel the need for parking sensors or a rear view camera as well.

Two-paddle technologies are increasingly becoming popular in urban areas and most of the contenders in this segment have brought forth their champions. While Maruti Suzuki has the Dzire AMT, Tata Motors introduced the Zest AMT. But Honda had other plans. Along with the launch of the facelifted Amaze, Honda also launched the CVT version of the car. This is the first time any manufacturer has brought in a CVT in this segment in the country and we just had to find out how good it was. 

The CVT version of the car gets a minutely bigger engine but is one smooth cat. The Amaze CVT is powered by a 1.2 Litre, 16 Valve, petrol mill which churns out 88.7bhp and 110Nm of torque. Now it does take time for the car to reach the meat of the power band but once it does it is all smooth sailing. However this configuration is for pocket friendly driving and will return a decent mileage of 18.1 kmpl. You have the option of throwing the stick into Sports mode and squeezing some more power out of the engine to make for a zippier ride. While I was cruising on the streets of New Delhi I couldn’t help but admire how easy and comfortable it was to drive this car. The Honda Amaze probably has the shortest turning radius in this segment set at 4.7 meters. It makes for a very manoeuvrable ride while driving in congested traffic or parking in tight spaces. The CVT just lets you glide through traffic without the hassle of clutching and I did not feel a single jerk.

Ride comfort and quality are also commendable on this vehicle and Honda has done a fine job with the suspension set up in the car. The front features a McPherson Strut while the rear has a torsion beam setup. The tuning of the suspension is a tad bit stiff but I felt it to be perfect for Delhi roads. We went over some really rough patches and I did not have to worry too much about the smaller pot holes. The steering on the Amaze does feel a bit wooden but is very well weighted and constant at all speeds. Honda is offering the top end CVT version of the car with driver and passenger airbags as well as ABS. The car is available for Rs. 8,19,900 (ex-showroom Delhi) which I feel is definitely worth every penny.