Honda Cars India has unveiled the 2018 Amaze, based on a completely new platform at the ongoing Auto Expo 2018 in Greater Noida today. Honda has confirmed that the new Amaze will launch before the end of this calendar year.
It takes a lot of cues from the latest generation of cars from the Japanese manufacturer. Gone is the sloping nose of the old car and in its place is a much more horizontal line to the bonnet. The face and tail also borrow styling cues from the Accord and the boot, which looked added on on the first generation car, is much more seamlessly integrated into the design now. The large front grille stretches almost across the complete face and is flanked by sleek wraparound headlamps with LED daytime running lights (DRLs).
The 2018 Amaze also gets refreshments inside and the dash now features a new design. A large touchscreen infotainment screen now sits under the central AC vents with a new set of air con controls below. There is a new, chunky steering wheel that also has buttons for the new cruise control feature that debuts in the Amaze. The rear seats are comfortable and offer more space than before thanks to an increased wheelbase but there is still no sign of rear air con controls.
The engine options on the Amaze have not changed; the petrol variants will be powered by the same 1.2-litre, 4-cylinder 88PS/109Nm i-VTEC engine while the diesel variants will be powered by a 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder 100PS/200Nm i-DTEC engine. Honda has confirmed that it will offer an automatic transmission paired to the diesel engine too, though unlike competitors, this will be a CVT rather than an AMT. Honda claims a CVT offers more benefits at a slight premium when compared to the more affordable AMT.
The new Amaze will go up against its arch rivals from before: the third-gen Maruti Suzuki Dzire, theHyundai Xcent, the VW Ameo, Tata’s Tigor and Zest and also the Ford Figo, which is due for an update soon.
