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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.

OLYMPIA – For Doresty Daniel, Thursday was “the greatest day of my life.”
The Washington state Senate had just passed a bill to provide health care to Marshall Islanders who are residents of Washington, a measure designed to help the Marshallese who suffer health problems from nuclear tests the United States conducted near their islands in 1940-50. “It means that our people can go out there now, without being afraid of going to the doctor because of (the cost),” said Daniel, a Spokane resident and school district employee.

The bill would allow more people from countries belonging to the Compact of Free Association – an international agreement between the United States and the Pacific Island nations of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of Palau – to receive health insurance.
The Health Care Authority would pay for premiums and out-of-pocket costs of individuals who are citizens of a COFA nation and current Washington residents, with incomes at or below 133 percent of the federal poverty level.

The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Rebecca Saldana, D-Seattle, said the islanders have experienced negative health impacts from the testing, including cancer.
“We’re making right of a past wrong and making sure they have access to health care for their families, for their children and especially for their elders,” she said.
Sen. Bob Hasegawa, D-Beacon Hill, said Washington has a moral obligation to the islanders, who were used as “human guinea pigs” to test the effects of radiation.
“This case is one of the most egregious examples of where we really need to step up,” he said.
But Sen. Jan Angel, R-Kitsap, said the bill does not address the many other Washington residents who pay insurance premiums that are too high, especially young families and single mothers.

“I’m struggling with taking one group of people and singling them out with these benefits,” she said.
Sen. Ann Rivers, R-La Center, said she supports helping the islanders, but is concerned Washington will become a magnet for financial burdens that are the federal government’s responsibility.

“We’re being the adults in the room, and we’re taking care of these people,” she said. “(But) Washington state can’t fix all of Washington, D.C.’s problems.”
Emtison Nyberg, a Marshallese Spokane resident, said she felt like crying with joy when the bill passed. It especially will help seniors like her mother, who does not have insurance and was previously unable to seek help for a bad leg, she said.
“We’ve been waiting for this for a long time,” Nyberg said.