Honda Amaze booking starts in India, to be launched on April 11

Honda has opened bookings for the much awaited Amaze saloon, the company’s first diesel sedan for India. The Japanese manufacturer has confirmed that the Amaze would be officially launched in the country on April 11. This is the first time the company is venturing into the entry level sedan category, with its first diesel engine for India. Several hoardings have been put up across the country for the Amaze, stating ‘The Diesel Revolution’.

Bookings are being accepted for a refundable cost of Rs. 21,000 and Honda Cars India Limited is promising a delivery time of 30 days. It was recently revealed that the diesel version of the Amaze is capable of delivering a class-leading mileage of 25.8 kmpl. The sedan is powered by two motors- a 1.5 litre i- DTEC diesel engine and a 1.2 litre i-VTEC petrol engine. While the diesel engine would have a maximum power output of 99 bhp with 200 Nm of torque, the petrol version will deliver 87 bhp with 109 Nm of torque. Interestingly, the 1.2 litre petrol powertrain is the same one being currently used in the Brio hatchback.

Honda will be providing a 5-speed manual gearbox for the diesel variant. Interestingly, the bonus for a petrol Amaze buyer is that he would have the option of choosing between a 5-speed manual and a 5-speed automatic gearbox. Going by the nature of gearboxes provided by Honda in the past, an automatic Amaze will definitely be a delight to use during start-and-stop traffic.

Honda Amaze booking starts in India, to be launched on April 11.

The Amaze is being built on an extended platform of Brio, which has helped in creating greater interior space. Styling tweaks, such as a revised front grille, fog lamps and new alloy wheels have been added to enhance the exterior. Delightful curves run all along the vehicle and it certainly looks like a design uniquely distinct from the Brio.

Along with Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs), competition in the Indian entry level sedan market is also getting stiffer. In this segment, Maruti Suzuki leads the race with the Swift DZire. However, it seems that Honda has come fully prepared to take on the challenge and once priced right, there are not many ways in which the Japanese manufacturer can go wrong. Soon after, Honda may also launch several new models which would use the 1.5 litre i-DTEC diesel engine.