Honda Amaze all set to hit Indian roads: Read these ten features before buying

New Delhi, April 2: Honda has finally jumped onto the diesel bandwagon, with its first compact sedan, called the Amaze. It is among the most awaited cars of recent period and has lots of ‘firsts' to its credit. Here is our list of top features that you'll see in Honda Amaze.Honda's first diesel engine in IndiaThe Honda Amaze is offered in two engine options. The first is the 1.2-litre i-VTEC petrol and the all new segment redefining 1.5-litre i-DTEC diesel, which is also a first for India. The Indian spec 1.5 i-DTEC has been developed keeping the European spec 1.6 i-DTEC as the base. Honda has had diesel engines in its cars, mostly in Europe, for over a decade now, so the fuel and its intricacies are not entirely new to the company. The 1.5-litre, DOHC, i-DTEC diesel engine is nothing short of a technical gem. It is all aluminium engine and it lightest in its class featuring a high strength and lightweight crankshaft. This engine delivers 100 PS of power at 3600 RPM and 200 NM torque at 1750 RPM. The engine delivers consistent power with no tubo lag. The diesel engine comes mated to an all new 5-speed manual gearbox. The car is good for both city and highway conditions as Gear shifts are slick and ratios are well matched to deliver best performance. The gear acceleration is pretty good and the Amaze will pull out cleanly in third gear from speeds as low as 20 km/hr. The top speed of the car is around 170 km/hr. At the same time, the 1.2-litre i-VTEC petrol engine produces 88 PS of power and 109 NM torque. This is the same engine which is on the Brio. Mated to this engine is an option of 5-speed manual and 5-speed automatic transmissions. The MT and AT deliver a mileage of 18 km/l and 15.5 km/l respectively (as per the ARAI).Mileage With 25.8 kmpl of mileage, the Amaze is going to be one be the most fuel efficient cars on Indian roads. With this, the Amaze beats the Swift Dzire which returns a mileage of 23.4kmpl.PricingWe are expecting the petrol variant of the car to be around Rs 4.5 lakh, while diesel version to be around Rs 5.5 lakh.Extended version of Brio hatchback The Amaze is based on the Brio platform and comes under the compact sedan category. It is basically an extended version of the Brio hatchback, so both the cars share most parts including the platform and the features, but in contrast Amaze has been extra jazzy and fuel efficient along with an additional boot. Great exteriorsThe Amaze has been designed and built specifically for India, as demand for compact sedans is quite good here. On the front, you'll see a double chrome grille as against the single one on the Brio. While the Brio has two tone black and body colored bumper, the Amaze gets a completely body colored front bumper. The headlamps are same as the Brio. The car has been designed carefully by maintaining proportions between the engine bay, cabin and boot. The side profile depicts the sharp character of the car. The Amaze gets different alloy wheels for the petrol and diesel variants. The petrol version get 10 spoke alloy wheels while the diesel get a 5 main and 5 sub spokes. Again a first, the car will come with electrically retractable and adjustable rear view mirrors. The Amaze is about 380mm longer overall compared to the Brio and just shy of the four metre mark at 3,990mm. The wheelbase is also large by 60mm to 2,405mm which gives more space inside the car and in the boot. It also gets a new heat-absorbing front windscreen for improved interior comfort.At the boot lid there is more chrome in form of a chrome strip which runs along the width of the boot lid and enhances the appeal. The rear gets a facelift by the extended rear license plate garnish line.Boot SpaceThe Honda Amaze is targeted as a family car so boot space is quite important. The Amaze gets a large 400-litre boot, which is quite generous for a sub-four-meter car. Interiors The cabin looks similar to the Brio. The dashboard is of the same tone and the same color combination as the Brio. The interiors remind us of the quality for which Honda is known for. The front seats have an integrated head rest and are supportive with ample legroom and headroom. The rear seats offer good legroom due a larger wheelbase. The cushion thickness is also more which will give the passengers extra comfort. The Amaze offers one of the best legroom and knee room in cars in this league. The audio system is good with the option of USB/Aux. It also has iPod compatibility. In addition, there is sufficient storage area both on the front and the behind. Unlike the Brio, Honda has equipped the Amaze with a rear defogger.Air ConditioningThe AC is impressive and does quick cooling. The car also comes with a heat absorbing front windshield which acts as a barrier and transmits less heat inside the cabin. On the contrary, the company has not offered any climate control system on any of the variants. Driving dynamics and qualityThe drivability is good and even at high speeds and the car does not feel shaky. But overtaking may need you to work down a few gears. The 14-inch 175/65 MRF ZVTV tyres are good for the ride quality. The steering is light at low speeds and zipping in busy city traffic conditions can be done at ease. The car also does well around the corners. The top variants come loaded with ABS and EBD. The car has a ground clearance of 165 mm. AccelerationThe Honda Amaze sedan with the 1.2 litre petrol engine would be able to touch the 100kmph speed mark in few seconds with a top speed of around 170-180kmph . On the other hand, the diesel variant of Honda Amaze would have an average pickup that is going from 0-100 kmph.