In recent times, this segment has become the domain of models from India, namely the Toyota Etios sedan, the Ford Figo sedan and more recently, the all-new Suzuki DZire. As if on cue, Honda has now re-entered this part of the market with the all-new Amaze, which, like the Suzuki, has undergone more than just a name change.
The solid new face of small
The replacement for the previous Brio-based model unveiled five years ago, the Amaze, on first glance, comes across as more conservative, but arguably with more a premium touch in that it incorporates a front facia design derived from the Ballade complete with the so-called ‘solid wing face’ chrome grille bar, Civic inspired headlights and neat 15-inch alloy wheels.
A big styling departure from the Brio is the rear, where the boot section no longer rates as an afterthought, with the taillight clusters cutting into the lid itself and rounding off what is still is an unadventurous though inoffensive design.
Bling is king
Buyers keen on rectifying this though can opt from the optional Chrome Pack, which comes with chrome finishes around the doors, above the rear number plate and around the rear lights as well as the front fog lights. Less striking is the Utility Package that comes with door handle and bumper protectors, side body mouldings and door visors.
New platform, more space
In addition to its new attire, the Amaze has lost the compact looks associated with the Brio version, thanks to its brand-new platform which has resulted in a five-millimetre improvement in overall length, a 15mm gain in width, a 65mm uptake in wheelbase and a loss of 17kg in weight. Most impressive though is the boot which, despite lacking split folding rear seats, has grown by 20-litres to offer a rather impressive 420-litres.
Simple yet functional inside
A further benefit of the new platform is the interior, which dispenses with the Brio’s quirky layout for a look that is cleaner and according to Honda, “thoroughly modern”.
While the two-tone black-and-beige finish will not be to everyone’s taste, the overall build quality is good for a car in this segment, with acceptable plastics, gloss black finishes, a new analogue instrument cluster and the added option of interior coloured synthetic leather seat covers in place of the standard beige items.
Well-equipped
Like the Suzuki though, and in order to keep costs down, the Amaze does without the touchscreen infotainment system found in India, but still boasts good equipment levels with a four-speaker sound system incorporating Bluetooth, USB and AUX input, dual 12v power sockets, the aforementioned alloy wheels, all around electric windows, volume controls on the steering wheel, dual front airbags, ABS with EBD and ISOFIX standard across the range.
Building on this, the flagship Comfort adds the front fog lights, auto lock/unlock doors and electric mirrors to the equation, while also swapping the manual air-conditioning system for a full climate control setup.
Mixed powertrain
Providing the Amaze with motivation is Honda’s 1.2-litre normally aspirated petrol engine that produces 66kW/110Nm. Entrusted with carting the below 1 000kg Amaze along, the engine does an acceptable job, although, as expected, it tended to run out of puff below 3 500rpm, requiring a good amount of cog swapping from the five-speed manual gearbox, which offers a rather sporty and direct feel.
An option on the Comfort is the new seven-step CVT gearbox with added paddle shifters, which despite being smooth at low speeds, makes the engine sound strained when pressing on, accompanied by the usual and unpleasant drone when you mash the loud pedal into the carpet.
The drive
With the national media launch taking place in Cape Town, the Amaze proved to be well suited to the flowing roads leading out of the Mother City and into Stellenbosch, with a compliant ride that seemed unfazed by the odd surface change and imperfections. Despite lacking in feel, the steering is light and makes negotiating tight spaces easy and without hassle.
Conclusion
With the recently unveiled new Brio hatch not coming to South Africa, a lot rides on the Amaze to succeed as Honda’s new entry-level offering, which it mostly pulls off.
While not as engaging or peppy as the DZire dynamically, the Amaze feels fractionally more premium and is slightly better equipped, which is likely to find considerable favour amongst buyers with the added promise of Honda’s usually bulletproof reliability and in the current climate, low fuel consumption.
Pricing
Amaze 1.2 Trend- R179 900
Amaze 1.2 Comfort - R193 900
Amaze 1.2 Comfort CVT - R208 900
