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There’s a peculiar kind of car buyer in India who lives in a constant state of dilemma. They’ve saved enough for a sedan, but everyone around them is pushing them toward an SUV. They want something practical, but they also want something that feels a little special when they park it outside their house. And more often than not, they end up standing in a Maruti showroom, staring at a Dzire, wondering if there’s something better out there.
Honda thinks the answer to that question is the new Amaze. And after spending real time behind the wheel of this car, driving it through city traffic, open highways, and everything in between, I can tell you this: the new Amaze is not just an update. It’s Honda’s most serious attempt yet to make the compact sedan segment exciting again.
But here’s the real question every buyer actually cares about. Is it desirable enough to make you walk past the Dzire, ignore the SUV pressure from your relatives, and actually choose this car with conviction? That’s exactly what this review is going to answer, in detail, without any marketing fluff.
If you’re in the market for a sub-4-metre sedan right now, or if you’re simply curious whether Honda has finally cracked the code in this segment, keep reading. This is going to be the most honest, detailed breakdown you’ll find.
A Quick Overview Before We Get Into the Details
The third-generation Honda Amaze was launched in India in December 2024, and it represents a genuine generational leap rather than a mild facelift. Honda has rebuilt this car on a stiffer, more modern platform, given it a completely redesigned exterior inspired by the Elevate, and for the first time in this segment, brought in a genuinely comprehensive safety package including six airbags and Honda’s ADAS suite on select variants.
Under the hood, it continues with a familiar but well-regarded 1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine, producing 89bhp and 110Nm of torque, paired with either a 5-speed manual or a CVT automatic. Notably, the CVT is available right from the base variant, which is a rare and genuinely customer-friendly move in this segment.
Pricing starts at around 7.65 lakh and goes up to roughly 10.90 lakh, ex-showroom, spread across six variants. That places it squarely in competition with the Maruti Suzuki Dzire, Hyundai Aura, and Tata Tigor, while also nudging into cross-shopping territory with compact SUVs like the Mahindra XUV 3XO.
Now let’s get into what actually matters, the details you need before you make a decision.
Exterior Design: A Genuine Departure From the Boring Sedan Stereotype
For years, one of the biggest criticisms of compact sedans in India has been that they look like appliances. Functional, forgettable, and about as exciting as a washing machine. The new Amaze finally breaks that mould, and it does so convincingly.
The front end draws heavily from Honda’s Elevate SUV, with a bold horizontal grille, sharp LED projector headlamps with integrated LED daytime running lights, and LED fog lamps that give the car genuine road presence. This isn’t a subtle update. Park the new Amaze next to its predecessor, and you’d struggle to believe they share a nameplate.
Move to the side profile, and the changes continue. The ORVMs, previously mounted on the A-pillar in typical old-school fashion, have finally been repositioned to the doors, which isn’t just a styling choice, it genuinely improves visibility and reduces blind spots, something every driver will appreciate in daily traffic.
The rear is where the Amaze arguably makes its strongest styling statement. The LED taillights are clearly inspired by the current-generation Honda City, featuring a wing-shaped design that gives the rear a wider, more substantial look than the car’s actual dimensions suggest. New dual-tone alloy wheels round off the exterior updates, adding a touch of premiumness that was sorely missing in the outgoing model.
Here’s the thing though, and I want to be honest with you. While the design is a massive improvement, it’s still working within the constraints of the sub-4-metre sedan body style, which inherently means a stubby boot and slightly compromised proportions compared to a full-size sedan. If you’re coming from a bigger car, you’ll notice this. But compared to its direct rivals, the Amaze is, without question, one of the better-looking cars in this segment today.
If you’re the kind of buyer who cares about how your car looks parked outside your house or at your workplace, this is genuinely one of the strongest reasons to consider the Amaze over something like the Dzire.
Interior Design and Comfort: Where Honda Quietly Wins
Step inside the new Amaze, and this is where I think Honda has made its smartest moves. The cabin doesn’t try to overwhelm you with unnecessary flash. Instead, it focuses on things that actually matter in daily use: build quality, ergonomics, and space.
The dashboard layout is clean and modern, with an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system that comes with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, even on the base variant. This is a genuinely important detail. Too many carmakers reserve basic connectivity features for higher trims, and Honda deserves credit for not doing that here.
Fabric seats feature on the base V variant, while higher trims move up to more premium upholstery. Fit and finish throughout the cabin feel a notch above what you’d expect at this price point, with tighter panel gaps and a general sense of solidity when you shut the doors.
Where the Amaze genuinely surprises you is rear seat space and boot capacity. Despite the sub-4-metre constraint, Honda has managed to carve out a cabin that feels genuinely spacious for rear passengers, with decent knee room and headroom even for taller occupants. The boot, too, has been engineered to be properly usable rather than just adequate, something road-trip families will appreciate.
I took this car on a few reasonably long stints during my time with it, and one thing stood out immediately. The seats are comfortable over long durations, without the fatigue that creeps in with some budget-focused sedans after two or three hours behind the wheel.
If you’re planning to buy this car primarily for family use, including the occasional long drive, this is a cabin that’s genuinely built to support that use case, not just look good in a showroom.
Engine Specifications and Performance: Familiar, But Refined
The new Amaze continues with the same fundamental engine architecture Honda has relied on for years: a 1.2-litre, four-cylinder, naturally aspirated i-VTEC petrol engine, now updated to be E20 compliant, meaning it can run on petrol blended with 20 percent ethanol without any issues.
This engine produces 89bhp and 110Nm of torque, figures that won’t set any drag strip records, but that tell only half the story. What actually matters here is how the power is delivered, and this is genuinely one of Honda’s strongest engineering traits.
The engine is smooth, refined, and remarkably free of the vibrations you’d notice in some rival three-cylinder units, particularly the Dzire’s engine, which by comparison feels noticeably coarser under load. For daily commuting, city traffic, and stop-start conditions, this engine feels effortless and confident, never straining even when you’re merging into fast-moving traffic or climbing a flyover.
You get two transmission choices: a 5-speed manual, which is precise and light enough for effortless city driving, and a CVT automatic, which is genuinely one of the best in this segment. This is where things get interesting. Unlike some CVTs that feel rubbery and disconnected under hard acceleration, Honda’s unit here manages to strike a reasonable balance, staying smooth in everyday driving while still responding reasonably well when you need a quick burst of overtaking power.
That said, and I want to be upfront about this, if you’re a genuine driving enthusiast who enjoys engaging with a car through spirited acceleration, the CVT’s characteristic “rubber-band effect” under hard throttle will be noticeable. It’s not a flaw exclusive to Honda, it’s inherent to CVT technology, but it’s worth knowing before you commit to the automatic variant if outright performance thrill is what you’re after.
For the vast majority of buyers though, people who want a smooth, stress-free daily drive rather than a canyon-carving experience, this powertrain does exactly what it needs to do, and does it with genuine refinement.
Mileage and Fuel Efficiency: A Strong Selling Point
Fuel efficiency remains one of the most decisive factors for compact sedan buyers in India, and this is an area where the new Amaze genuinely delivers.
The ARAI-claimed mileage figures range between 18.65 kmpl and 19.46 kmpl, depending on the variant and transmission chosen. In real-world conditions, owners have reported figures that, while naturally lower than the claimed numbers, remain genuinely competitive for this class of petrol sedan, particularly for a car that offers this level of refinement and cabin comfort.
If your daily driving involves a mix of city commuting and occasional highway runs, you can realistically expect mileage in a range that keeps your monthly fuel budget reasonable, especially compared to some turbocharged rivals that trade efficiency for outright performance.
This is worth remembering if fuel costs are a significant part of your ownership calculation, particularly for buyers using the car for business purposes or covering high monthly mileage.
Features and Technology: Honda’s Biggest Leap Forward
This is genuinely where the new Amaze separates itself from its predecessor, and from several rivals too.
The 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, standard even on the base V variant, comes with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, a genuinely thoughtful inclusion that many competitors still gatekeep behind higher trims. Alongside this, you get a semi-digital or fully digital instrument cluster depending on variant, steering-mounted controls, and a reasonably intuitive climate control interface.
Higher variants add features like a sunroof, which remains a significant purchase driver for Indian buyers regardless of segment, along with automatic climate control and additional convenience touches that push this car’s cabin experience closer to what you’d expect from a segment above.
But here’s the standout addition, and it’s a genuinely significant one. The new Amaze becomes one of the first cars in this segment to offer Honda’s Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, commonly known as ADAS, on select variants. This includes features like adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, and collision mitigation braking, technology that until recently was largely reserved for premium SUVs and sedans well above this price bracket.
Now, I’ll be honest with you about the real-world experience of this ADAS suite, because that’s the kind of insight only genuine time behind the wheel gives you. In typical Indian driving conditions, characterized by unpredictable lane discipline, sudden cut-ins, and inconsistent road markings, the adaptive cruise control can occasionally feel jerky or overly cautious, braking earlier than a human driver might in similar circumstances. Similarly, the rear camera and lane-watch camera, while functional, offer resolution and clarity that feel more “adequate” than “impressive.”
This isn’t a dealbreaker by any means, technology like this is still relatively new to this price segment, and Honda deserves genuine credit for bringing it here at all. But if you’re expecting flawless, premium-SUV-level ADAS calibration, it’s worth tempering those expectations slightly and test-driving the feature yourself before making it a primary purchase factor.
Safety Features: A Genuine Highlight
This is one section where I can be unreservedly positive, because Honda has clearly made safety a priority with this generation of the Amaze.
Even the base variant comes equipped with four airbags, a genuinely rare inclusion at entry-level pricing in this segment, along with ABS with EBD, electronic stability control, and hill-start assist. Move up the variant ladder, and you get six airbags as standard, putting the Amaze ahead of several direct rivals that still offer only two airbags on their base trims.
Additional safety features across the range include rear parking sensors, a reverse camera, and on higher variants, the ADAS suite discussed above.
One point worth flagging honestly: as of this review, the new Honda Amaze has not yet been crash-tested by any global or Indian NCAP body, meaning there’s no official star rating currently available. This doesn’t diminish the genuine engineering effort Honda has put into the car’s safety architecture, built on a stiffer monocoque platform than its predecessor, but buyers who specifically prioritize a verified crash safety rating should factor this into their decision, or keep an eye out for future test results.
Ride Quality and Real-World Driving Experience
This is the section where theory meets reality, and where I think the new Amaze genuinely earns its keep.
In the city, the Amaze feels light, easy, and remarkably unintimidating to drive. Honda’s steering tuning has always leaned toward being light and precise at low speeds, and that philosophy continues here, making the car genuinely enjoyable to thread through narrow lanes, tight parking spots, and congested traffic. This is a car that doesn’t punish you for driving it every single day in chaotic conditions, which, let’s be honest, describes most of urban India.
Push it onto the highway, and the improved monocoque platform pays real dividends. The ride feels noticeably more planted and composed at higher speeds compared to the outgoing generation, absorbing expansion joints and minor undulations without unsettling the cabin. Wind and road noise are also better controlled than you might expect at this price point, making highway cruising a genuinely relaxed experience rather than a fatiguing one.
But here’s the catch, and it’s worth being upfront about. This is still fundamentally a compact, front-wheel-drive sedan tuned primarily for comfort rather than outright dynamic engagement. If you’re expecting sharp, involving handling characteristics, you’re shopping in the wrong segment altogether, regardless of which car you eventually choose. What the Amaze delivers instead is confident, comfortable, and predictable behavior across the vast majority of real-world driving scenarios that owners will actually encounter.
For buyers upgrading from a hatchback, this refinement gap is going to feel genuinely significant, almost like stepping into a different class of vehicle altogether.
Price and Variants: Breaking Down the Value Proposition
Let’s get into the numbers, because pricing plays a massive role in how “desirable” this car actually is relative to its rivals.
Variant Approx Ex-Showroom Price Transmission Options Key Highlights V Rs 7.65 lakh onward Manual / CVT 4 airbags, 8-inch touchscreen, wireless Android Auto/CarPlay, LED headlamps VX Rs 9.00 lakh (approx) Manual / CVT Added convenience and comfort features, upgraded upholstery ZX Rs 9.60 lakh to Rs 10.90 lakh Manual / CVT Six airbags, sunroof, ADAS suite (select trims), premium features
Prices mentioned are ex-showroom and will vary by city once RTO charges, insurance, and dealer offers are factored in. Notably, Honda has periodically revised pricing, including a GST-linked price reduction of up to roughly 75,500 rupees introduced in September 2025, so it’s worth checking current on-road pricing in your city before finalizing your budget.
One detail that genuinely stands out here: the CVT automatic is available right from the base V variant. In a segment where automatics are often locked behind higher, pricier trims, this is a meaningfully customer-friendly decision from Honda that widens accessibility for buyers who specifically want an automatic without stretching their budget toward the top-spec model.
Competitor Comparison: How Does the Amaze Stack Up?
Model Starting Price (approx) Engine Transmission Key Strength Key Weakness Honda Amaze Rs 7.65 lakh 1.2L Petrol Manual / CVT Refined engine, strong safety kit, CVT from base variant No crash test rating yet, sub-4m boot constraint Maruti Suzuki Dzire Rs 6.79 lakh 1.2L Petrol Manual / AMT Established brand trust, strong resale value 3-cylinder engine less refined, fewer safety features on base Hyundai Aura Rs 6.30 lakh 1.2L Petrol/CNG Manual / AMT CNG option available, feature-loaded higher trims Dated platform, less refined ride Tata Tigor Rs 6.30 lakh 1.2L Petrol/CNG Manual / AMT Strong safety rating, CNG availability Less refined engine, smaller touchscreen options Mahindra XUV 3XO Rs 8.29 lakh 1.2L Turbo Petrol / Diesel Manual / AMT SUV stance, turbo-petrol performance Higher running costs, compact rear seat space
What this comparison makes clear is that the Amaze isn’t necessarily the cheapest option on the table, but it consistently punches above its price point in terms of refinement, safety kit, and feature accessibility across the variant range. If your buying criteria prioritize a smoother engine, better build quality, and genuinely useful base-variant features over the absolute lowest possible sticker price, the Amaze earns a very strong case here.
Pros and Cons: The Honest Summary
Pros
Genuinely refined, smooth 1.2-litre petrol engine with minimal vibration CVT automatic available from the base variant, a rare and welcome move Strong safety kit including up to six airbags and ADAS on select trims Elevate-inspired exterior design that looks genuinely premium in this segment Spacious, well-built cabin with usable boot space despite sub-4m constraints Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay standard across the range Comfortable, composed ride quality on both city roads and highways
Cons
No official crash test rating available yet from any NCAP body ADAS calibration can feel occasionally jerky or overly cautious in Indian traffic conditions CVT exhibits some “rubber-band effect” under hard acceleration No CNG variant offered, unlike key rivals such as the Tigor and Aura Pricing sits slightly higher than some direct competitors at equivalent trim levels Sub-4-metre boot constraint remains a genuine limitation for some buyers
Who Should Buy the New Honda Amaze
If you’re a buyer who values refinement, comfort, and a genuinely modern cabin experience over chasing the absolute lowest price tag in the segment, the new Amaze is going to feel like a smart, satisfying choice. It’s also a strong option for buyers specifically seeking an automatic transmission without needing to stretch into a higher trim, given the CVT’s availability from the base variant.
Families prioritizing safety, particularly those wanting access to six airbags and modern driver-assistance technology at this price point, will find genuine peace of mind here. And if styling genuinely matters to you, if you want your compact sedan to actually look desirable rather than purely functional, this is arguably the best-looking car in its class right now.
Who Should Avoid the New Honda Amaze
If CNG running costs are a non-negotiable part of your ownership plan, the Amaze’s absence of a CNG variant is going to be a genuine dealbreaker, and rivals like the Tigor or Aura will serve that need better. Buyers who specifically want a verified, official crash test safety rating before purchasing should also factor in the current lack of NCAP data, and may prefer to wait for test results or consider an already-rated rival.
If your budget is tightly capped and every rupee matters, some rivals undercut the Amaze’s starting price, so buyers prioritizing absolute affordability over refinement might find better value elsewhere. And if you’re the kind of driver who genuinely craves an engaging, sporty driving experience, this comfort-focused sedan isn’t built to satisfy that particular itch.
Expert Verdict: Is the New Honda Amaze Desirable Enough?
Here’s my honest, considered take after spending genuine time with this car.
The new Honda Amaze answers the question posed by its own title with a confident yes, but with a few caveats worth understanding. This is, without question, the most desirable Amaze Honda has ever built. The design finally has genuine road presence, the cabin feels a class above its price point, the engine remains one of the most refined in its segment, and the safety and feature list, particularly the base-variant CVT and available ADAS suite, represent a genuine value proposition that’s hard to ignore.
Where it falls slightly short of a perfect score is in areas that matter to specific buyer segments: the absence of an official crash rating, the lack of a CNG option, and some real-world rough edges in its driver-assistance calibration. None of these are dealbreakers for the majority of buyers, but they’re worth going in with clear eyes about.
My honest advice? If you’re choosing between the Amaze and its direct rivals purely on emotional desirability, cabin refinement, and long-term comfort, the Amaze wins convincingly. If your decision hinges specifically on CNG availability or a confirmed crash test rating, it’s worth waiting or looking elsewhere. For everyone in between, and that’s the vast majority of compact sedan buyers in India, this is a genuinely compelling, thoroughly modern package that finally makes choosing a sedan over an SUV feel like less of a compromise.
Frequently Asked Questions About the New Honda Amaze
What is the price of the new Honda Amaze in India?
The new Honda Amaze is priced between approximately 7.65 lakh and 10.90 lakh, ex-showroom, depending on the variant and transmission chosen.
Does the new Honda Amaze come with an automatic transmission option?
Yes, the Amaze offers a CVT automatic gearbox, and notably, this option is available right from the base V variant, which is uncommon in this segment.
What is the mileage of the new Honda Amaze?
The ARAI-claimed mileage of the new Honda Amaze ranges between 18.65 kmpl and 19.46 kmpl, depending on the specific variant and transmission.
Does the new Honda Amaze have ADAS features?
Yes, select higher variants of the new Amaze come equipped with Honda’s Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, including adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, and collision mitigation braking.
Has the new Honda Amaze been crash tested?
As of this review, the new Honda Amaze has not been officially crash-tested by any global or Indian NCAP body, so no star safety rating is currently available.
Is the Honda Amaze available with a CNG option?
No, unlike some of its rivals such as the Tata Tigor and Hyundai Aura, the new Honda Amaze is not currently offered with a factory-fitted CNG variant.
How many airbags does the new Honda Amaze offer?
The base variant comes with four airbags as standard, while higher variants in the range offer up to six airbags along with additional safety features.
At the end of the day, the new Honda Amaze isn’t just chasing spec-sheet numbers, it’s genuinely trying to change how buyers feel about owning a compact sedan. And based on real time spent behind the wheel, it largely succeeds. If desirability was ever a weak point for this nameplate, consider that problem solved.
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