The 2025 Honda Amaze compact sedan gets inspired new styling and a lot of new equipment to empower its arsenal to take on the segment and the future.
Story: Jim Gorde
Photography: Sanjay Raikar
The Honda Amaze has come a long way since it first arrived during the compact sedan segment boom. Based on the Brio hatchback at the time, it generated enough interest and demand to fuel a bold new second-generation model. How time flies! The third-generation 2025 Honda Amaze model has now arrived and it gets styling inspired by its larger siblings, notably the Elevate SUV and the popular City sedan, albeit in a sub-four-metre footprint.
The 2025 Honda Amaze gets a bold face with a purposeful and rather imposing grille flanked by sharp new LED headlight clusters, with a prominent chrome strip above. The raked windscreen now sees a new addition behind it. Honda Sensing—yes, the advanced driver assistance system or ADAS—is now a part of the new Amaze and it is the first in its segment. The mirrors are mounted on the door line, leaving room to aid visibility, somewhat, for the driver. The Honda Amaze also gets a new variant line, with V, VX, and ZX trim levels each with a choice of manual or CVT automatic transmissions. The latter two get 15-inch wheels and wider 185/60 rubber.
The concept of “elite booster sedan” was the inspiration behind the development and was meant to embody Honda’s vision of empowering buyers with the latest in sophisticated technology which they hope will allow them to confidently present their elevated social status. After all, owning a car is a matter of pride and prestige and that remains unchanged in society.
The reliable three-box design sits on a wheelbase measuring 2,470 millimetres and continues with a 3,995-mm long body. The width is now 1,733 mm, an increase of 38 mm, making for a wider and more spacious cabin. The height is consistent with the previous model, with the reworked suspension and revised tune raising ground clearance by two mm for a total of 172 mm while dropping the height by one sole millimetre.
Inside the 2025 Honda Amaze, the centre of attraction is the new touchscreen infotainment with an eight-inch display. The infotainment supports wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, with a wireless charger also incorporated into the lower centre of the dashboard. The driver console is a full TFT colour display which provides all necessary information via a convenient menu that can be cycled through using the steering-mounted controls. When the left indicator is used, it also switches the display from the left dial, which is usually the tachometer, to the feed from LaneWatch camera—a nifty blind-spot information system from larger models now available in the Amaze. The big new addition, of course, is the ADAS which means it gets a camera up and centre behind the windscreen and enables useful autonomous features such as adaptive cruise control with speed and distance presets, lane departure warning and correction, collision mitigation, and even auto brake. All of these make sense in both urban conditions and on the highway, offering relief to the driver to some extent, although it must be remembered that these are assistance systems and not a replacement for alert driving manners.
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The 2025 Honda Amaze gets an easy keyless entry and go. Get inside and you notice the cabin bathed in a beige theme, with a mix of screens and buttons. The comfort level is good; although the seat thigh support is best for average-sized individuals and taller occupants may be left wanting for better support. The ergonomics are good overall and controls fall into one’s hands naturally.
There are some cool features which the new Honda Amaze gets as well. The first of these is the remote engine start which allows starting of the car using the key fob to activate the air-conditioning system and pre-cool or air out the cabin. It also gets a multi-angle rear-view camera, automatic headlights, and wiper activation—another first-in-class feature. Plus, there’s the Honda Connect advanced telematics system app with a free five-year subscription. But now on to the drive experience.
We started off with the Honda Amaze ZX CVT in its bold Radiant Red Metallic paint finish. In the early morning sunlight, Goa in December is spectacular and makes for some beautiful backdrops although the growing network of highways and flyovers does destroy the natural beauty of it all. The Amaze, however, stood out in the sunshine and open fields, navigating the narrow internal roads with ease and inspiring confidence thanks to its handling and easy manoeuvrability. The new look also turned quite a few heads.
The engine under the bonnet of the new Honda Amaze continues to be the 1.2-litre i-VTEC four-cylinder petrol engine with 90 hp and 110 Nm. It is also E20 fuel-compliant, which means the 20 per cent ethanol in the blend serves to up the “sustainable” angle as well while meeting BS6-II regulations. The continuously variable transmission (CVT) is smooth and does the job of keeping things convenient for two-pedal operation. The paddle-shifters on the steering wheel help lend the element of further control, with preset steps emulating a gearbox. The engine seems punchy higher up but there isn’t a particularly strong bottom end. The engine needs to be revved to get the performance out of it and doing so results in considerable noise which filters through into the cabin.
Honda say they have tweaked the suspension to improve dynamic performance. This results in a soft ride. While many people prefer a soft ride, it also means that taking corners at double-digit speeds in the upper threshold leads to perceptible body-roll and any changes in surface can make for a bumpy ride. The ground clearance is 172 mm and, while it meant I could tackle the many speed-breakers with ease, it contributes to the higher centre of gravity and consequent body-roll.
We also drove the manual-transmission version of the 2025 Honda Amaze and it felt more involving and fun to drive. The five-speed manual has optimized early ratios and that contributes to the peppier feel with good acceleration and better control over the torque band. The efficiency, in Goa’s mid-day traffic and a lot of steep climbs and drops and some highway stints, meant the fuel efficiency went up to 13-ish for the manual, with the CVT showing up to 15 kilometres to the litre. Honda claim up to 18.65 km/l for the manual and 19.46 km/l for the CVT on the test cycle.
The safety systems on offer are among the big highlights. The reverse camera feed now has a brightness control which improves visibility on the screen. The hill-start assist was particularly useful on the slopes of Goa and worked well for both CVT and MT versions. The Honda Sensing brings in the autonomous systems which can make a huge difference in today’s chaotic traffic. The auto-brake, when it does engage, keeps the car stationary and cuts response for what seemed like much longer than one second. One must be wary of following vehicles and be particularly alert for sudden crossing folk or two-wheelers. The camera-based system is quite sharp and works well to detect obstacles, traffic, and lane-markings that were not particularly visible even to me. Besides, there are six airbags as standard and even ISOFIX child-seat anchors.
The 2025 Honda Amaze has its introductory price starting from Rs 8 lakh for the V MT variant. This ZX MT costs Rs 9.70 lakh and the ZX CVT carries a sticker of Rs 10.90 lakh (all prices ex-showroom). These may seem steep but the sharp upswing in prices over the past few years means we weren’t really expecting anything different. The compact sedan space is dominated by one big name; however, there are pockets across India where the Amaze has found a steady footing. The new car looks different and offers a lot more than before. Surely, these changes should help the cause.
Need to Know – 2025 Honda Amaze ZX MT/CVT
Price: Rs 9.70 lakh/Rs 10.90 lakh (ex-showroom)
Engine: 1,199 cc, in-line four, petrol
Max Power: 90 hp @ 6,000 rpm
Max Torque: 110 Nm @ 4,800 rpm
Transmission: Five-speed manual/continuously variable (CVT), front-wheel drive
Suspension: MacPherson strut front, torsion beam rear
Weight: 960 kg (estimated)/986 kg
