Honda Cars India Limited, the well appreciated Japanese auto maker, has launched its much hyped Amaze entry level sedan in domestic auto market on April 11, 2013. The Amaze fleet starts from Rs. 4.99 lakh and goes on till Rs. 7.6 lakh (in the ex-showrooms of New Delhi). Honda Amaze is pegged to become the company’s next big volume puller in the country, owing to the presence of both petrol and diesel powered variants in its range. The stunning compact sedan is pitched against other segment contenders, such as Maruti Suzuki Swift DZire, Chevrolet Sail, Tata Indigo eCS and Ford Classic in the domestic car market.
Evidently, Amaze entry level sits below the company’s immensely popular mid-size offering, the Honda City sedan. Prior to its launch, the grapevine was abuzz with rumours and speculations regarding engine, looks and mileage of the Honda Amaze. The stunning model has completely enthralled the domestic car buyers with its dapper looks and mileage figure. Apart from Swift DZire and Chevy Sail, Mahindra Verito mid-size sedan is another interesting rival to the newly launched Honda Amaze in the Indian auto market.
In terms of looks, the Honda Amaze looks a class apart from its present competition in the country. The model looks futuristic, while flaunting some stylish design cues and curves throughout its exterior body. The Amaze’s front fascia is a replica of its little sibling- Honda Brio hatchback, with which the compact sedan shares its platform. Mahindra Verito shares its platform with the Renault Logan sedan, which has been discontinued in the country. Interestingly, Mahindra & Mahindra has pitched in a revamp version of its Verito mid-size sedan that seems like a generation ahead of its previous model. However, looks wise it is evident that Honda Amaze has the upper hand against Mahindra Verito in terms of overall looks, style quotient and aesthetic appeal.
Coming to under-the-hood specifications of Honda Amaze, the stunning compact sedan is offered to domestic car buyers in both petrol and diesel powered options. The petrol Amaze comes fitted with a 1.2 litre i-VTEC engine found in Honda Brio, which produces a peak power output of 87 bhp. The diesel trim of Amaze is powered with the revolutionary 1.5 litre i-DTEC Honda Earth Dreams powertrain that produces an impressive maximum power output of 99 bhp. On the other hand, petrol Mahindra Verito derives its power from a 1.4 litre, 4 cylinder, SOHC engine that belts out highest power and torque equations of 75 bhp at 5500 rpm and 110 Nm at 3000 rpm, respectively. Further, the Verito diesel is powered with a 1.5 litre motor that is rated with highest power of 65 bhp at 4000 rpm, along with a maximum torque delivery of 160 Nm at 2000 rpm. Evidently, in terms of engine power and torque performance, new Honda Amaze again has the edge over Mahindra Verito. It also must be noted that Amaze is offered with both manual and automatic transmission systems, whereas Verito comes with only a five speed manual gearbox.
Indian consumers are famous for their fascination with mileage all over the world and therefore, fuel economy ratings play a major role in deciding a car’s future in the domestic market. The mileage figures of Mahindra Verito are rated at around 15 kmpl and 19 kmpl for its petrol and diesel variants, respectively. On other hand, the Honda Amaze diesel is rated with an impressive best-in-class mileage figure of 25.8 kmpl. Hence, again the Amaze easily beats Mahindra Verito with its superb fuel economy. It is going to be interesting to see how the Indian car loving audience receives the Honda Amaze, whose arrival was awaited since its initial spy shots surfaced on the internet last year.
At present, Mahindra & Mahindra offers its Verito range to domestic buyers at price tags starting from Rs. 5.3 lakh for the base model, while the top end trim comes at Rs.7.8 lakh. The petrol variants Honda Amaze carry retail values starts from Rs. 4.99 lakh, where as the diesel models start from Rs. 5.99 lakh (ex-showroom New Delhi). Further, Honda Amaze automatic is offered only in petrol guise and the two variants- Amaze S and VX AT that carry price tags of Rs. 6.62 lakh and Rs. 7.5 lakh, respectively. Evidently, Mahindra Verito is only marginally costlier but the new Honda Amaze emerges as the better option between the two, owing to its superior engine performance, mileage and looks. Therefore, it is going to be interesting to see how the two sedan models fare against each other in the Indian market.
![Honda Amaze [2018-2021]](https://imgd-ct.aeplcdn.com/160x89/n/cw/ec/33276/amaze-exterior-right-front-three-quarter-2.jpeg?q=80 "Honda Amaze [2018-2021]")
