In the end, customers will be the winners when it comes to choosing a vehicle in the entry level sedan segment. This is due to the plethora of choices that are being offered, which include the Maruti Swift Dzire, Tata Indigo eCS and Mahindra Verito. During the first half of 2013, Honda India would also enter this segment by launch its first diesel vehicle in the country, the Honda Brio Amaze.
It will be interesting to see the battle between two Japanese stalwarts, Honda and Suzuki (Maruti Suzuki) in this segment. The Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire is already an established player, whereas the Brio Amaze would bank on the success achieved by Honda in the past few years. Both companies shied away from making diesel engines, but spiralling petrol prices forced both of them to manufacture diesel vehicles.
Power in the Honda Amaze will be through a 1.5 litre diesel engine or a 1.2 litre petrol engine which would produce 74 bhp and 88 bhp, respectively. The engine of this vehicle would be mated to 5- speed Manual Transmission, which would give low gearing ratios. This means that the Amaze gearbox would allow one to quickly shift into higher gears, just like the other Honda vehicles in India.
Exterior styling in the Amaze does not look as abrupt as the Dzire or the Indigo eCS. The boot of the vehicle easily integrates into its body, making the vehicle appear sleek. However, apart from the front chrome grille, there are not many styling differences between the Amaze and the Brio. Due to a length of below 4 metres, it will attract low custom duties in the Indian automotive market.
Interior space is quite substantial, with ample amount of legroom and headroom for rear passengers. As compared to its overall length of 3,990 mm, Honda has managed to create a lot of space in the cabin. This makes the vehicle very comfortable for passengers over long drives.
It remains to be seen how Honda will be pricing the Amaze. If priced similar to the Maruti Swift Dzire, this will definitely be a winner for Honda.
