Honda Amaze 1.2 S MT (i-VTEC) - Design Review

[UPDATE - Please note that the following review of the Honda Amaze is that of a protoypte version, which we got to drive in Japan. The extensive road test review of the India-spec model will be published shortly.] 

OnCars was invited to the Twin Ring Motegi circuit in Japan to test drive the Brio-based sedan, Amaze - a car that has the potential to turn around the fortunes for Honda Cars India. Not because it is their first entry-level sedan, neither because it's is compact and under four metres. The key to it probable success lies under the hood - the made for India, 1.5-litre i-DTEC diesel engine! But as always, before we drive the car, let's take a quick look at the design.

Up front the Amaze looks pretty much like the Brio that it is based on. You have a twin-slat chrome plated grille, which gives the car a more matured look and the distinction when compared to the Brio's face. The air dam is body coloured too, to give more premium value to the Amaze as compared to its youthful hatchbcak counterpart.

The side profile is where things immediately take a different turn. The twin-triangle design philosophy is carried over from the Brio. The shoulder line depicts the first triangle, while a prominent cease extends from the taillights towards the rear door handles, depicting the second triangle. From the layman's point of view, the creases add flair to the design and gives the Amaze a sporty, tipped forward stance.

The boot adds further sophistication to the design. The boot lid is sculpted and matches the rest of the theme, making sure that the boot as a whole doesn't look like an afterthought. The taillights look stunning too - partly because they are inspired by the Honda City's lights and also because the layout look very upmarket when it is lit. If you ask me, the tailgate of the Amaze is the best looking backside when compared to outdated designs seen on the Etios, Verito and Indigo CS and even new age yet imbalanced designs like that of the Swift DZire.

The Honda Amaze measures 3990 mm in length, which lets it take the tax cut and also makes it 5mm smaller than the DZire. The design however, looks a lot more balanced, no matter what angle you look at it from. It isn't too radical like the hatchback it is based on and therefore shouldn't disappoint consumers looking for a conservative compact saloon. My only grudge is the size of the wheels - they are 14-inch but tend to look significantly small for the wheel wells and despite the increased wheelbase, the Amaze looks under-tyred.

Also Read:

Honda Amaze - User Experience Review

Honda Amaze - Performance Review