My Dream: "The Magical Honda Amaze iVTEC"


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Disclaimer:
I have written this review on my personal opinion.

PAST:
Hunting for a CAR begins in November 2012…
As I am planning for my first car, my requirements are simple: comfort, style, and safety.
A short trip to US made my mind to fix on full-size cars (Sedan) and said BIG “no no” to Hatch backs.

My shortlisted cars (due to not only budget, but also the parking constrain) are as follows:
1) Swift Dzire
2) Swift (if Dzire doesn’t work)

I am one of the proud guys who had a Test Driver in the name of brother-in-law (BIL) for Test Drives.
I thank my BIL for the help he offered; he is a good Critic and always gives a crystal clear feedback such as “I like it” and “I don’t like it.”
By default, my better half wants to TD all the available cars before we choose Swift Dzire.

One fine Sunday we started to Maruthi showroom, Anna Nagar, but no one attended us; so we roamed freely and finally managed to get someone to arrange for the TD.

Swift Dzire:
1) Though not a full-size Sedan, a sub 4m is always good for cities like Chennai.
2) Auto Climate control is COOL.
3) Seats were comfortable (as we are a Japanese family: Short and Sweet); head room and leg room are not a constrain.
4) Looks cramped from outside and looks cramped from inside too.

Feedback from my BIL:
1) Brakes are not good.
2) Suspensions were too soft; car bumps when brake is applied.
3) Other stuffs are OK.

Swift:
No difference.

Waiting period for Swift Dzire is nearly 2 months; only 2013 cars were available with no offer. So, had to wait till mid-January.

Went to Hyundai as we saw too many advertisements with lots of offers.

i10:
1) So silent
2) Small car; my better half said a BIG NO

Feedback from my BIL:
1) I like it

i20:
1) Cool interiors
2) Stylish, rear seat windows are placed a bit high and are very small; we personally didn’t like it from inside
3) Bundle of offers
4) End of the day, it’s a Hatch for a premium cost

Feedback from my BIL:
1) Prefers i10 to i20

We planned to book Swift Dzire the very next week.

I kept on searching and reading almost all the articles in some Indian Automotive forums; my interest fell on Honda Jazz. Almost all the reviews appreciated Honda Jazz; as a last-minute confusion, I called Olympia Honda, Chennai, and consulted about Honda Jazz; it was 40k higher than Swift Dzire but with lots of safety feature, and it’s a HONDA!!!
Next Saturday, I took my BIL for a TD to Honda showroom, and instantly I liked the Jazz from outside. Test drove it successfully.

Honda Jazz:
1) So silent
2) So spacious
3) Rear seat just normal like an old sofa
4) Importantly, it’s a HONDA

Feedback from my BIL:
1) Good, but not a premium drive (he only knows the real meaning of his statement!)

Test drove Honda Brio

Honda Brio:
1) Magic, looks small from outside, spacious from inside (Honda’s Man Max., Machine Min. Principle)
2) So silent
3) Rear seat just normal like an old sofa

Feedback from my BIL:
1) Good, but prefers i10 to Honda Brio (by the way, he is a Hyundai boy!)
As my friends insisted me to go for All New Honda CITY over JAZZ, and ANHC’s beauty mesmerized us, we took a test drive.
As the ANHC we test drove has run 60,000km, the clutch was not good; my BIL was worried driving such a long car, but once he started driving it, he was OK.

Honda City:
1) Luxury drive
2) So spacious
3) So silent
4) With safety equipment from the base variant
5) iVTEC
6) Importantly, it’s a HONDA CITY (King of Sedan)

I loved the brand HONDA from my teenage, though there are no specific reasons behind it, but it always reminds me of Luxury, Comfort, Style, and Safety.

Feedback from my BIL:
1) I like it
2) Big car, but manageable

I was very much excited and ready to book ANHC, and requested the SA to bring it to my apartment to check whether this BIG BOY will fit into our parking space. Unfortunately, the SA who brought the car was an amateur driver. He couldn’t even enter the car in the space where 2 cars are to be parked parallel and this really made me to rethink of ANHC. There comes an end to the ANHC. By the same time, I was advised that there is an upgrade in line for the ANHC and the Launch of the HONDA AMAZE, which can be parked in my parking space. (Parking space is 12’-6” between columns for 2 cars—I will come to this topic later.)

Sharing the 12’-6” Car Park with Verna
IMG_2058.JPG

A Closer View
IMG_2061.JPG

Honda Amaze:
I was impressed with the pictures and the prelim review of Honda Amaze. So, I was forced to wait for few more months to see the launch and response of Honda Amaze.

I heard and read that people go crazy about this car and wait in queue for a TD. I just waited for a month for the initial rush to get over, and in MAY, we TD the vehicle. My Wife was impressed with the very first look and she wants to book it as soon as possible.

My first impression of Honda Amaze:
1) Luxury drive
2) So spacious
3) So silent
4) iVTEC engine
5) Importantly, it’s from HONDA

The very first time I sat in the driver seat and hold the steering wheel, my heart said this is my car. The steering wheel is small and cool to hold.

Feedback from my BIL:
1) I like it
2) Recommends it, but prefers CITY to AMAZE

Booked Honda Amaze SMT (P) Urban Titanium on May 11 with an assurance of one month waiting period; I did this keeping in mind to gift to my Wife on her Birthday (July), but unfortunately I got my car delivered on August 16.

On Road Price Chennai INR 6,80,000.

Seconds to Reach My Hands
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Gotcha Magic Wand "KEYS"
IMG_1552.JPG

Hopping In
IMG_1566.JPG

By the way, I learned driving before delivery.

First Move
IMG_1567.JPG

PRESENT:
I made a small comparison with ANHC:
• Engine capacity 80% of ANHC
• Boot space 80% of ANHC
• Cost 65% of ANHC (VFM!!)
• Sub 4m of ANHC
• Mileage 110% of ANHC

I made some analysis on Honda Amaze:

Engine:
iVTEC is one of the best engine in market and one of the first of its kind developed by Honda.

VTEC was initially designed to increase the power output of an engine to 100 HP/litre or more while maintaining practicality for use in mass production vehicles. Some later variations of the system were designed solely to provide improvements in fuel efficiency. (Source: WIKIPEDIA)
It means 100HP from a 1000cc engine—really AMAZING!

This is a classic HIGH SPEED LOW TORQUE engine; so being a rev. friendly engine, this brings smile to both the light and the heavy foot driver. So, we can squeeze both power and fuel efficiency on request with style.

Body:
It’s a HONDA MAGIC—idea borrowed from J.K. Rowling “Harry Potter Series.” At one portion of the book, the author describes about a magical tent that looks very small and ordinary from outside and when entered it does look like a multistoried building.
It does look like a small (sub 4m) car from outside but from inside feel like a next segment CAAR; by the same time, the car can be handled like a short Hatch. It has the shortest turning radius of 4.5m in its segment.
Driver seat has height adjustment with tilt steering making anyone comfortable within minutes.
Rear seat is awesome; as there is no requirement for folding the seats, the seats are shaped so well to suit the passenger.
This is the difference between the seating comfort of Amaze and Jazz/Brio. The rear seats of both Jazz and Brio are like an old sofa.

Style:
No comments, everyone loves it and I am one among them.

My dislikes:
• Honda can be a bit generous in designing the console.
• Honda should have provided a better horn; horn is really funny and no one responds to it. My personnel feeling is that Honda is going to spend more money in insurance claim due to this weak horn.
• There could have been rear seat head rest.
• Ground clearance is an issue with 5 adults.

My BIL dislikes:
• Complains about low-end Torque; by the way, he drives Santro 1.1.

FUTURE:
I would like to cover all the upgrades and modifications in this section; by the way, I have upgraded my Horns.
 
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As soon as I got your message i opened it (got the message by 5:06 and posted this by 5:12). I got great feeling by just going thru. Not yet completed it. But would like to congratulate you for your review. Pls wait for my comments.

Just one quick question by seeing your first couple of pics.

How are you managing to get in and get down after parking. Thru passenger seat? It is really tight parking man.

I think you have become one of the talented driver in chennai. Next time i want you to come with your ride for the meet [;)]. You can not escape by saying that you just started driving your car.
 
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Thread Starter #3
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How are you managing to get in and get down after parking. Thru passenger seat? It is really tight parking man.
Yes, I always hop in thru the passenger seat. But Verna guy is the luckiest, he need to hop in thru the rear passenger seat and do some somersault to move to the driver seat.[;)]

I think you have become one of the talented driver in chennai. Next time i want you to come with your ride for the meet [;)]. You can not escape by saying that you just started driving your car.
Thanks for the compliment, will surely do it...
 
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My dislikes:
• Honda can be a bit generous in designing the console.
It is only the design that gives the console an image of being too basic, otherwise the quality of material put there is good. Honda could have atleast given a symmetrical look to the design.
 
Thread Starter #5
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It is only the design that gives the console an image of being too basic, otherwise the quality of material put there is good. Honda could have atleast given a symmetrical look to the design.
I never complained that Honda used cheap material, but the console looks too basic to its class. Anyhow I love every little feature in my car [:)]
 
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Heartiest congratulations on your Amaze, UT is amongst the best sold shades from honda.
Keep updating your ownership thread and enjoy your ride.
Pretty tight space to get inside and park it too.[;)]
 
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Congrats. Looks great, I too own the same color and variant but in "iDtec" disguise. Btw, I agree that it feels so spacious that it made to think like its a next segment car. Wondering, how honda managed to squeeze out so much space from this sub 4m car!!!. Really amazing.
 
Thread Starter #8
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Heartiest congratulations on your Amaze, UT is amongst the best sold shades from honda.
Keep updating your ownership thread and enjoy your ride.
Pretty tight space to get inside and park it too.[;)]
Thanks Buddy, yes parking my cars is like inserting a sword inside a Scabbard. But I started learning the trick to park [;)]

Congrats. Looks great, I too own the same color and variant but in "iDtec" disguise. Btw, I agree that it feels so spacious that it made to think like its a next segment car. Wondering, how honda managed to squeeze out so much space from this sub 4m car!!!. Really amazing.
Thanks Buddy, That's why I wonder, it an idea borrowed from the "Harry Potter Series" [:)]. By the way, Congrats for iDtec, I loved the low end Torque and the mileage of iDtec.
 
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Hi Karthikkrish,
Why don't you park in the opposite direction,your car's rear facing the front,it will be easy for you to get in.
Regards,
Aneesh.
 
Thread Starter #10
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Hi Karthikkrish,
Why don't you park in the opposite direction,your car's rear facing the front,it will be easy for you to get in.
Regards,
Aneesh.
Hi Aneesh,

As an amateur driver, I booked this parking slot calculating that I can park my car front facing in so that I can get in easily. But it was near to impossible in reality.

I tried every possible way with some expert drivers and found that this is the only possible and easy way to park in my parking slot. BTW, the turning radius is shorter in reverse parking and you will have a better visibility in OVRMs, which are not possible in front parking.

If you are still not convinced with my explanation I will show you my parking layout plan for better understanding, as everyone have this doubt[:)]
 
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Hi Aneesh,

As an amateur driver, I booked this parking slot calculating that I can park my car front facing in so that I can get in easily. But it was near to impossible in reality.

I tried every possible way with some expert drivers and found that this is the only possible and easy way to park in my parking slot. BTW, the turning radius is shorter in reverse parking and you will have a better visibility in OVRMs, which are not possible in front parking.

If you are still not convinced with my explanation I will show you my parking layout plan for better understanding, as everyone have this doubt[:)]
One trick you can try out is :- Verna parks facing inside and in the RHS slot (i.e. your slot in the pic) and you park facing outside on LHS. And amaze can go further back; this way both can get in from driver-side doors.

By the way fantastic choice of colour (I too own the same in vx trim :p).
 
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Thread Starter #12
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One trick you can try out is :- Verna parks facing inside and in the RHS slot (i.e. your slot in the pic) and you park facing outside on LHS. And amaze can go further back; this way both can get in from driver-side doors.

By the way fantastic choice of colour (I too own the same in vx trim :p).
Congrats for your Amaze, and thanks for the compliment on color.

Thanks for the tip, BTW forward parking is always trickier than the reverse parking. In reverse parking you have full view of your car side body and the other object, which will help you push your car in very tight gap.
 
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@Karthick

Congrats for your new Amaze buddy !! I have not driven this car so far, but have seen the car. I had the same feeling like Karthik Raja that it looks small from outside, but the moment you sit in the rear, you will be wondering of its space which is opposite for Dzire.

I have not seen you in your review you mentioned about OTR price and the suspension effect at speed breakers as the Honda City scraps in many places.
 
Thread Starter #14
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@Karthick

Congrats for your new Amaze buddy !! I have not driven this car so far, but have seen the car. I had the same feeling like Karthik Raja that it looks small from outside, but the moment you sit in the rear, you will be wondering of its space which is opposite for Dzire.
Thanks Mr. RK.

I have not seen you in your review you mentioned about OTR price and the suspension effect at speed breakers as the Honda City scraps in many places.
Oh! Forgot about the price part, BTW Chennai OTR is INR 6.8L.

If you fill the belly of the car with 5 adults, you have a good chance of scratching the belly!!!
 
Thread Starter #15
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FUTURE:
My first modification or addition to the car is the seat cover and floor mats.
God is everywhere
IMG_2164.JPG
Even before the delivery of the vehicle, I have booked for a seat cover deal in an Auto Fair.

The deal was INR 10k for the High Grade PU (this is thicker than the ordinary Art leather and the thickness is approximately 1/8” thick) with a thicker foam.

The dealer gave the three options to choose from:
(I) 15% OFF
(II) 3M Nomad mats (universal size)
(III) Universal mats, 2 Neck pillows, Steering wheel cover, Polishing clothes and some fuel additives

As the last-day offer, they offered us to pick any two options, so we picked options I and III. After the car’s delivery, they stitched the seat covers as per our preference of color and pattern. Luckily, as the universal mat was not in stock, they offered the 3M Nomad mats. With this we have availed all the options for INR 8500.

This is the 3M Nomad mats I got, which exactly matched with the car interiors. This is one of the best mats for sure.
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Steering wheel cover
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Few snaps of the seat cover
 

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