Next gen Honda Amaze to debut by year end

The global debut of the new Amaze, Honda’s only new model for India this year, has been pushed to December 2024, Autocar India can confirm. It was earlier slated to go on sale by October to align with the festive season. The Amaze will enter its third generation upon launch, replacing the popular second-generation model that has been around since 2018. 

Sources tell us that the next Honda Amaze will use a modified version of the platform that underpins the City and Elevate. The Amaze will feature a significantly shorter wheelbase compared to the City's 2,600mm and the Elevate's 2,650mm, to keep the overall length under four meters. The current Amaze's wheelbase is 2,470mm, which is 130mm shorter than the City’s. This will help Honda consolidate its India line-up from two platforms to one, and enhance economies of scale.

While not much is known about the new Amaze's look, sources tell us that Honda’s entry-level sedan will retain its stylish design cues, which will match larger Honda sedans sold abroad. The second-gen Amaze was also inspired by the Accord of the time, and the third-gen model might follow a similar design approach.

As for the interiors, expect the third-gen Honda Amaze to get a refreshed cabin layout, potentially including a larger, free-standing touchscreen similar to the Elevate's. It will likely share interior components with other Honda models in India to keep costs in check.

The third-gen Amaze is expected to retain the 1.2-litre, four-cylinder, naturally aspirated petrol engine from the current model, delivering 90hp and 110Nm of torque. It will be available with either a 5-speed manual or a CVT automatic. With Honda having discontinued diesel engines in India, the new Amaze will continue to be sold only with the petrol engine.

Approximately 23,000 to 24,000 compact sedans are sold monthly, with Maruti Suzuki holding nearly 60 percent of the market, and Hyundai, Tata, and Honda covering the rest. The new-generation Amaze will enter the market as sedans lose favor to compact SUVs and hot hatchbacks. Additionally, a significant number of sub-4-meter sedans are sold in the taxi segment.

Sources say that given the slowdown in sedan sales, Honda Cars India has also revised its volume projection for the compact sedan downwards by 30 percent over three years. As against the earliest projections of producing 56,000 new Amaze in a year, the company has brought it down to 40,000 units annually. The Amaze is Honda's entry-level car in India, and accounts for almost 25 percent of the company's total sales.

The Amaze will face stiff competition from the Hyundai Aura and the Maruti Dzire, which will undergo a full model change a month or two before the Amaze, during this festive season.