The Amaze, that will sport an all-aluminum 1,500cc engine, will be available in the market by the middle of next year even as a petrol version of the model has been launched in Thailand today.
To control the cost of the vehicle, Honda has decided to keep the length of the Amaze under 4 meters. This will enable the company avail lower excise duty on the model as it will be categorised as a small car which attracts a duty of 12% against the 24% mandated for bigger cars.
Powered by a new, 1.5-litre, four-cylinder i-DTEC diesel engine derived from the 1.6-litre Earth Dreams , the Amaze returns 23-25 kmpl . Prices could start from Rs 5.2 lakh for the basic petrol to Rs 7.3 lakh for the top-end diesel.
While the price of the model is not known, the company is understood to be looking at a retail price of under Rs 7 lakh.
Honda has is also expected to drive in a diesel variant of its best-seller City by the end of next year. The company will also use the new diesel engine across various models, including a 7-seater multi-utility vehicle -- on the lines of Maruti Ertiga -- and an all-new compact SUV.
Honda Amaze diesel will be powered by a 1.5-litre IDTEC diesel engine developed under Honda’s Earth Dreams technology. The same technology has been used to develop diesel engines for the Civic and CRV that were recently launched in Europe.
The Amaze has been developed on the platform of the company's mini car Brio.
The i-DTEC motor settles down to a silent idle. When walking past the car, you may not even notice that there’s a diesel under the hood. There is a faint clatter, yet it’s well within acceptable limits. On the inside, at idle, it’s nearly impossible to tell that you are in a diesel car.
Driveability is simply fantastic and the 1.5L diesel will be amazing to drive in urban traffic conditions. You’ll seldom need to downshift, unlike the several other models running 1.3L MJD engines. The Amaze has very linear power delivery with no kick from the turbo (like the old Swift). This car can comfortably potter around town in 3rd gear @ 20 kph without undue vibrations or lugging.
The company has decided to make the diesel engines and transmission in India to control costs and cut the dependence on imports as the latter can turn costly due to foreign exchange fluctuations. The engines will be manufactured at Honda's Tapukara plant and this factory will also be used to build cars at a later stage.
Here are a few highlights of the new motor:
• The engine is badged "Earth Dreams Technology".
• Development work started in 2007.
• Lightest diesel engine in its class.
• Vertically mounted intercooler.
• Features an aluminium block, high strength narrow crankshaft, lightweight pistons and high swirl + high flow rate head design.
• Mechanical friction (@ 1,500 rpm) is similar to petrol engines (lower than other diesel engines).
• Engine is mounted on liquid-filled mounts, instead of rubber units, to reduce vibration.
• 1.5L diesel to be manufactured at Honda’s new engine plant at Tapukara, Rajasthan.
• BS-4 compliant. A DPF can be added to make it BS-5 compliant in the future.
• The engine uses a new blend of oil that is neither fully synthetic nor mineral.
