Long before the SUV hype and, those truckloads of comparisons, the fiercest space in the Indian automotive industry used to be the sub-4m compact sedan space. And while it maybe not in the news as much as before, the abovesaid segment still caters to a lot of buyers, which means, there are still a lot of contenders and, of course, some fierce competition out there.
Take, for instance, the Honda Amaze, which is still the worthiest contender to the Maruti Suzuki Dzire, the leader of the compact sedan space. There have been many additions to this segment over the years, but nothing came close to the Honda Amaze and the Maruti Suzuki Dzire in terms of the overall package.
For 2020, Honda has updated the second-generation Amaze to match the BS-VI criteria, without tinkering with the overall package. Maruti Suzuki, on the other hand, gave a new lease of life to its compact sedan by giving it a mid-cycle facelift. So, here’s why you should go ahead and buy either of these compact sedans.
Let’s talk about Honda first. The compact sedan entered its second-generation in 2018, and it has been soldering on as the second most popular car in the space since then. It is the only compact sedan in the space which does not have a smaller and identical sibling, which sort of gives it some novelty value. It also seems to be the most well-proportioned compact sedan of the duo. However, the front and rear end look somewhat chopped off, giving it a slight boxy stance. Another grouse is the use of simple 15-inch alloy wheels, which are simply unexciting and very plain. Moreover, the Amaze does not get any LEDs whatsoever.
The Maruti Suzuki Dzire, on the other hand, has tons of new tech like LEDs and nicer dual-tone alloy wheels. The headlamps are powered with LEDs and also get LED DRLs, which make the front end look significantly premium. LED taillamps, on the other hand, are standard across the range. The 2020 Dzire also gets a new front end, which somewhat makes it look more like the smaller Swift. Regardless, it looks great and it’s one of the nicest looking car Maruti Suzuki sells in the Indian market. It’s also got the right proportions; therefore, it doesn’t necessarily look like a Swift with a slapped boot.
In the interior department, too, the Dzire outshines the Amaze. Well, the Amaze also gets a new and a well-laid-out dashboard, it isn’t as equipment savvy as the Dzire. There are some nice additions such as a 7.0-inch touchscreen with Apple Carplay/Android Auto, paddle-shifters on the automatic trims, climate control, cruise control, and push-button start, amongst other things.
The Dzire, other than the features mentioned above – barring the paddle-shifters, that is – gets automatic headlamps, a coloured MID, smart hybrid tech, auto-folding ORVMs, rear aircon vents, and rear adjustable head strains. Moreover, the quality of materials used is also better in the Dzire, in comparison to the Amaze. The Dzire has more space at the front and back too, which is a huge plus point for a compact sedan.
In the engines department, the Dzire is now a petrol-only model, while the Honda Amaze comes with either a diesel and petrol powertrain. Starting with the Dzire, the 2020 model now comes powered with the company’s all-new 1.2-litre K12N DualJet petrol engine, which replaces the outgoing car’s 1.2-litre K12M motor. The BS6-compliant DualJet engine produces 90hp – a 7hp gain over the K12M engine – and 113Nm of torque.
The Amaze, on the other hand, gets the company’s 1.2-litre i-VTEC engine, which churns out 89bhp and 110Nm of torque. As for the oil burner, it’s the 1.5-litre i-DTEC engine that made its debut with the first-generation model, which is good for 99bhp and 200Nm of torque. Gearbox options for both powertrains include a 5-speed manual and a CVT automatic transmission.
Therefore, for diesel buyers, the Dzire is no longer an option. As for the petrol engines, both the engines are good and peppy, and we’re yet to test both of these engines in the BS-VI guise. Regardless, you cannot go wrong with either of these powertrains. So, while the Amaze does well in some departments, it isn’t all that well packaged as the Dzire, which the sales numbers justify.
