We think this Honda will ‘Amaze’ thrifty car buyers!

First introduced to the SA market in 2018, Honda has revealed the facelifted version of its most affordable sedan, the Honda Amaze. The new 2022 Amaze features a few changes and upgrades based on buyers' demand and feedback from local customers.

The Japanese automaker offers 2022 Amaze in two variants – Trend and Comfort. Both models pack a 1.2-litre four-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol engine creating 66kW at 6,000rpm and 110Nm of torque at 4,800rpm. The engine in base Trend mates to a five-speed manual gearbox only, while the Comfort buyers have the option to select from the manual or a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT).

Thanks to its Kerb mass of about 900kg, the 2022 Honda Amaze delivers a speedy performance while delivering an excellent fuel economy. Honda says the sedan with a manual gearbox can hit 100 km/h from a standstill position in 12.3 seconds and 13.5 seconds with the CVT. The maximum top speed stands at 150km/h.

Honda rates the official fuel economy figures for the manual Amaze at 5.6-litres/100km and 5.7-litres/100km with the CVT – slightly thirstier than the manual.

The refreshed Honda Amaze comes with an enhanced exterior design, some changes to the interior, and the latest infotainment system. While the overall design remains the same, we can find a new front grille swapping the old “solid-wing” design.

Seeing the side profile, we find stylish standard alloy wheels and a shoulder line starting from the headlamps and ending at the taillamp clusters highlight. The rear has received an updated bumper, boasting a new chrome accent and LED taillamps.

Another change for the new Amaze is the full-black interior upholstery instead of its predecessor's two-tone beige and black design. Honda made this change on customer feedback. Other than that, we find the same gloss piano black detailing on the dash as was available in the 2021 Amaze, enhancing its visual appeal. Moreover, the ergonomically created dashboard includes a driver-centric instrument binnacle with analogue dials showing speed and rev tally.

Another facility you would find in the updated Honda Amaze is a sound system with FM/AM radio functionality, in addition to MP3 playback and Bluetooth, offering hands-free telephony and music streaming.

The Comfort variant comes with better features, including an improved 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionally and a reverse camera.

The Amaze doesn’t impress much on the safety front as it gets only two airbags and ABS with EBD. It would have been great if Honda had offered the Brake Assist and Electronic Stability Control with Traction Control.

The 2022 Honda Amaze Trend starts at R209,100, the manual Comfort goes for R234,700, while the range-topper Comfort CVT costs R252,800. All the models in the lineup come with a 5-year/200,000 km warranty, a 2-year/30,000 km service plan, and 3-year AA Roadside Assistance. (Prices correct at time of publication.)

Need to do more research before deciding? Be sure to read our other car reviews on the MotorHappy blog.

Please note the imagery supplied in this blog was taken off www.motorbeam.com