Honda Amaze Facelift : All he could see in the morning sun was the sight of a Honda Amaze, but something was different.
Parked outside Honda’s regional headquarters in Gurugram, the compact sedan looked sharper up-front, it sat on redesigned alloys and it had an air of freshness that the existing model, now four years old in its lifecycle, has been slowly losing.
With countless renders, and several spy shots on the internet over the past few months, I was finally face to face with the 2025 Honda Amaze facelift, just days away from its launch.
Honda has now officially taken the covers off this midlife update of its popular compact sedan, with fresh styling, more equipment and subtle changes that together hope to keep the Amaze competitive at a time when entry-level sedans are under threat from compact SUVs.
Having spent a couple hours with the car in-person and a drive around Honda’s facility, I can say this is very much the evolution and not so much a revolution but all the little tweaks make sense.
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Honda Amaze Facelift Design Tweaks: Less Is MoreHomeAsUp
The fact that Amaze has always been among the better looking representatives in the compact sedan segment and the facelift just builds on it without trying to be another wheel.
The easiest changes to spot are up front, where a larger, more pronounced grille with horizontal slats replaces the former, chrome-filled look.
It’s had a facelift with new angular fog lamp housings and a larger air dam, which makes the car look like it’s more grounded to the road.
“We wanted to fit the Amaze’s design language close to our global sedan lineup,” Rajiv Kumar, a member of Honda’s design team whom I met at the preview event, said. “The horizontal lines give it some width, and the sharper elements some sophistication.”
The headlamps share the shape with the old ones, but they are projector LED units now (except on the base version), along with integrated Indian Scout LED DRLs above them, creating a recognisable light signature.
While the headlamps are in action, during a demonstration of the lighting systems, I observed the more obviously wider beam pattern and consistent throw in the new pair compared to the light emitted from the older units.
Down the sides, the differences are more restrained – moved upmarket 15-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels are new to higher trims, and body-colored door handles with a chrome strip lend a premium feel. The shoulders are still sharp, providing the current model’s pleasing proportions.
At the back, updated tails lamp internals with LED light guides gives it a more contemporary look along with a revised bumper having a discreet diffuser-style feature. Obsidian Blue is a fresh color option, replacing the outgoing Radiant Red, and the carried-over favorite Platinum White Pearl.
“The rear was already pretty balanced, so we wanted to enhance rather than change,” says Kumar. “The new LED light elements are something else and it gives it a much more premium look, especially at night.”
Honda Amaze Facelift Cabin enhancements: Quality, tech in the crosshairs
Step in to the new and improved Amaze, and you get that slight improvement which has been done to make the car feel less dready that before.
The dash arrangement looks similar to before, but it has rendered in richer materials and finishes that impart a more upscale feel.
About the only item you won’t feel in the new CR-V is cheap, hard, shiny plastic: That’s been replaced by touchable soft-touch plastics on the upper dashboard and door panels — or at least it has in the more exotic trims of the hotted-up version I drove.
“We benchmarked materials from a class above,” Vikram Singh, Honda’s interior quality specialist, said. “How it feels is very, very important — a premium experience makes the tactile aspect of a product incredibly critical.
The most important update is the new 9-inch touchscreen infotainment (on mid and top of the line versions) which is replacing the old 7-inch unit.
The bigger touch screen has wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, voice recognition and a much more responsive interface. In my short demo, it paired up quickly with my iPhone and registered commands without the lag of the old unit as well.
Lower models get by with a 7-inch system that at still connects to a phone, but only by wire. The instrument cluster has been revamped, too, and features a revised setup with a larger 4.2-inch multiinformation display between the analogue dials for more detailed info on trips, fuel economy and turn by turn navigation.
Seating comfort gets a few tweaks such as revised cushioning and new upholstery — most variants will come with a 2-tone beige and black, with the top-end model getting leatherette upholstery and contrast stitching on the seats.
Height adjust for the driver’s seat is also standard on every model except the base version, responding to a common grouch about the last version.
Up front, the seats felt considerably more bolstered on the sides as I sat in the car, while rear bench still offers an abundance of space for a car of this segment.
The rear AC vents, a differentiator over some competitors, have been changed to make them more adjustable.
Honda Amaze Facelift Under the Skin: A Fine Tuned and Not New Version
The mechanics of the Amaze are very much similar to its predecessor and Honda seem to have gone by the “if it is not broken, do not fix it” approach.
The tried and tested 1.2-litre i-VTEC petrol motor still churns out 90PS and 110Nm, mated with a choice of a 5-speed manual or CVT automatic transmission.
Honda NVH (Noise, Vibration, Harshness) package engineers, however, have made some subtle refinements in NVH by adding insulation to the door and firewall.
During my admittedly short time on Honda’s test track, the difference was readily apparent — road and wind noise appeared to be more effectively squashed down, leaving a more composed cabin.
“We focused on the things that make the difference in everyday usability,” said Sanjay Sharma, a Honda powertrain engineer.
They’ve tuned the engine calibration slightly so the low-end response feels better, and that does make a difference in stop-and-go traffic.
The suspension – MacPherson struts at the front, torsion beam at the rear – is retained with some small tweaks.
Honda says they’ve been able to tune the damping characteristics for a better ride over broken roads, while maintaining the car’s stable persona on the highway.
I didn’t have enough time behind the wheel to really be able to verify those assertions, but those little speed bumps and undulations I traversed on the test loop were handled with slightly above-average composure, by my recollection of the current model.
Whether it makes a noticeable difference on India’s diverse and sometimes unforgiving road surfaces is something that will be realised following more thorough testing.
Honda Amaze Facelift Features and Safety: A New Standard
The most refreshing changes have come in the safety area and it’s good to see Honda finally offer some features on the Amaze that rivals have been offering for a few years now.
And every variant is equipped with electronic stability control, hill-start assist and rear parking sensors (which become a part of the standard equipment list for all) and, in higher grades, they’ve also got a reversing camera (with dynamic guidelines), six airbags (up from the previous two) and auto headlamps and wipers.
“Safety is not a premium feature — it is a must-have,” Anand Kulkarni, Honda Cars India Vice President, told me when I asked about the larger safety package. “We’re bringing advanced safety systems to the mainstream, across our lineup.”
And there are some significant upgrades in conveniences as well. The mid-spec trim level and above get automatic climate control, and the top trim adds features like wireless phone charging, cruise control and an auto-dimming rearview mirror.
Further, the remote key fob now featuring boot opening and a push button start with keyless entry makes its way on to more models in the range.
In a demo of the new features, a few things came across particular well, such as the upgraded rear-view camera that they offer; it provides much higher resolution and much better low-light performance than the somewhat grainy unit from the outgoing model.
Market Positioning and Pricing 5.1 Market Positioning Market positioning refers to how a product is positioned in a market, taking into consideration target market, competition and their products (product differentiation ).
Honda says that it has priced the updated Amaze conservatively as the outgoing model, despite the sizable facelift, had become one of the more affordable options in the sub-4m sedan segment.
The prices will range between ₹7.10 lakh for the base petrol manual and go on up to ₹9.85 lakhs for the top-spec CVT (all prices ex-showroom).
This position continues to maintain the Amaze’s appeal compared with its key competitors — Maruti Suzuki Dzire, Hyundai Aura and Tata Tigor — despite being more premium in some aspects at least.
“The compact sedan segment is still large despite the SUV explosion,” regular commentator Vikram Gour told me when I dialled him to help put the Amaze’s market positioning in context.
“There is still a very large segment of the market who appreciates the utility, efficiency, and driving dynamics of a well-executed sedan.
Honda appears to understand that, and rather than try turning the wheel too far or in a direction that has nothing to do with the original strengths of the Amaze — respectable design, roominess and a certain smoothness in operation – it has zeroed in on a “return to ability” strategy.
For people living in the city and searching for a practical, well-kitted sedan, that doesn’t rob the bank balance, the updated Amaze is a strong contender.
It might not exactly cause the flutter of a fresh new compact SUV, but in returning to what sedans are really about, while making the offer considerably better, Honda are making certain that the Amaze stays fresh in a changing world.
As the morning sun rose in the sky and my time with the car came to an end, I couldn’t help but appreciate Honda’s way of handling the refresh.
In a market that tends to hyperfocus on the next big thing, there is something to be said for sticking with what works and making it incrementally better.
