The Maruti Suzuki Dzire and Honda Amaze are two of the most affordable sedans in India, priced at around Rs 10 lakh (ex-showroom). Both the top-spec Dzire ZXi+ and Amaze ZX offer a 1.2-litre engine with similar specifications and a similar feature suite, albeit with a couple of segment-only amenities. But what should you choose? We find out.
Maruti Dzire vs Honda Amaze: Dimensions
Sizes are almost similar, but the Amaze offers a slightly larger boot
The Maruti Suzuki Dzire and Honda Amaze have similar dimensions, but the Amaze has a 34-litre larger boot space, which enables it to carry a backpack more than the Dzire. Moreover, unlike the Dzire, which gets a fixed rear seatback, the Amaze’s rear seat can be folded to accommodate more luggage if needed.
Maruti Dzire vs Honda Amaze: Powertrain
Dzire’s 3-cylinder engine offers higher fuel economy than the Amaze’s 4-cylinder unit
The major difference in the powertrains of the two compact sedans is the number of cylinders: 3 in the Dzire’s naturally aspirated engine and 4 in the Amaze’s. The Honda Amaze produces 8hp more than the Dzire, but 2Nm less. In our real-world experience, we found that the Amaze’s engine loves to be revved. It has weak low-end performance, especially under 2,000rpm, but offers a strong mid-range. The Dzire’s engine, on the other hand, has a crisp throttle response and offers strong low-end torque.
Both sedans get a 5-speed manual transmission, but the Dzire offers a 5-speed AMT while the Amaze has a CVT. The Dzire’s AMT, in our real-world experience, has a prominent lag while shifting gears, which hampers the overall drive experience. The Amaze’s CVT is better in this regard and offers smoother shifts, but has a rubberband effect, something that is generally associated with CVTs.
It is the fuel efficiency where the Dzire really shines, offering an additional 6.14kpl and 6.25kpl claimed fuel efficiency over the Amaze’s manual and automatic transmission options, respectively.
Maruti Dzire vs Honda Amaze: Exterior
Both compact sedans get all-LED lighting, powered ORVMs, and 15-inch wheels
Both the top-spec Maruti Dzire ZXi+ and Amaze ZX are offered with all-LED lighting, 15-inch dual-tone alloy wheels, and powered outside rearview mirrors (ORVMs).
Maruti Dzire vs Honda Amaze: Interior, features
Dzire has a sunroof and a larger infotainment system, but Amaze offers paddle shifters
The top-spec Maruti Dzire is offered with a single-pane sunroof, a segment-only feature, and a larger 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system compared to the 8-inch unit on the Honda Amaze. The Dzire’s steering column also allows for telescopic adjustments. However, the Amaze offers paddle shifters with the CVT, which is missing on the Dzire AMT, and gets a larger multi-information display (MID) on the instrument cluster than the Dzire.
Maruti Dzire vs Honda Amaze: Safety
Dzire offers a 360-degree camera, while Amaze offers Level-1 ADAS
While both the Maruti Dzire and Honda Amaze have a 5-star Bharat NCAP crash safety rating, there are a couple of changes in the safety suite of both sedans. The Amaze ZX offers Level-1 advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), a segment-only feature, while the Dzire offers a 360-degree camera system. The Amaze gets a traditional rear camera and a LaneWatch camera mounted on the left ORVM. Other safety features are the same on both sedans.
Maruti Dzire vs Honda Amaze: Prices
The top-spec Dzire is more affordable than the Amaze
Both manual and automatic versions of the top-spec Maruti Dzire ZXi+ are more affordable than the fully-loaded Honda Amaze ZX. At a lower price point, the Dzire offers a fuel-efficient engine that also offers good low-end torque, it offers a customer-favourite sunroof and a 360-degree camera, making it feel more complete than the top-spec Amaze.