The Amaze compact sedan had proved to be a great lucky charm for Honda Cars India, when it launched in 2013 marking a major turning point for the Japanese car giant in India. The Amaze is not only the first diesel car from Honda India, but also the company’s great savior at a time when Honda Cars India was struggling a lot with its dwindling sales. Post the Amaze, came the other new very successful diesel cars from Honda India, and the company has not looked back ever since.

Honda Amaze wallpaper

The Honda Amaze came into the very popular and constantly growing segment of the compact sedan in India. The Amaze was also the only car that challenged the superiority of the all time favorite and still ruling king of the compact sedan segment, the Maruti Suzuki Swift DZire. The phenomenal success of the Amaze surely turned the Fortune of Honda India overnight. However, within just on year competition has become very intense and new cars models are pushing this able car back in the line. First came the Hyundai Xcent in March this year, which quickly crossed the success of the Amaze, then came the Tata Zest this August, which slowly but surely made its way past the Honda Amaze.

Tata Zest

Indian car major Tata Motors got a reason to celebrate after a long time with the launch of the Zest compact sedan, much like Honda’s happiness with the Amaze. The Zest received overwhelming response in India which surprised even Tata Motors. The Tata Zest is now the consistent third bestselling compact sedan in India, as it had outsold the in October as well as in November this year straight in a row. Moreover, the sales margin is even bigger in November than that of the month of October, which was the peak of the Indian festive season. In October, the Tata Zest sold just 42 units more than the Honda Amaze, while in last month the Zest sold a good 525 units more than the Amaze.

Moreover, the Tata Zest has also sold just 64 units less than the Hyundai Xcent, which the current second bestselling compact sedan following the lead of Maruti DZire. Thus, Tata Zest shows strong possibility to beat the Xcent in future as well.

The Tata Zest sold a total 3,835 units in the month of November 2014, while the Honda Amaze sold 3,310 units last month. The Hyundai Xcent sold 3,899 units in November this year.

The drop in sales for the Honda Amaze in October is argued to be because of Honda’s production restrictions, but Tata Motors also faces the same problem. The Indian car major is not able to cope with the growing demands for the Zest AMT variants, as the gearbox supplier Magneti Marelli is struggling with production issues.

Thus, it can be fairly said that the golden days of the Honda Amaze are pretty much over with the advent of its newer rivals.

Honda emerged victorious with its first sedan diesel project in India, Amaze, it is a key profit player and contributed month on end profit. The company did wonders with Amaze alone, when many other esteemed firms struggled to make sufficient profits. It is a source of inspiration for Tata Motors that recently launched Zest. Zest is a true representation of a zest for life car, can it overpower the popularity of Amaze let’s find out.

Honda Amaze wallpaper

Honda Amaze:

Exteriors:

Amaze is a trendy car, the front view is picturesque contributed by the arty headlight cluster and front grille and is covered with sufficient chrome. The structure of front bonnet is aerodynamic and resembles Brio, the side view is great and the detailing on doors highlights the innovative aerodynamic design, the windows are designed in a manner that makes the car look homely. The tail lights look arty stacked within the boot and extends from the side and merges with boot door.

Interiors:

The inner décor of Amaze is vibrant; the beige and black colour theme will transform occupants into a whole new world. The structure and nature of dashboard is professional, the air con apparatus and world class audio system are strategically placed. The seats are stitched with refined upholstery and sufficient to fit in five occupants, the rear has cup holder, arm rest and adjustable steering wheel.

Engine:

Amaze is fitted with 1.5 litre i-DTEC diesel and 1.2 litre i-VTEC petrol mill, the petrol car generates 86.8bhp and the diesel car gives out 98.6bhp and the two power trains are coupled with five speed manual transmission, and there is an option of an automatic transmission with petrol car.

Mileage:

The manual petrol car moves on mileage of 18 kmpl and the automatic car gives 15.5kmpl. The diesel vehicle runs on a best-in-segment 25.8kmpl mileage.

Price:

It costs Rs 5.1 to 8.2 lakhs

Tata Zest:

Exteriors:

Zest is a signature product of Tata Motors, the car looks amazing, the fashionable front has imaginatively styled headlights fitted with turn indicators and projector lights, the radiator grille sports a unique design, stuffed with layers of chrome on top of which is neatly carved company logo. The styling of front bumper is aggressive with chick fog lights and air dam, the most loaded XT car has sparkling LED daytime running light framework, the side view is trendy, the rear profile is plush and well-defined, the tail lights are moulded into creative wrap around structures.

Interiors:

Step into the Zest and the décor is mind blowing and exquisite covered in a vivacious Java black and Latte theme, and there is an abundance of chrome. The convenience factor of the car is top notch with ergonomically positioned control switches, fully automatic air con unit and huge glove box. The architecture of dashboard is novel and a representation of the future. The inner space is vast and can efficiently accommodate five occupants.

Engine:

The petrol car is inserted with 1.2 litre Revotron engine with 1193cc displacement power; it has 16 valves and 4 cylinders and yields 140Nm and 88.73bhp. The diesel vehicle runs on a 1.3 litre Quadrajet mill with 1238cc displacement power and churns 200Nm and 88.73bhp.

Mileage:

The 1.3 litre diesel Quadrajet engine generates 23kmpl and the 1.2 liter Revotron petrol car gives 15 to 18kmpl.

Price:

It costs Rs 4.7 to 7.1 lakhs

The compact sedan market has become a powerful sector in a short span of time. Honda was the first to elevate the level of rivalry with Amaze, and then came a bunch of launches such as Hyundai Xcent and Tata Zest. Amaze is an instant compact segment wonder, and has been a best seller for months; Honda yet has to face challenges ahead with newcomers such as Tata Zest. Zest is a signature piece; does it have all it takes to overpower Amaze? Let’s find out.

Honda Amaze Anniversary Edition

Exteriors:

Amaze is sedan creativity out of Brio hatchback; the body is well structured and proportionate. Its non Brio originality lies in the flow of crease and roofline design. The rear section has inventively designed tail lights, and the highlight of ingenuity is the chunk of chrome along the boot. Amaze sports a youthful and enthusiastic demeanor and the fashion statement is on par with 21^st century liking.

Zest is termed the most competitive in sub four meter sedan market; on the front is innovative grille architecture. The grille is covered with an interesting meaning and brings out the core value of Tata Motors trust and humanity. The projector headlights filled with super illuminating LED daytime running lights enhance the aesthetic value of the front. The spark sophistication lies in the presence of sharp lines and creases, and the elegance factor is increased via wrap around LED tail lights covered with sparkling chrome.

Tata Zest Side

Interiors:

Amaze is covered with fine interior décor, on par with other Honda Brio; there are tons of Brio characteristics. The features are however at an elevated level, visible on the world class audio system, steering fitted audio controls, vast rear room. The vehicle on the whole offers great comfort and convenience, the only issue is the non foldable rear seats.

The interiors of Zest is truly up market, the quality of ingredients are great, the royal beige and black décor adds character. The three spoke steering is covered with lavish material, the instrument cluster is covered with sprinkles of chrome, and there is a speedometer, RPM and trip meter.

Engine:

Amaze is fitted with an efficient iVTEC 1.2 liter petrol engine that yields 109Nm and 88PS. The same engine is used in Brio, and coupled with five speed automatic transmission. The engine is high on fuel efficiency and offers 15kpl, the diesel car is powered with a fiery i-DTEC 1.5 liter mill that generates 200Nm and 100PS. It generates best-in-class 25.8kmpl mileage.

Zest gathers its energy from turbocharged petrol 1.2 liter MPFi Turbocharged engine. The engine is engineered on an advanced shift-on-fly technology, and moves on three driving modes Sport, City and Economy. The vehicles moves with a phenomenal 1193cc displacement capacity and yields spark 140Nm and 89bhp energy efficiencies.

Zest diesel is inserted with four cylinder 1248cc turbo intercooled four cylinder engine that gives out 200Nm and 89bhp. The engine is manufactured with the advanced five speed F-Tronic AMT technology coupled with Shift Assist Manual. There are two drive modes sport and normal.

Zest runs on an average 24.8kmpl mileage power

Price:

Amaze costs Rs 5 to 7.55 lakhs and Zest is priced at Rs 4.6 to 6.9 lakhs.

Conclusion:

It is really tough to pick the better of the two, Amaze has a superior engine capacity and Zest is built with a better engine punch. Amaze has higher mileage rhythm. Amaze thereby is the better choice of the two.

Honda Amaze was launched last year by the Japanese manufacturer and it received tremendous response. The sedan is based on the Brio hatchback and shares a large number of components with it. This car came in with an all new diesel engine which worked wonders for its sales. The petrol variant shares the engine with the hatchback counterpart like many other components. Now it has been challenged by the latest entry in the segment. This new entrant comes from the Indian manufacturer Tata Motors and is called the Zest. This car was showcased earlier this year at the Auto Expo and comes with quite an impressive list of features.

Honda Amaze Side

The new Zest is a compact sedan that measures less than four meters and targets the buyers upgrading from a hatchback just like most other vehicles in the segment. The other vehicles in this segment facing these two are the Dzire from Maruti Suzuki and Xcent from Hyundai. Tata has worked really hard on this new product and it does show. It comes at a very competitive price and offers a lot of features for the price. We took a closer look at how the Tata Zest fares up against the Honda Amaze.

The Zest comes with a fresh design although there are some elements that they have retained to keep the character. The front gets projector lamps and daytime running lamps. While the design is nice, it looks more like a notchback rather than a proper sedan. One the other hand, the Amaze, despite being based on a hatchback, looks more like a proper sedan. The side profile of Amaze has got a nice waistline slanting nicely towards the front. But the Zest comes with stylish wheel and a really nice set of tail lamps which definitely looks nice.

Tata Zest Side

Inside the Zest doesn’t feel like a Tata at all. It has got a dual tone dashboard and very thoughtfully laid out dashboard. The fit and finish is at par with rivals. It easily makes the insides of Amaze look boring. While it is a new dashboard with touchscreen infotainment made by Harman and automatic climate control, they have carried some controls from older models which feel out of place. The Honda Amaze gets a simple dashboard which is the same as on Brio. While it looks simple, the fit and finish is typically Honda.

The Honda Amaze comes with impressive engines. The diesel engine is the 1.5 litre i-DTEC engine which generates a peak power of 100 bhp. It pulls strongly from low rpms and offers excellent fuel efficiency. However it isn’t very quiet and the noise makes it to the cabin. The diesel engine on Zest is the popular Quadrajet diesel engine in its 90 bhp avatar (75 bhp on lowest trim). It also comes with an optional AMT on the XMA trim. The petrol engines of both the cars offer almost the same amount of peak power but the Zest has got a turbocharged engine which gives it better low end torque. It also offers different driving modes which allow the driver to switch ECU maps on the go. Zest is definitely a worthy competition to the Amaze and makes a lot of sense if you are looking for an automatic option.

The Indian auto market is fuming with intense competition, the competition in mid sedan market has intensified like never before. It is not a majorly dominant sector; there is so much rivalry between few products. Honda conquered the cost-effective mid sedan segment with Amaze launched in the beginning of 2013. It has been just over a year and the company has sold one lakh Amaze vehicles.

Honda Amaze Anniversary Edition

Tata Motors has analysed the battle harshness of mid sedan vehicle sector, and has recently launched Zest. It is eye catchy at first sight; let’s see how it fares against Amaze.

Exteriors:

Amaze is awe-inspiring at first sight, developed on Brio platform, the front portion is distinctively styled, and the layout of front bonnet looks classy and offers a perfect aerodynamic effect. The front grille is innovatively styled and the headlights are moulded into neat embossed structures. The side view is classy; the dimension of windows is elegant and offers enhanced visibility. The tail lights look attractive, the elegance of Amaze is characterised by neat flow of lines.

Zest looks stylish to the core, layered with a new design language; the style statement is so magnificent that reports say it is the most attractive mid size sedan in town. The front segment looks classy characterised by inventively styled headlights filled with potent lights and turn indicator. The radiator grille sports a unique design unlike any other Tata model in the market. The style flow of front bumper is new and unusual. The loaded XT car has arty LED daytime running light. The back of Zest is magnificently stylish with imaginatively styled tail lights; the boot has solid chrome treatment. The vehicle is on the whole an aesthetic piece.

Tata Zest

Interiors:

The insides of Amaze looks elegant covered in a characteristic beige and black colour theme. The design of dashboard is simple yet elegant; the air con unit is robust. The speakers are positioned in a corner where sound can effectively penetrate. The cabin room is vastly spacious to easily accommodate five occupants and there is more than sufficient head and knee room. For optimum convenience there is a cup holder and arm rest.

Zest has an interesting colour theme that is so vibrant and one of a kind stuffed with classic Java black and posh Latte layer. There are bits of glossy chrome here and there. The cockpit looks classy and dashboard is luxury design re-defined and on it is sparkling brushed metallic inserts that makes the vehicle look superlative premium. There is a robust air con unit, strategically positioned switches and huge globe box. The seating arrangement is 2+3 type sufficient for five occupants, the fabric quality is world class and the head restraints make occupants feel width and breadth of comfort. The rear seats have 60:40 split folding capacity.

Mileage:

Amaze diesel offers best-in-segment mileage of 25.8kmpl and petrol vehicle gives 18kmpl. Zest diesel comes with mileage of 23kmpl and petrol vehicle produces 15kmpl.

Price:

Amaze costs Rs 5.1 to 8.2 lakhs and Zest is priced at Rs 4.6 to 7.1 lakhs. Amaze and Zest has appearance impact to attract a crowd, Zest has a better interior décor and Amaze offers superior mileage power.

The super popular compact sedan market is growing very fast and many car makers are taking out their new compact sedan representatives in India. Honda cars India started its great success in India with the launch of the Amaze which turned out to be an amazing game changer for the company. The Indian car major, Tata Motors is soon going to launch is new compact sedan Zest, and become the country’s first car manufacturer to have two sub-4 meter sedans in its product portfolio. Let us consider these two compact sedans.

Honda Amaze Anniversary Edition

Post its launch in India, the Tata Zest will be the first car in class to offer many features such as projector headlights, LED DRLs, climate control, power adjustable outside mirrors, all 4 power windows, height adjustable driver seat, touch screen infotainment system with Bluetooth capabilities, parking sensors and 16 inch alloy wheels. The Tata Zest will also be first sub-4 meter sedan to get an Automated Manual Transmission and debut Tata’s all new F-Tronic 5 speed gearbox which will give the car an edge over the others technologically.

The Zest will also offer any premium features like the new Hyundai Xcent that will make it a very good value for money car. The new Zest will also come with great impressive styling if not innovative styling. On the other hand, there is the Honda Amaze, which is a highly popular compact sedan giving the segment leader the Maruti Dzire tough competition.

Tata Zest

The Honda Amaze comes with Honda’s great styling and smart seating arrangement with good features such as all 4 power windows, A.C, power steering wheel, central locking system as well as music system and good interiors which though not of very premium quality, is practical enough. In terms of safety features, the Honda Amaze tops the segment with standard ABS and dual front airbags which would also be probably be offered in the Zest. Most importantly, the Honda Amaze is the best fuel efficient car in the segment with a whopping 25kmpl. When price is concerned, then the Honda Amaze is definitely the most expensive vehicle in the segment with its price range starting at Rs. 5.04 lakhs for its base model, which goes up to Rs. 7.54 lakhs for the top end model trim. However, the Amaze is definitely competitively priced being a Honda car.

Tata Motors has not yet announced the prices for the Zest as yet, but it is expected to be priced very aggressively in order to beat market competition and has an expected starting price tag of about Rs. 4.7 to 4.8 lakhs. All car models in the compact sedan segment are priced competitively and these all offer great power, space, looks and features which makes them superior choices over the compact hatchback models. As the Indian car market gets more matured, the rise of the compact sedans will become more evident. Currently, the likes of the Tata Zest remains to be highly awaited, while the Dzire, Xcent and the Amaze continue to get great demands.