Honda Amaze CNG spied ahead of launch; will rival Maruti Dzire CNG

Honda Cars India recently launched the facelift of the Amaze. The Japanese manufacturer is now working on the CNG version of the Amaze. The new variant of the compact sedan was recently spotted testing without any camouflage.

We can see that there are no cosmetic changes to the Amaze CNG. There is an “ON TEST” sticker on the front windshield and rear glass. There is also an emission testing kit fitted to the back of the Amaze. We expect that Amaze CNG will launch in the upcoming months.

It seems like the variant on the test is the mid-spec S variant. It is unlikely that Honda will offer the CNG with the top-end variant and we do not know whether the base variant will come with CNG or not. Usually, the manufacturers only offer the CNG variant with the mid-spec variant.

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The Amaze CNG would come with a petrol engine. It would be the same 1.2-litre naturally aspirated, four-cylinder unit. It produces 90 PS of max power and 110 Nm of peak torque. However, while running on CNG, the power and torque output will decrease.

Honda offers the Amaze with a 5-speed manual gearbox or a CVT automatic transmission. The CNG variants will only be offered with a manual gearbox. The Amaze is the only compact sedan in the segment that is offered with a proper automatic gearbox. The rest of the competitors are offered with an AMT gearbox. Also, Amaze is the only compact sedan that comes with a CVT transmission mated to a diesel engine.

The diesel engine is a 1.5-litre unit that is shared with the Honda City. It produces 100 PS of max power and 200 Nm of peak torque. However, when you get the CVT gearbox, the power is reduced to 80 PS and the torque output is restricted to 160 Nm. Having said that, people who have opted for this combination share that they do not feel the lack of power.

Prices 

The prices of Amaze starts at Rs. 6.32 lakhs ex-showroom and goes up to Rs. 11.15 lakhs ex-showroom. The prices of the Amaze CNG should start around Rs. 7.5 lakhs ex-showroom if it is based on the mid-spec variant.

The Amaze CNG will be competing against the Maruti Suzuki Dzire CNG and Tata Tigor CNG. Both the vehicles have been spied while they were on test on our roads.

People considering CNG vehicles 

Prices of petrol and diesel have increased significantly in the past few years. People are now considering alternative fuel options seriously. They still have their doubts about electric vehicles because they are expensive, have a limited driving range and the charging infrastructure in India is just not ready. This is where CNG vehicles make a lot of sense. CNG stations are available now in most of the cities and even on highways. Even if you run out of CNG, your car can run on petrol and finding a petrol pump is not an issue. Also, CNG vehicles deliver more fuel-efficient than petrol engines.

Via Gaadiwaadi

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