The Amaze’s petrol version was unveiled in Thailand earlier today and its diesel version will be powered by an all-aluminum 1,500 cc engine. With a length of less than 4 meters, the Honda Amaze will benefit from having lower excise duty of 12 percent by being in the category of small cars as opposed to 24 percent for the bigger cars. Now, Honda hasn’t as yet shed any light on the pricing of this car, but we expect it to be under Rs. 7 lakhs. The Amaze will be developed on the same platform as the Honda Brio and will be manufactured at the company’s Tapukara plant. The same plant will also start building cars eventually. Also in the pipeline is a diesel version of its popular City, which is expected to be out on the streets by the end of next year. You can also expect to see Honda launching a 7-seater multi-utility vehicle, similar to the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga as well as an all-new compact SUV, both powered by the new diesel engine. Honda’s decision to manufacture diesel engines for the Indian markets will help it control costs and cut its dependence on imports which have been proving to be costly due to frequent fluctuations in forex rates.
