Maruti Suzuki Dzire Vs Honda Amaze; Which Is The Better Family Sedan?

This battle has been long in the making. The Honda Amaze and the Maruti Suzuki Dzire have been fierce rivals, targeting the same audience base and the same kind of customer base. These are among the two most popular compact sedans sold in the country, and they also prove to be worthy options for people upgrading to their first big car.

We have tested the Dzire and Amaze with luggage and multiple people on-board, and we are going to dive into the details of both cars. However, first make sure to join the 91wheels WhatsApp Community to keep up with the latest news and automotive updates.

Also read: Driving Tips for Beginners: How To Build Strong Skills For Indian Roads

Maruti Suzuki Dzire Vs Honda Amaze; The Plan

The plan with both cars was to load their boots up. The Dzire comes with a 382-litre boot, and in it went two suitcases, two night strollers, and two shoulder bags. There was also space for some small stuff on either sides of the boot. Meanwhile, the Amaze comes with a larger boot of 416 litres, which swallowed a full-size suitcase, a lightbox, a night stroller, a backpack, another small bag containing the Tata Tiago EV's portable charging setup, another backpack, a gimbal box, a large GoPro pouch, and a sling bag.

A closer look revealed something; the Amaze's boot comes with some sort of insulation, which is a welcome addition. The reason we mention this is because the Dzire's boot does not get any insulation, and that makes the car feel like it is built to a cost; not something buyers would like to see when upgrading to their first big car.

Maruti Suzuki Dzire Vs Honda Amaze; Design

This is going to be a subjective matter, so here it all depends on the taste of the customer. Both cars received a facelift last year. The Dzire comes with a more squared-off look at the front, and it also gets sleek headlights along with a large grille treatment with horizontal slats. The profile remains familiar, with 14 and 15-inch wheel options, depending on the variant. The tailgate receives a mild redesign and the Y-shaped tail lights are also completely new.

In comparison, the Amaze looks familiar from the sides, but it comes with a new 15-inch machined-alloy rim. The headlamps are and the grille is a large, airy unit, making the front resemble closely to the Elevate. At the rear, the mildly-redesigned tailgate and the slim tail light treatment makes things familiar to the City.

Maruti Suzuki Dzire Vs Honda Amaze; Interior And Features

If you have been in the Swift, the Dzire's interiors will feel familiar, as it carries over the same layout, but with a dual-tone beige and black treatment. We had the ZXi AGS variant on our hands, which comes with the 9-inch infotainment touch screen, wireless smartphone connectivity, a 360-degree camera, sunroof, cruise control, rear A/C vents, a tyre pressure monitoring system, auto-fold ORVMs and other connected car features among many things.

The new Amaze also carries over the same layout from the Elevate, and it comes with an 8-inch HD touch screen right from the base-spec V variant onwards. Additionally, it also gets wired and wireless smartphone connectivity, voice commands, follow-me headlamps, hill-hold control, a four-speaker surround sound system, paddle shifters for automatic variants, a 7-inch digi-analogue instrument cluster, power-adjustable ORVMs, and an air purifier. It is also the only car in its segment to come equipped with Level 2 ADAS.

Maruti Suzuki Dzire Vs Honda Amaze; The Ride Experience

Let's begin with the Dzire. Compared to the Amaze, it is the Dzire that feels like the more refined, more comfortable car. The NVH levels are better here, the rear bench feels more plush, comfortable, and it gets a good recline angle as well. In comparison, the Amaze's bench could have come with better bolstering, as it just feels too firm otherwise. Both cars offer good under-thigh support, but the Dzire's bench just feels more comfortable than the Dzire's due to its plushness.

The suspension on the Dzire gobbles up road imperfections well enough, and does not transfer much into the cabin. The ride quality, be it in the city or on the highway, feels decent as well, with only really higher speeds making things floaty otherwise. Normal breakers too do not cause any issues either, even with a boot full of luggage and four people on board.

Meanwhile, the Amaze too doesn't show any issues of bottoming out despite a full load of luggage and passengers. The suspension here also works beautifully, absorbing bumps well enough. However, in comparison to the Dzire, you will be aware of things underneath the car, and the hard bolstering on the seats further takes away some more points.

Maruti Suzuki Dzire Vs Honda Amaze; Powertrain And Performance

The Dzire derives its powertrain from the Swift; a 1.2-litre, three-cylinder mill, paired to either a 5-speed manual or an AMT, producing 80.8bhp and 111.7Nm of torque. We had the ZXi AGS on our hands. The Dzire has a lighter steering wheel, and especially in this automatic guise, it does not require much effort to drive. The engine and the transmission respond best when driven with a sane foot. Leaning towards efficiency, it won't fly off the line in terms of acceleration. The gearbox hates being hustled and shifts will feel further delayed when you try and push it hard.

The Amaze continues with the 1.2-litre, four-cylinder mill, paired to either a 5-speed manual or a CVT, producing 88.5bhp and 110Nm of torque. We had the top-end ZX CVT with us. The steering wheel on the Amaze feels heavier, and it will require a bit more effort in terms of driveability, which may not be appreciated by regular daily drivers. Much like the Dzire, the Amaze also leans more towards efficiency, and the power delivery feels relaxed. Hard acceleration will make things louder in the cabin, and the Amaze's cabin has more noise coming in when compared to the Dzire.

Also read: Nissan Magnite N-Connecta Vs Honda Amaze V; Compact Sedan Or Compact SUV?