Honda’s entry-level offering in India, the Amaze subcompact sedan, was included in the latest round of Global NCAP’s #SaferCarsForIndia crash tests, where it secured a two-star rating. The Amaze, which is the brand’s only car with a sub-Rs 10 lakh price in India, was previously tested by Global NCAP in 2019, in Africa-spec, and it had then secured a four-star rating. However, that test was conducted under the older protocol, and Global NCAP has since updated its testing requirements, which are now more stringent. This is also the lowest Global NCAP test rating for a made-in-India Honda car since the base Mobilio MPV was given a 0-star rating back in 2016.
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On the adult occupant protection front, the Amaze managed to score 27.85 points out of a total 34, losing ground mainly because of the absence of side or curtain airbags, which meant Global NCAP could not conduct a side pole impact test. In the frontal offset impact test, Global NCAP noted the Amaze offered good protection for the driver and front passenger’s head, neck and tibias, with adequate protection for the chest and marginal protection for the knees. The footwell area was deemed stable, as was the body shell, which Global NCAP says can withstand further load.
In the side impact test, protection for the head and pelvis was rated good, abdomen protection deemed adequate and chest protection rated marginal. However, the absence of electronic stability control (ESC) was yet another reason for the Amaze to lose out on points, as was the presence of a seat belt reminder system only for the driver. Interestingly, Honda recently added seat belt reminders for all passengers in the Amaze at the start of April.
More worryingly, the Amaze registered a dismal score for child occupant protection, with just 8.58 points secured out of a total 49, resulting in a zero-star rating. In its report, Global NCAP explains that the child seat for the 3 year old dummy – installed forward-facing using the ISOFIX anchorages and top tether – was able to prevent excessive head excursion during the frontal impact, but the dummy’s head came in contact with interior of the car. The child seat for the 18 month old dummy – installed rearward-facing using the adult seatbelt – was not able to prevent ejection risk during the frontal impact, which led to zero dynamic points being awarded to the car.
The report goes on to highlight the fact that the Amaze does not have three-point seat belts for all passengers (recently made standard in the City sedan and Elevate compact SUV), does not provide an option to disable the front passenger airbag in case a rearward-facing child restraint system (CRS) is installed in the front passenger seat, and also mentions the CRS installation failed for the centre position in the rear seat.
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The Amaze provided adequate protection for adult occupants in the side impact test, Global NCAP noted.
In a statement, Honda Cars India Limited (HCIL) attributed the Amaze’s two-star rating mainly to the absence of the side and curtain airbags, as well as ESC, and believes the car’s actual score would be at ‘5-star level’ if not for the absence of these safety features.
“The South Africa-spec second-generation Amaze has already been [rated] 4 stars by GNCAP in 2019. The latest test basis new protocol shows that the total score is of 5 star level. However mainly due to the requirement of certain equipment like electronic stability control and side curtain airbags, it resulted in a lower rating. At Honda, our unwavering commitment to safety is evident in the meticulous engineering of our products, integrating advanced active and passive safety technologies across our entire model range. We are dedicated to continuously work to enhance our vehicles on all parameters of safety and improve them further at model change timing”, read the HCIL statement.
The second-generation Amaze has been on sale for more than six years now, having been introduced back in 2018. Presently available in just two trim levels, the Amaze is priced from Rs 7.93 lakh to Rs 9.04 lakh (all prices, ex-showroom).
