Five states, a dozen national highways and 2,000 kilometres later, I found myself immersed in Kolkata's festive fervour around Durga Puja. Happy Vijaya Dashami to all! The new Honda Amaze, which has been my daily driver for the last few weeks, experienced it all - colours, pandals, muck, crowd and joy. The return journey to Delhi awaits. I take a moment to deliberate on the family sedan and its fuel efficiency under various conditions.
Honda Amaze Highway Fuel Economy And Experience:
The biggest upgrade to the Amaze facelift has been the level-1 ADAS (autonomous driving assistance system). The adaptive cruise control in particular is on point for highway travel. I had the 1.2-litre, naturally-aspirated petrol engine with CVT gearbox combination. Unless driven with a heavy foot, the rubber band effect and noise are well controlled. Cruising at 80-90 kmph on the highways, the Amaze returned 18.2 kmpl in over 1,500 kilometres.
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Honda Amaze City Fuel Economy And Experience:
Durga Puja celebrations in Kolkata drown the city of joy in frenzy. People flock to the streets. The city is illuminated at night with scores of fancy street lights. Food vendors have delectable cuisines to offer and people enjoy the food while hopping from pandals until late at night. Long queues don't deter the spirits. I braved the Honda Amaze through the busy traffic, visiting one pandal at a time.
Amaze felt compact to filter through the slow-moving crossroads. The front collision avoidance brakes had been kept on pause due to the haphazard nature of passerbys. The intermittent rain was a spoilsport. A healthy ground clearance of 172 mm meant the Amaze could be driven confidently over bumps and potholes without worrying much about them.
Over the four days of Durga Puja, Honda Amaze and I saw dozens of pandals in utmost comfort. Ferrying festive gifts for relatives was equally seamless, thanks to 416 litres of boot space. In peak traffic, the Honda Amaze returned a fuel economy of 11.6 kmpl.