Out of the new Honda Amaze and Maruti Suzuki Dzire, which subcompact sedan delivers greater fuel efficiency in real-world conditions? We find out.
The Honda Amaze and Maruti Suzuki Dzire are two of the latest subcompact sedans on sale in India. Not only do they offer three-box form factors within the tax-light sub-4-metre bracket, but they also promise reliable and frugal motoring experiences. We’ve already tested the real-world performance of the Amaze and Dzire, but what about their fuel efficiency?
- Amaze packs a 4-cylinder engine and develops 90hp and 110Nm
- Dzire weighs less and has one less cylinder but a higher torque figure
Honda Amaze vs Maruti Dzire price and specifications
| Honda Amaze vs Maruti Suzuki Dzire price and specs | ||
|---|---|---|
| Amaze | Dzire | |
| Engine | 4 cyl, naturally aspirated petrol | 3 cyl, naturally aspirated petrol |
| Displacement (cc) | 1,199 | 1,197 |
| Power (hp) | 90 | 82 |
| Torque (Nm) | 110 | 112 |
| Transmission | CVT | 5-speed AMT |
| Kerb weight (kg) | 986 | 960 |
| Price (Rs, ex-showroom) | 11.20 lakh | 10.19 lakh |
Both sedans come with 1.2-litre petrol engines, but the key differentiator is the cylinder count. The Dzire’s mill has three cylinders, while the Amaze’s unit has one more. To that end, the Amaze’s 90hp output trumps the Dzire’s 82hp, but interestingly, the Maruti Suzuki sedan develops 2Nm more torque.
The Amaze and Dzire offer manual and automatic transmission options, but for this real-world efficiency test, we’ve gone with the latter. Honda equips the Amaze with a CVT, whereas the Dzire comes with a 5-speed AMT. In these configurations, the Dzire is 26kg lighter than the Amaze.
Honda Amaze vs Maruti Dzire real world efficiency test result
Amaze petrol CVT mileage is 13.28kpl
The Amaze 1.2-litre petrol CVT averages 13.28kpl.
Our real-world testing found that the Amaze returned 9.94kpl in urban conditions, and out on the highway, the Honda sedan managed to squeeze 16.62km out of one litre of petrol. This makes for a 13.28kpl average for the Amaze, which is 6.18kpl lower than its ARAI-claimed fuel efficiency of 19.46kpl.
Dzire petrol AMT mileage is 15.41kpl
The Dzire 1.2-litre petrol AMT averages 15.41kpl.
The Dzire performed much better in our real-world fuel-efficiency testing, with its three-cylinder engine and 5-speed AMT gearbox yielding 11.61kpl in the city and 19.22kpl on the highway. These figures mean an average of 15.41kpl, which falls short of its 25.71kpl ARAI-claimed fuel efficiency by 10.3kpl.
Dzire is more fuel efficient than Amaze
The results clearly show that on the real-world fuel-efficiency front, the Dzire outpaces the Amaze across the board. However, the Amaze better adheres to its ARAI-claimed efficiency figures.
Notably, neither car gets an Eco mode; the Dzire has an automatic engine stop-start feature to check fuel consumption while idling. However, in extreme 45-degree heat, this feature struggled due to the air conditioning’s higher fan speed requirements to maintain the preset 22 degrees Celsius cabin temperature in full-auto mode. In contrast, the Amaze maintained cabin temperature effectively with a lower fan speed.
Autocar India’s fuel efficiency testing
Before our real-world fuel-efficiency tests, we fill our test cars’ tanks to the brim and maintain tyre pressures based on the manufacturer’s recommendation. These cars are driven in fixed city and highway loops in and around Navi Mumbai, and we maintain certain average speeds. Throughout the tests, there is only one person in each car, running the aircon and other electricals, such as the audio system, indicators and wipers, when required, just like a regular user would. Periodic driver swaps further neutralise variations in driver patterns. At the end of each cycle, we calculate efficiency by filling the tanks to full again.
Also see:
Maruti Dzire vs Honda Amaze: Which is the new compact sedan for you?
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