Hyundai Aura vs Maruti Suzuki Dzire vs Honda Amaze
Hyundai is ready to take another stab at the popular compact sedan segment replacing the Xcent with the brand new Aura. But in this three-way battle for supremacy, the question has to be asked - is the Aura desirable and amazing enough?
Maruti Suzuki and Honda currently dominate the compact sedan space with the Dzire and the Amaze respectively. While Hyundai has been present in the segment for close to six years with the Xcent, it never quite managed to challenge the top two quite like the way it hoped. The company is now back for round two with the Grand i10 Nios based Aura. Compared to the Xcent, the Aura boasts improvements across the board and we find out if Hyundai has done enough to fight for compact sedan supremacy.
EXTERIORS
Compact sedans have come a long way from their early days of hatchbacks with hip enlargement surgery to more coherent, three box designs. Both the Maruti Suzuki Dzire and the Honda Amaze are among the better looking compact sedans on sale currently. While the Dzire boasts smooth, flowing lines, the Amaze is a stark contrast with its sharp cuts and creases. Up front, the Dzire features large swept back headlamps and while the ZXi variant we used for photography purposes has halogen bulbs, the top-of-the-line
MARUTI SUZUKI AND HONDA CURRENTLY DOMINATE THE COMPACT SEDAN SPACE WITH THE DZIRE AND AMAZE
AURA LOSES OUT SLIGHTLY IN TERMS OF FEELING OF SPACE. WHILE HEADROOM AND KNEE ROOM IN THE BACK ARE SATISFACTORY,
THE CABIN IS NARROWER THAN THE DZIRE AND AMAZE
1. Aura’s dashboard is the sportiest of the lot with red highlights around the vents and rotary aircon knobs. 2. Black and beige treatment for the Dzire with faux wood inserts. 3. The touchscreen in the Amaze and the gearknob feel dated the-line ZXi+ variant gets a more premium setup with LED projector headlamps and LED DRLs. While it is based on the Swift, Maruti Suzuki designers have done well to differentiate the front end of the Dzire from its hatchback sibling. Like we mentioned earlier, the boot has been integrated into what was essentially a hatchback which goes quite well and doesn’t look forced by any measure. When the Amaze first arrived, the styling polarized opinions, but over time, it has grown on us. The upright nose and the headlamps with its darker element add aggression to the front end.
Unlike the Dzire and the Amaze, when it comes to the Aura, Hyundai has persisted with the older approach of sticking a boot to the back of a hatchback, the Grand i10 Nios in this case, and has done a better job than at least the Xcent. On their own, the nose with its aggressive headlamps, large grille and boomerang LED DRLs, and the rear with those intricately styled LED tail lamps, look quite nice but their marriage leaves a lot to be desired. The Aura looks awkward from certain angles, especially Cpillar onwards. When viewed from the side it just looks like a bloated Grand i10 Nios and doesn’t quite have the same pleasing three-box profile of the Dzire and Amaze. There are certain styling touches we really like. The nose with its massive grille and boomerang shaped LED DRLs looks quite sporty and so do the two-tone 15-inch alloy wheels. However, all said and done, looks
are a matter of personal taste and we’ll leave it to the buyer to decide which of these three he/she fancies the most.
INTERIORS & FEATURES
The Dzire’s cabin has an air of warmth about it thanks to the generous use of beige trim. The dashboard features a mix of black and beige with a generous helping of faux wood trim thrown into the mix. In terms of space, the Dzire is amongst the best in the segment with ample headroom and knee room and class leading shoulder room in the back. Features wise, all the essentials are present including a touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support, automatic climate control, rear AC vents, keyless entry and push button start and more. However, it does miss out on cruise control. Much like the Dzire, the Amaze too boasts a spacious cabin and has better knee room. The front seats, though, are the least comfortable of the lot with the shorter seat squab. The rear seats are relatively nicer but occupants here miss out on aircon vents. The dashboard gets an all-black treatment.
In terms of seating position and outside visibility, the Amaze is the best one here. While it has a touchscreen on offer, it looks and feels a generation older, although that is
a very minor negative. Plus, it is the only one here to offer cruise control. The Aura’s cabin greets you with an air of sportiness but that is specific to the 1.0-litre Turbo SX+ variant we have on test. Quality in general is great and the high mounted touchscreen, which is the biggest one here, and the dashboard inserts give it a touch of modernity. No cruise control on offer but it is the only car here to feature wireless charging for phones. Where it loses out slightly is in terms of feeling of space. While headroom and knee room in the back are satisfactory, the cabin is narrower than the Dzire and Amaze and that makes it cramped for three seated abreast. Also, this variant misses out on cruise control that is reserved only for the 1.2-litre petrol SX(O) grade. And, there is no external boot release. One has to either use the key or the internal boot release switch.
WITH 99BHP AND 172NM OF TORQUE ON OFFER, THE HYUNDAI AURA IS THE QUICKEST OF THE LOT AND THAT TOO BY A SIZEABLE MARGIN
UNDER THE HOOD
Powering the Maruti Suzuki Dzire is the all too familiar 1.2-litre K-Series petrol motor that churns out 82bhp and 113Nm. It pairs with a 5-speed manual transmission and buyers have the choice of opting for a 5-speed AMT as well. Refinement levels are impressive with barely any noise and vibrations filtering into the cabin at legal speeds and city friendly RPMs. It may have the lowest power output of the three, but gearshifts are smooth and the gearbox itself doesn’t need to be worked all that much to get the best out of the engine. The same however, can’t be said for the Amaze’s 1.2-litre petrol with 89bhp and 110Nm, as the low and mid range are weaker comparatively. You’ll need to keep it above 4,000rpm to extract the best out of it. It also isn’t as fuel efficient as the Dzire and the clutch is heavier as well and has a high bite point which takes some time getting uses to. Although keeping regular urban use in mind, there aren’t any reasons to complain. The power unit feels very refined on the go and up shifts are smooth and trouble free. However, our test car’s gearbox seemed to show a little resistance when trying to downshift especially to first and second gears requiring a firmer hand to move the gear stick. An automatic variant which pairs the 1.2-litre petrol unit
with a CVT is available as well. When it comes to power and torque figures and performance, it’s the Aura’s 1.0-litre turbocharged mill that bests the Dzire and Amaze. With 99bhp and 172Nm on tap, it is the quickest of the lot and the points gained in this department help the Aura edge ahead of its rivals. In gear acceleration is considerably quicker. The Aura is the one to pick if you’re going to be indulging in enthusiastic driving. The only negative here is that it doesn’t feel as quiet or refined as the Dzire and Amaze’s 4-cylinder mills with the 3-cylinder’s inherent unbalanced nature leading to vibrations filtering in at idle. The clutch is heavier to operate than the Dzire’s. The 5-speed manual is the only transmission option on offer with the 1.0-litre engine. Hyundai also offers the Aura with a 1.2-litre naturally aspirated motor paired with either a 5-speed manual or a 5-speed AMT.
RIDE AND HANDLING
At city speeds, which is more relevant to all these sedans we have on test, the Amaze with its softer suspension setup feels the most comfortable. It soaks up bumps rather well making the ride comfortable for front and rear seat occupants. At higher speeds though, it has a tendency to wallow over undulations and feels a tad nervous through corners at speed. And sharper bumps tend