Honda Cars India (HCIL) has released teaser sketches of the upcoming third generation model of its small (sub-4m) sedan Amaze. This comes close on the heels of Maruti Suzuki announcing the price of the new model of the Dzire, with which the Amaze competes head-on in the market. Honda is expected to announce prices on December 4.

According to HCIL, “The new sketches reveal a true sedan shape that reflects a higher-class car while remaining in the compact sedan segment. The bold and wide stance of the all new Amaze offers a confident appearance that amplifies the model’s appeal.”

The look is a significant break from that of the second generation car, with the incorporation of a prominent hexagonal grille as opposed to the thinner one of the previous version. The chrome bar across the width too is way more subdued than earlier like in the company’s Elevate SUV and the treatment of the headlamps is similar to those on that model as well. Overall, the focus seems to be on making the car look wider. Also, Honda seems to be developing a family look for its model lineup.

Teaser sketch of the rear view of the third generation Honda Amaze

The rear end too harks to the City, particularly the shape of the tail lamp. Overall it looks super clean. Also, there seems to be a significantly greater rake to the roofline and how it falls to the end of the car with the ‘notch’ of the boot much less distinct. While the actual car is likely to be somewhat different from the sketches, if the latter is any indication, one can expect a smart looking vehicle.

As for the interior, with its two-tone beige-and-black colour scheme it looks more premium than the current one. There are fairly strong similarities with the the interiors of the Elevate as well in layout design. What materials Honda will use is not clear, but we are expecting quality here.

Honda says that the third-gen “Amaze has been designed at Honda R&D Asia Pacific centre in Thailand after extensive surveys in India”.

The carmaker has not given out the specifications of the powertrain yet, but we are expecting it to continue with the same 1.2-litre i-VTEC petrol engine that powers the current Amaze. It produces maximum power of 90hp and maximum torque of 110Nm. Also likely to continue are the five-speed manual as well as the CVT automatic gearboxes.

As for price, those of the outgoing model start around ₹7.20 lakh at the showroom in Calcutta. With Maruti Suzuki announcing the entry level model of the Dzire at ₹6.79 lakh, Honda will have to keep the prices of the Amaze competitive.