The new Honda Brio revealed

The Japanese carmaker that is still the benchmark in affordable luxury in India, burnt its hands with its first small car Jazz two years ago. But it is back, with a smaller, meaner and more importantly a cheaper product, what would be its second small car-the Brio. To be launched on September 27, India would only be the second market for the car but pose the biggest challenge in its global run.

We don’t know the pricing of the car yet, neither do we know how many variants it will have (my guess is 3). So lets broadly look at what we know about the car.

Exteriors
Honda cars have a way of appearing small than what they actually are but even then the Brio is a really really small car….and looks even more so. Among its competitors (wift, Polo, Liva and i20) it is by far the shortest has the least width and is taller than only the Polo.

Headlamp and grille
All the elements also point towards how small the car is. It has a short chrome grille with the honda logo emblazoned on it takes up almost the entire space and even the almond shaped headlamps are large in context but small in comparison.

Tail lamps
This is a sort of a neglected area in small cars almost as if manufacturers get bored by the time they make it to the back. Which is ironic, because these are small cars after all and hence there is less real estate to design.

The Brio’s tail lamps however, are one of its more striking features. The traingular cluster fits in neatly at the rear corner of the car. It gels so well with the car that if it would not glow, you may even miss its presence.

Boot lid
Which brings us to the boot lid, which I am sure would be a talking point. The Brio does not have a conventional boot lid and its hatch is comprised of just the large glass that goes all the way up. As such the frame is high which is not quite a good thing for loading-unloading, but the unconventional lid sure gives the car a character.

Alloys
We know for a fact that the car will not get alloys as standard but the ones that are there on the top end variants are pretty basic to look at. Surely, the Swift’s alloys have set the benchmark here.

Interiors
The dash board and the instrument cluster are basic and minimalist but it not a design harakiri on the lines of the Liva. The puritans may be repelled by the evident cost cutting measures employed here, but it still is very functional. It has a two tone black and white instrument panel and no bluetooth. But the 2 din music system offers USB connectivity.

There is enough space for knick knacks and 4 bottle holders that can hold full size bottles. The glovebox however is small and lacks a chiller (unlike Liva).

Rear leg room
Space at the back is very good for 2 adults despite its small dimensions. What helps is that enough attention is paid to the ease of entry and exit at the back. The rear doors are unnaturally small compared to the front, but it does not hamper movement that much.

Engine
The most powerful in its class. The 1.2 litre Ivtec engine is the same that powers the much bigger Jazz. It belts out 88 bhp with a corresponding torque of 109 NM. Considering that the car is small and also light, this is a very compelling powertrain.

Boot space
At 175 litres, Brio’s achilles heel. Honda hopes India would quit its bad habit of travelling heavy and young families will take a liking to its other facets. The high loading position mentioned above also means accesing that boot is not an easy exercise. Not a disappointment that way, but a little more space would not hurt.

Fuel economy
Its small, its light, and it has a big heart, surely its frugal too. In Thailand which is Brio’s first market, it is sold as an eco car that means it boasts of an economy of 20 kmpl. In India the engine is retuned sliglhltly to make it more revv happy and hence economy is slightly lower at 18.4 kmpl. It is lower than the new Swift but not by much.

Verdict
Jury is out now, and the judgement is awaited. My hunch is, prices would start at Rs 3.99 lakh or maybe even lower. The top end with ABS and airbags should come at around 4.6 lakh ex showroom. Anything more, and I would root for the Jazz instead. Now that it costs only Rs 5.5 lakh (ex shopwroom with airbags, ABS) I already am.