Codenamed the 2CV, Honda’s small car project has been known as the redeemer for the Japanese car maker, whose market share is currently nothing to write home about in one of the fastest growing car markets of the world. The Honda Brio, which was just unveiled to the world at the 2010 Bangkok Motor Show looks muscular and sporty, a welcome departure indeed from the bland and insipid looking fare dished out in the form of the Toyota Etios Vilo Hatchback, if we may add. Having learnt from the Jazz’s debacle in India, Honda SIEL in all probablity will peg the Brio at very competitive price of under INR 5 lakh for the base variants. The car could feature the 1,200cc i-vtec petrol engine from the Honda Jazz on the top end variant as well as a smaller three cylinder derivative of the same engine displacing about 900cc.
Honda Brio Small Car
The Brio, which will also feature ABS and airbags to have a decent set of features is a very crucial launch for Honda, which could make or break it’s fortunes in the ultra competitive Indian small car market. Honda knows this better than anyone else as the Indian car buying public have clearly demonstrated that the mere Honda badge cannot guarantee Honda sales as value for money is one factor that the Indian small car market is hyper sensitive about. Keeping this in mind, we hope that the Honda Brio,which will be made at Honda’s Noida plant will sell for a very competitive price and will also come loaded with some cutting edge features with a responsive engine as Honda needs all this and then some more, to succeed in a market to which it is one if the late entrants.
This is the Honda BRIO prototype, which is the near production version of the company’s New Small Concept that was shown earlier this year in India. It is an A-segment vehicle that’s one class smaller than the Jazz and City. Rivals will include the Suzuki Alto, Hyundai i10 and Kia Picanto, among other small cars.
The BRIO measures 3,610 mm long, 1,680 mm wide and 1,475 mm tall. That’s 45 mm longer, 85 mm wider, but 65 mm lower than a Hyundai i10. Honda did not reveal what the wheelbase is, or what engine powers the BRIO, though we’re guessing a 1.2L SOHC engine from the same family as the one in the Jazz/City. Honda needs it to achieve an average fuel consumption of less than 5 litres per 100 km (or 20 km/l) on the ECE R101 mode measurement cycle to meet Thai eco car requirements.
Thai production will begin in March 2011. India will start making the Brio in 2011 as well, with 80% local content. Although the BRIO was designed primarily for the Thai and Indian market, Honda is considering export from Thailand to the region around it, so there’s a possibility that Honda Malaysia could take up this model as an entry level to the range, something like “my first Honda”.
In Thailand, Honda targets to sell the BRIO at a starting price of approximately 400,000 baht, which is the same price as a Proton Savvy thanks to the tax breaks it gets from the Thai eco car plan, while in India the car is supposed to go 500,000 rupees onwards. How much will you pay for a BRIO in Malaysia?
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