The Honda Brio

The Honda Brio will be launched around September 2011 – that’s the latest. So unless you want to wait till then, perhaps you should look at other cars on offer in the marketThe Honda Brio will be launched around September 2011 – that’s the latest. So unless you want to wait till then, perhaps you should look at other cars on offer in the market



Rumours suggest Honda will name its upcoming small car “Brio” which means “funny small car.” Honda had showcased the small car concept, codenamed CV2, at the Delhi Auto Expo 2010 in January.
The Honda Brio could be powered by a three-cylinder 900 cc engine, perhaps a de-tuned version of the 1.2-litre engine that’s on the Honda Jazz, to offer higher fuel economy and to cut down production costs. The Brio may be equipped with a 5-speed manual and an automatic (CVT type) transmission option as well. Honda’s city car boasts a futuristic design with rear door handles fixed to the frame, as on the Chevrolet Beat.
The B-segment car market in India is already flooded with a slew of new entrants. The success of new cars such as the Ford Figo, Chevrolet Beat, Volkswagen Polo and Nissan Micra is encouraging global players like Toyota and Honda to introduce new cars.

 
Toyota, in fact, had showcased a hatchback and sedan variant of its Etios at the Delhi Auto Expo 2010. The Japanese giant is promoting its small car aggressively before its expected launch in December. And Honda is preparing the Brio to counter the Toyota Etios challenge. However, no launch dates have been announced with rumours pointing to a possible launch next year. There are also speculations that Honda will launch the Brio first in Thailand in March 2011 and then roll it out in India during the second half of 2011. This can be backed by the fact that Honda India is still undecided about commencing assembly operations at the company’s second plant in Rajasthan.
It has to be noted that Toyota’s 1.4-litre diesel which performs duty on the Corolla Altis diesel, offering an incredible 21 kmpl (as per ARAI), will also power the Etios. Hence, the Etios with its fuel-efficient diesel mill will pose a big threat to Maruti’s Swift diesel and the Ford Figo diesel. Honda, on the other hand, uses advanced iVTEC petrol engines, which are extremely refined and perform silently thanks to Honda’s top-notch sound-damping materials. This could give the Brio a slight edge over the other small cars such as the Chevrolet Beat, Hyundai i10 and Maruti Swift.
If Honda prices the Brio competitively by localizing parts and reducing production costs, it could gain a further edge over its competitors. The Honda City’s success attests to this fact. The City has been the segment leader in India for almost a decade despite being offered in just a 1.5-litre iVTEC petrol engine option while the competition offers both petrol as well as diesel mills. Honda’s Brio could also pave way for a sedan based on its platform.
The Brio, when launched, is expected to be priced around Rs. 5 lakh, making it one of the cheapest Honda cars in the country.

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