After the failure of Jazz in Indian market, Japanese automaker Honda is ready with another small car, Brio to be launched in India in September 2011. The car will be priced under Rs. 5 lakh. Honda Jazz fail miserably here, because of its price, so the company is going to be more specific about the price range. The company had unveiled the prototype version Brio in Thailand International Motor Expo, in November 2010.
The company will expand its dealership network to small cities and towns and tie up with state-run and regional banks to ensure Honda Brio does not repeat the failure of Honda Jazz hatchback. This will help boost the sales of the small car which is meant for larger audiences.
Honda Brio is an entry level hatchback that is one class smaller than the Jazz and City. It will compete with Maruti Suzuki Alto, Hyundai i10, 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.
The Brio’s seats have integrated head rests and the interiors have a mild two tone color (all beige though), but we expect Honda to provide a deeper shade variant for the Indian market. The seats are flat, height adjustable and the rear seat has fewer contours so as to accommodate three people comfortably.
Honda did not reveal what the wheelbase is, or what engine powers the Brio, though according to the sources it will have 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.
