Brio-logy

Honda had unveiled the concept version of the Brio at the 2010 Indian Auto Expo. After about a year and a half, the company is now ready to launch the Brio in India. The Brio is Honda’s second hatchback offering and will be placed a segment below the Jazz, which has lately got a facelift and even a price cut of about Rs 1.5 lakh. So the Brio should cost under Rs 5 lakh. But the question is, is the Brio any good? We share our initial impression of this new Honda hatchback.

Highlights:

- The difference between the S and V variants of the Brio include dual-tone interiors, front fog lamps and alloys.

- The Brio will be offered with the same 2 years/40,000km warranty, like the other Honda products.

- The Brio misses out on the rear wiper and defogger on all its variants.

The styling on the Brio is razor-sharp and retains a lot of Honda design cues. It has a prominent chrome front grille, similar to the facelift version of the Jazz. The sharp crease line rises gently towards the rear along with the beltline. The complete glass-hatch at the rear is the main highlights that make the Brio look attractive.

The Brio carries the same flare on the inside as it does on the outside. The overall plastic quality on the Brio is decent but not as expected in a Honda. The Brio’s dashboard is neatly laid out with an in-dash music system with aux-in and USB connectivity for the S and V variants. These systems however do not support CDs. The top-of-the-line variant of the Brio comes loaded with features like steering mounted audio controls, power windows, electrically adjustable ORVMs and i-SRS airbags for the driver and SRS airbag for the co-driver.

The Honda Brio being just 3610mm long, the initial impression is of it being tight on the inside, but once you step in, you won’t be disappointed with the space it offers. The Brio can easily accommodate four large adults without any squeeze. The second row of the Brio though might be tight on headroom for tall people. The seats meanwhile are comfortable with decent thigh support for both rows. The dashboard and the front seats curve in for increased kneeroom for the occupants. The boot meanwhile is just about at par for its segment, at 175 litres. Access to the boot however is poor, since the loading sill is high.

Honda has plonked in the same 1.2-litre i-Vtec engine, that does duty in the Jazz, under the Brio’s bonnet. In the Brio, the engine has been subtly detuned to churn out a slightly lower 88bhp and a maximum torque of 109Nm. It’s also not very rev happy, unlike the unit in the Jazz.

The kerb weight of the car being about 950kg, the Brio has good power-to-weight ratio and should have felt sprightly. But it does not, courtesy a tall gearing that has been used to enhance economy. Even though the power delivery itself is quite linear with the engine displaying strong mid-range.

So while the engine is good for pottering around town, it prevents the Brio from becoming a good vehicle to take on long jaunts. It feels particularly sluggish if the driver short shifts. Nonetheless it did manage to touch a top speed of 150kmph. Meanwhile the gear lever for the 5-speed manual transmission is small and to operate, the shifts are short throw and slick. On the economy front the ARAI test figure for the Brio stands at 18.4kmpl but we will reserve our judgement on that till we have tested its fuel efficiency in the real world.

The Honda Brio is an urban car with a suspension that has been tuned for better ride quality. The suspension soaks up most of the road bumps without affecting the occupants in the car. It goes over potholes and jolts with a muted thud. The ride is smooth and poised, however it does get bumpy on uneven roads if driven at speeds in excess of 80kmph.

The Brio is also a capable handler. Its short wheelbase of 2345mm and a small turning circle radius of 4.5m make it easy to manoeuvre through crowded roads or while tackling twisty sections of roads or even when performing quick direction changes in an emergency.

The electric power steering meanwhile is light, even at low speeds, making driving a breeze and fatigue-free. There isn’t much of steering feel, but the turn in is quick. The brakes on the other hand bite progressively and the pedal feel is also decent.

The Brio is a compact hatchback which offers enough space for four occupants and gets airbags, ABS and alloys in the top-end variant. So, the Brio ticks most of the correct boxes. Honda is yet to announce the price of the Brio, but they have said that it will be priced under Rs 5 lakh. And depending on how well the Brio is priced it may well be the winner that Honda would want it to be.