The Honda Brio has been around for a while now. Five years to be precise. Admittedly, it had lost its sheen a bit, but now Honda Cars India Ltd (HCIL) has launched the new Honda Brio with certain aesthetic enhancements and interior upgrades. The prices of new Honda Brio (ex showroom Delhi) are:
Petrol:
E MT 469,000
S MT 520,000
VX MT 595,000
VX AT 681,600
Let’s revisit the Brio and find out how the changes have panned out:
2016 Honda Brio Exterior
Changes to the front include a new grille that’s lifted from the Amaze, except in case of the Brio, it’s swathed in gloss black with a tracing of chrome. The new front bumper’s Amaze material too, with bigger mesh filled intakes and oval fog lamps. The sides continue unchanged, while the tail lamps get new covers that are barely decipherable. The unique, open able glass rear window is now topped off by an aggressive spoiler.
2016 Honda Brio Interior
Inside, the biggest update comes in the form of the new dashboard that’s exactly the one found inside the face-lifted Amaze and the new BR-V. With its edgy design, rectangular air vents, along with the faux carbon and dull silver finished accents, the new dashboard makes the Brio’s interiors feel distinctly up market. The Brio is now available with beige interiors, while the top variant gets all-black interiors.
The new instrument cluster is a sea of black; but is clear and legible. The three clusters are rimmed in blue and get white illumination, which looks pleasing when the sun goes down. Like inside the face-lifted Amaze and the BR-V, the new Brio’s cabin features several cubby holes on the dashboard, 1-litre bottle holders on the door pads and a couple of cup holders on the floor console.
The piano black accented center console gets an integrated 2-DIN audio system with Bluetooth audio streaming, and radio, apart from USB, Aux-in and smart phone connectivity. Sound quality from the six speakers is average. Below the infotainment system lie the swanky air conditioning controls with a Max Cool Function. The seats get updated fabrics, which round off the changes to the new Brio’s cabin.
2016 Honda Brio Engine and Performance
Under the hood, there are no mechanical changes in the new Honda Brio, which continues to be powered by the 4-cylinder 1.2-litre i-VTEC petrol engine that delivers maximum output of 88 PS @ 6000 rpm and Torque of 109 Nm@ 4500 rpm. The Brio comes with the option of either a 5 speed manual transmission or a 5 speed automatic transmission with fuel efficiency figures of 18.5 km/ l and 16.5 km/l respectively, as per ARAI test data. Like always and unlike the Amaze, there is no diesel engine and CVT option for the Brio.
Once behind the wheel, I got reacquainted with how well the Brio drives. 90-odd, naturally aspirated horses in a package that weighs this side of a ton calls for a fun commute. Like most Honda motors, the small but peppy engine is a smooth operator, but rewards you only in the upper reaches of its power band. And that’s the joy of it. You need to cane it hard to get some good shove, and it loves to be caned, so it’s a win-win for both the car and the smallest vial of adrenaline inside your brain’s closet. The exhaust lets out a subtle snarl as the revs reach the 6k mark, and the joys of affordable, yet fun motoring lights up those dry lips into a grin. Apart from the sweet engine, the Brio’s fun-to-drive appeal is also aided by that slick shifting gearbox, a light clutch and a light-yet-fun steering rack.
2016 Honda Brio Ride and Handling
Also, the Brio is a competent city slicker. Its compact proportions mean that you can point it at any gap you think it will go through in traffic, and just shoot. It’s not the fastest or powerful of cars, so you can have all the fun you want even while pacing through moderately rapid traffic. It handles well too – the steering isn’t the most talkative, and the weak tires squeal, but the as long as you aren’t pushing it, the little Brio is up for some fun and games. I drove the automatic variant too, and for all intents and purposes, the drive-train works just fine. The cogs slot into place with a reasonable amount of smoothness. The best part is the transmission works with you without getting into fits of confusion, and does what is asked to do with sincerity. There are no paddle shifts, but you can put it on D1 or D2 where it will hold onto the gear for longer, but those modes are mostly to be used on inclines.
2016 Honda Brio Verdict
Right then, if you’re looking for a no-frills petrol hatchback that looks cute, the new Honda Brio makes a strong case for itself. It’s fun to drive, reasonably practical, and reasonably fuel efficient. The interiors are now a much better place to be in than before, and the exteriors do look perter post the face-lift. However, in the wake of ever rising competition, the Brio does feel a bit overwhelmed. Don’t get me wrong here. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with the car – in fact, it’s one of the best of its kinds around – but in the eyes of buyers, its appeal has somewhat faded. Maybe Honda India should look into the matter with more gusto in 2017.
