[.anshuman]

Originally Posted by andromeda

I'm sure Honda would have tested the all-glass boot door opening/closing X number of times.

Will there be any seperate restrictions for the glass boot door in the car warranty?

Obviously if it comes from Honda and considering Japanese quality standards, it should have been tested thoroughly before being put into production, unlike some of our local manufacturers who do not mind putting half baked components in production cars treating customers as Guinea Pigs.

Originally Posted by libranof1987

By the way, any news on the equipment/feature list vis a vis all the variants - or is that info not out yet?

Full Information is not available yet. As per my understanding: S=V minus Alloys, Fog lamps and Beige carpets, E=S minus ABS and Airbags.

Originally Posted by torquecurve

I would however worry about the rear hatch which can easily be damaged by a careless bump from the motorcyclists, APE autos etc. Then you cannot just do a simple dent/paint job but replace the hatch. Unless it is priced low (read cheap) we will end up seeing a lot of them being held up by duct tape.

Good part is Glass unlike Plastic parts is fully covered under the Insurance. Just replace the glass and your car is as good as new, no hassles of denting and painting. Visible luggage area is a point of concern, though it can be taken care of by using dark sunfilm for the lower part.

Originally Posted by oxyzen

But considering the handling (not ride) what is your pick out of Swift, Figo & Brio?

All the 3 cars Handle beautifully, my pick would be Figo(with a powerful engine) for high speed bends, Brio for tight bends where agility is more fun than outright grip and feel. I am yet to drive the new Swift properly to tell you about Handling. Sadly none of the Figo engines have enough Punch to exploit its Handling potential. Going by figures Brio is the fastest car here.

Originally Posted by write2sankar

A Newbee question: Is it possible to do aftermarket suspension setup in these cars, since the roads near my place are bad, worse and worst and new roads won't be laid untill there is an election, which is 4 years away?

Aftermarket kits are usually aimed at those who are after Handing, Brio already has a firm ride, i don't think adding an aftermarket suspension kit would do any wonders to the ride.

Originally Posted by misquitas

This morning, I was pleasantly surprised to find a number a I10-related posts on a non-I10 specific thread. Interestingly, there were a lot of comments on the I10 on the "Honda Brio : Test Drive & Review." The petrol-only Brio is being closely compared to its closest petrol-only rival, the I10.

Please do not feel offended if any other car than the car you own is praised, i10 got its fair share of praises where it deserved in the Official i10 review thread.

Originally Posted by Cayman360

Doesn't the Swift, now with the improved ride quality (as even the new ownership reports suggest) have an easy edge over the i10 and the Brio?

Quality interiors, as much space as the i10 and Brio, great engine.

I drove the new Swift yesterday(not for the Official review), the new Swift has superior Ride than both i10 and Brio but the Interiors even with the soft touch materials do not feel as high quality as the Brio.

[Saanil]

Thanks .anshuman and GTO for this wonderful review. I think its a good attempt by Honda to gain volumes. They have done almost the right things with Brio. The price, though unknown, will still be in line with Honda's recent price moves. (It might command a higher premuim though). Personally I like the looks of the car. Nothing great and nothing bad - I would say the looks are quite acceptable. Atleast the looks should not be a deal breaker according to me. There is not questioning the fact that this car is well built with good quality interiors.

As far as I have read I think Brio does not score well in ride quality. I think this car is mainly aimed at the youngsters. Plus this is a city car - short and sweet so ride quality will not be a major deal breaking factor. Boot though small, going by amount of litres, is adequate for a person like me. People peeking into the back through the glass is one issue rightly highlighed by someone. Perhaps one should not keep laptops and other valuables. But I think suggestions have already been made on how to tackle this problem.

I think Brio will majorly dent the sales of i10, Liva, Wagon-R. Ritz, Figo and Swift will also be impacted but not my much as the diesel models will support their overall sales (but surely there will be a drop). I think it will manage figures around 4k-6k in the monthly sales.

Off topic - I just want to hear from any moderator whether the Swift review is going to come anytime soon. Please tell us the reason as to why this is getting delayed.

[chennai-indian]

Awesome review and deservedly rated 5 stars. I'm extremely disappointed that the Brio will not get an AT option in India. It would have been a perfect city car with an AT and I would definitely have gone ahead to buy as my second car.

[Red's]

A very detailed review of the Brio !!.. Thanks , enjoyed reading it . Well it seems to be like Honda is coming back with a bang !!. Brio just looks like its made for the Indian market . Nice funky looking car will surely catch the attention of the younger lot(Honda's target ?) .

What i personally did not like is
- Exposed metal on door's look very cheap and i never thought Honda would do something like this , maybe they wanted to get the colour combo on the inside too !. But somehow its gone all wrong !

- Why that huge chrome badge on that front grille ??.. Looks way out of proportion for this car , The car would have looked a lot elegant without it , but hey Indian's love CHROME !!..

The interiors seem to be functional enough , though the boxy design in centre is either a like-hate design . Overall i think good .

What Honda now must do now is t price this car as they have promised . The base model should come under 5 lakh . If it doesn't we just have another Jazz !!..

Good luck to HONDA !

Red's !!..

[riturajsharma19]

On a personal note, I don't really seem to like the design. It's contemporary no doubt but if someone's looking to keep the car for 4years+, this design could lose its appeal.

[vasanthn21]

My take on it:

Likes:

1. Unique glass hatch
2. good power to weight ratio
3. Honda reliability
4. Nice tail lights

Dislikes:

1. might feel claustrophobic in the rear seat (my feeling)
2. stiff suspension might not be good in city (pothole ridden) roads
3. expected better style from Honda.

[CRtorquefan]

A very comprehensive review of Cute l'll car.

This car is really having the Air of quality inside it(learn something Toyota).

Rest, A small parcel shelf & Black tape pasting in the lower part of the Boot-lid glass can protect the luggage from the preying eyes.

If sensibly priced, This car seems to have the potential to Prove its Diesel competitiors expensive with its Super-efficient yet frugal Petrol engine & Ultra-low ownership costs, as Alto proved itself few years back with respect to Indica V2.

[Technocrat]

Fantastic Review Anshuman

The car looks great from all angles except from back thats where things have gone drastically wrong. Otherwise the car looks well specked(with engine & quality) & being a Honda at this price, it should sell well.

[libranof1987]

Originally Posted by .anshuman

Full Information is not available yet. As per my understanding: S=V minus Alloys, Fog lamps and Beige carpets, E=S minus ABS and Airbags.

So, this would be the first time Honda is not offering Airbags and ABS as standard equipment, right?

Cost-cutting measures to price the Brio at par competition!

[SunilM]

This is gem of a car from Honda. As GTO said, the only constraint on how much Brio will sell would probably be Honda's production capacity.

I kind of like the back also, its unique. Different, but not awkwardly shaped like the Ritz. Give it some time and the look will grow on us.

Great, neutral review .anshuman and GTO!

[analyse]

Fantastic review. Lucid and insightful.

IMO the Brio may come up trumps in the petrol hatch category compared to i10 (engine) and interiors (swift). Look forward to a comparo between the 3.

Btw, going by hondas, any indications on what could be the fuel efficiency compared to ARAI rating?

[tejus.s]

Originally Posted by suhaas307

I do believe in your school of thought as well.

But we as enthusiasts should have an inkling of what we're up with. Auto-mags and Team BHP are great tools with which one can understand the car inside out, without the need to actually drive it.

Alright, with that discussion out of the way; here are my thoughts on the brio.

1. USP will be the badge; no doubt.
2. If the hatch was so focused on the urban environment, they should've thought of an automatic atleast a year from now.

Overall though, I think it's a more decent take by Honda on an Indian specific hatch than Toyota. No offense to Etios owners.

[sydras]

First of all, I would like to appreciate the excellent job done on the review. It is very well balanced and comprehensive.

Coming to the car, I feel that Honda has not given many features but it has delivered value where it is required. W.r.t. hatchbacks, I have not sat in the new Swift but it seems to me that the interiors are 2nd only to the Fabia. Many interior parts in the 5 lakh hatchback seem to be shared with the C-segment City!! The cabin feels very airy and spacious and is in line with Honda's concept of more people, less car. (The i10/i20 interiors look upmarket but examination reveals hard plastic everywhere. Also, this is my personal opinion but I've never felt comfortable in a Santro or an i10 so I do not consider the Brio to have less in-cabin space.)

The "Made in Japan" reliability and lower maintenance cost can also be expected from this car. The only cost cutting seems to be in the boot area along the lines of the Toyota Aygo. (Does anyone else feel that Honda seems to care only about what Toyota is doing in India? e.g. after the Liva, they bring in the Brio.)

However, I fail to understand their reluctance to introduce an automatic in India. The car's smaller size, lesser boot space, glass boot door, shorter wheelbase etc. could be perceived as dealbreakers for many not familiar with a Honda or folks buying their first/only family car. Given the popularity of the i10 or the Swift among the masses, it would be hard to wean away customers from Hyundai or Maruti.

With incomes better than they were years ago, and a greater portion of middle to higher income families exist today and are an automatic would make it the ideal 2nd car for many families looking for an easy to drive, easy to park and easy(cheaper) to maintain city car that can be driven by both spouses.

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by .anshuman

The Honda Brio will be launched in India later this month.

A bit late to get into this thread.

Thanks for the excellent review Anshuman! Very detailed and precise. Looks like a sure success from Honda, and I hope their production facilities can the meet the demand. From the pictures itself, this car gives a different feeling from the fellow Japanese – Liva.

Couple of questions:
1) Do all the variants come with the thick chrome grille?
2) How do you rate the build quality in comparison with the immediate competition?

[wolf_lone]

I don't see a remote boot opener... Is it missing due to cost cutting.....