Honda Brio

Honda unveiled a prototype of its new small car, the Brio, at the27th Thailand International Motor Expo 2010. The introduction of the car is a significant step for Honda in rapidly growing Asian markets. The prototype unveiled on Tuesday is meant for the Thai market, but it won’t differ significantly for India. Honda had showcased a concept version at the Auto Expo in January 2011.

It will be the first time that Honda enters the volume segment and will pit the Brio against not just the Swift, but the Ford Figo, Volkswagen Polo, Nissan Micra, Hyundai i10 and the Toyota Etios hatchback (which will be introduced early next year).

The Brio will be built at Honda Siel’s facility in Greater Noida where it has a 100,000-unit-a-year capacity. Currently, around 65 per cent of capacity is utilised to assemble the Jazz hatchback, City, Civic and Accord sedans. Honda Siel has a second plant in Tapukara in Rajasthan that currently builds components for its existing models.

Developed to conform to Thailand’s Eco Car programme initiated by the government, the Brio is designed to meet strict emission norms and fuel efficiency targets. At 3.61 metres in length, it’s a tad shorter than the Che

vrolet Beat and Swift, but a li

ttle longer than the i10. Honda’s small car will featu

re a 1,200 cc petrol engine, like the one on the Honda Jazz.