[one-77]

In 2013, we test drove the Brio AT for my sister and found the car decent overall - though spartan.

The good things first:
- Peppy MT
- Precise steering

The negatives I noted were:
- The interiors lack any sort of nicety for the "premium" hatch Honda claims it to is - be it materials used or features - except for the audio controls on the steering, perhaps.
- The sheet metal is extremely thin and light
- The exterior styling may not be to everyone's liking
- It's tiny to look at
- The back seat/ suspension could have been better
- The boot is, again, tiny

My sis liked the exteriors, especially the glass hatch, so looks weren't a problem for her. The back seat wasn't very comfy, but again, since it'd rarely be used, we overlooked that too. Same with the boot - we'd never need it.

2014, and I see Honda has replaced the tacky brown bits on the dash with black now. Looks a lot classier. They should also chuck the ancient and cheap knobs of the AC and bring in better looking knobs - take the Beat, for example. Of course, climatronic is segment standard now. They've also added some "features" like a parcel tray, height adjustable driver's seat, mirrors on the visors, etc.

Back then, there were discounts and promotions adding upto almost 40k on the Brio MT. (This made the AT almost 1.5 lacs more expensive). The AT then cost a whopping 7.2 lacs OTR Kerala. Anyway we deferred the purchase owing to some reasons. As she'll be completing her internship soon, we're looking at the car purchase again.

She still prefers the Brio. And as far as AT goes, there's no real alternative:
- The Polo TSI is great, but two lacs more expensive
- The Grand i10 AT is a bit cheaper, but the Asta lacks ABS/ Airbags and the autobox is much inferior
- The Micra CVT is not to anybody's liking

But if one were to look at the MT, the Grand i10 (in it's class) and the slightly more expensive Swift and the Polo seem much better options to me.

[niladri83]

In my opinion, The Brio is a better looking car than the Swift in my opinion, but as a complete package it falls behind due to the following reasons -

1. Lighter than the swift, so feels unstable at higher speeds (I have driven both)
2. Swift has better driver seats
3. Swift interiors are better than Brio (this could be subject to taste)
4. With the latest version of the swift petrol engine, refinement levels are at par with the Honda engine

Overall, I certainly believe, the Swift is a better package.

[turbodude]

My friend in pune owns a Honda Jazz. Before buying Jazz, he test driven BRIO but his family rejected the car saying that glass boot makes all luggage visible. Personally, I love BRIO very much but my wife has already rejected the car.

Also not having diesel option has dented the sales considerably. My colleague wanted to buy diesel BRIO but settled for Amaze instead. He really liked glass boot because he was getting good rear visibility plus his kids on rear seat got a full view.

Honda needs to seriously rethink and upgrade BRIO as per user requirements.

[sgiitk]

Originally Posted by turbodude

My friend in pune owns a Honda Jazz. Before buying Jazz, he test driven BRIO but his family rejected the car saying that glass boot makes all luggage visible. Personally, I love BRIO very much but my wife has already rejected the car.

There is a parcel shelf which conceals the goods.

As for the Diesel it will take a slightly larger engine compartment to accommodate it. so a major redesign will be required.

[swiftnfurious]

Originally Posted by one-77

...

She still prefers the Brio. And as far as AT goes, there's no real alternative:
- The Polo TSI is great, but two lacs more expensive
- The Grand i10 AT is a bit cheaper, but the Asta lacks ABS/ Airbags and the autobox is much inferior
- The Micra CVT is not to anybody's liking
...

For me, a car should make the owner feel good. Brio / Amaze simply doesn't give that feel. Every time I sit inside a Brio, I feel "cheap"! For this matter, I would rather plonk 2 more lakhs and buy a TSi! As an enthusiast, this will make me a lot happier but I'll be wary of the brand at any given point of time!

But priorities are different. If she really likes Brio, go with that please. Girls might find it easier to chuck the car due to it's size and definitely the looks are a plus. Even I like Brio's looks - don't think it's too chic!

[Rajeevraj]

We have 2 Brio's in the immediate family. One family bought it because they were looking for a compact hatch which was spacious inside. Usage was expected to be only in the city and small highway runs. Brio was a natural choice. For the 2nd family it the need was a compact city run about since they had a Sedan for the long drives. Again Brio with the bill. At that time it was a fresh product and of course it was a 'Honda'. Now with the launch of Grand i10, Xcent, Amaze, there is a lot of competition to deal with. Given our fascination with boots, I think the mid variants of the Amaze have cannibalized the Brio.

Another reason is probably the dealer network. Honda's networks is still no match for Maruti and Hyundai. Pretty sure Brio sells well in cities with established dealerships.

One a Side note: Lot of comments on the small boot. The boot is definitely small, but it is quite deep and is very usable. It looks tiny but can take luggage that one would think not possible looking at the boot.

In the AT space below the Polo TSI, the Brio is the best in terms of performance and efficiency.

[anky]

I own a honda amaze vxmt i-dtec and swift dzire vdi for the past 10 months . Since we are talking about the brio's spartan interiors and they are very similar to the amaze interiors I believe I can give you guys some feedback as I have used both cars for quite some time .

The dzire has a better looking dashboard but the quality of the dash is better in the amaze . Similarly the ergonomics of the amaze is better compared to the dzire vis a vis placement of the controls .

When it is dark in the night I always fiddle with the ac controls in my dzire , whereas it is quite easily done in the amaze .

Now before anyone disagrees with me this is just my personal opinion . No offence intended .
Honda brio dashboard = honda amaze dashboard , Swift dashboard = Swift Dzire dashboard .
So owing to the brio and swift having similar dashboards to my amaze and dzire I thought I could post some feedback regarding the two . As I read a lot of people do not like the amaze/brio for its spartain interiors .

[reignofchaos]

I got this car in 2011 when there was nothing else that was as refined or quick as it in the hatch space. I was primarily looking for a comfortable front seat and a great driving experience.

Its a point A-B commuter for me. For long drives, I have another car. It does this job exceedingly well and the small size means you can chuck it around into tight spaces where no other car would fit. Also press the throttle and it is a little go kart. Nothing else at that time came close to the driving experience. Also it had the best handling out of all small cars - the punto was more stable at higher speeds but the engine was a yawn fest - it took roughly double the time to get to the same speeds.

The reason why it doesn't sell is that the average joe car buyer who buys a car in that segment doesn't care about the driving experience. Hell 50% of them don't even know how to drive a car. They simply fall for good looking interiors. All they care about is how it looks, how much space they get in the boot and what every other average joe is buying. The brio offers basic interiors, good space for the driver and passenger but little the average joe would care about. As a result good products which offer a great driving experience fail.

If I were to buy a car in that segment now, I'd blindly choose the Polo TSi. At that time I td'ed the 1.6 polo and wasn't impressed much. However the AT TSi is something else.

[bread]

Well, there have been no responses for a while here so I assume it would be safe to conclude this thread with what a summary of all the responses here over the span of 68 posts.

Launch. Failure to create a buzz.
Honda in its second attempt to give India a small car after the Jazz got made some right decisions and some inexcusable wrong ones.

The Good :

• Peppy and rev happy 1.2L i-vtec engine.
• Stability,driving dynamics,Fun to drive factor,EBD in top model.
• Fuel efficiency
• Cost of spares on par with competition.
• Honda reliability.
• 'H' badge value.
• Easy steering for city which weighs appropriately as speed builds up.

The Bad

• Failure to gauge what the Indian hatch back buyer wants.
• Too late in introducing rear defogger,parcel tray. Lower models don't get then as standard.
• Low publicity,advertising.
• Interiors, tough they look good lack the finish when compared to i10 grand.
• Omission of CD player.Even though CD's are rarely used today, people still want it as part of their 'list of features'.
• Quality of speakers in the lower models i.e. EX trim (the ones with only 2 speakers in the front) is bad.Higher models viz. V,VX have good speakers IMO.
• Integrated headrest.
• The glass hatch that is 'perceived' as a safety hazard and next to none efforts to diffuse that misconception(via advertisements,etc.)
• High loading bay for boot giving the perception that it is too small, tough when it comes to capacity (liters),it is on par with swift and i10 grand.
• Quality of knobs,buttons.
• Pricing too close to the Amaze.
• Honda focusing on the Amaze and 2014 City.
• 'H' badge considered as premium, drove away first time buyers to Hyundai,Suzuki.
• Smaller service network as compared to Hyundai,Suzuki.
• Small list of features.
• Lack of sound insulation from road,tyre noise.
• Stiff suspension.
• NO DIESEL.

Hit or miss

• Looks and styling

Honda lacks the planning and resources to take on the 'common mans carrier' makers such as Hyundai and Maruti Suzuki.
Yes, the Brio is a FTD car but not having the feel good factor that the i10 grand interiors have will haunt them forever. Moreover people who are looking for a fun to drive car favour the Polo GT or the punto for their size, presence and design and are ready to suffer through the poor ASS.
The demographic that wants a quirky and FTD car under 6L is too small. Most of them are ready to shell out more cash or settle for the swift.
Nuclear families, First time buyers, New families will go for tried and tested Brands making hatchbacks.
Swift fanboys largely outnumber Brio fanboys. One thing I noticed is that many swift owners will talk bad about the brio just cause they love the swift. Most of them may not have even driven the brio. This is where the perception, publicity and branding comes in. Should Honda take another shot at making a hatch back for our markets, they must get the publicity right and pack it with features that at least are on par with the competition. They have done it with the new city, why not with the new hatch back too.

Anyone who wants to add to this please feel free to post a reply. A new perspective is always welcome.

[searacer932]

The sales figures of BRIO proves that in Indian market people give more preference to 'Feature/Cosmetic' specs rather than engine spec or the driving dynamics. I cannot think of any other reason. Take an average Joe (not an automobile enthusiastic person) to the showroom. Ask the person to sit in both the Brio and the Grand i10 and guess what the person will choose as his next car?

[sgiitk]

Originally Posted by searacer932

Take an average Joe (not an automobile enthusiastic person) to the showroom. Ask the person to sit in both the Brio and the Grand i10 and guess what the person will choose as his next car?

Hyundai have always given the better interiors and creature comforts. So that is a given.. Where they hit you is i. poorer performance and economy, and ii. higher maintenance costs (after you add up the non-standard services added by the garages).

[dark.knight]

Originally Posted by bread

[*]High loading bay for boot giving the perception that it is too small, tough when it comes to capacity (liters),it is on par with swift and i10 grand.

After checking the specifications I found that the Honda Brio boot capacity is 175 litres, the Swift is a little above 200 litres and Grand i10 is 253 litres, which is about 45% more than Brio, and that cannot be called on par with Grand, not even close. Also the glass boot might not be a safety issue (which we can be sure of only if a Euro-NCAP test was done) but it does make the contents of the boot quite visible and many people may not like that when carrying laptops or other valuables. Not sure if they have done something to fix it (like factory tint). Also while I'm not demanding on build quality, I do like that thud when closing the hatch.

I've not driven a Honda car so I cant comment on ride quality, but the seats of the Brio are quite thin, they lack that thickness from an observers stand of point, also the interiors aren't omni-balanced with the vents and stereo hub positioned "differently". Again not a bad thing but I'm only stating my personal preference. Also people lambast cars for having poor ENCAP ratings but the Brio/Etios haven't been crash tested at all. In terms of interior build quality and aesthetics, Honda is still more than a few tweaks away from acceptable quality. Again I'm not sure but perhaps due to the overall low slung stance of the car maybe comfortable headroom/ingress is a bit more difficult to attain than a comparable Swift/Grand.

[rsidd]

Originally Posted by turbodude

He really liked glass boot because he was getting good rear visibility plus his kids on rear seat got a full view.

Tell him his kids should be wearing seatbelts! On boosters if they're small. Seriously.

[Nitthari]

The Brio is one of the best hatches out there in its segment. Not sure when the face lift is due but I feel the following 3 things should be taken care of:

1) Interiors specifically the dashboard needs to be upgraded
2) The all glass back needs to be changed to a conventional one (I personally like the all glass back though, but the overall public seems to dislike)
3) Change Honda's mindset - Honda seems to be comfortable with the numbers they are selling. There is a definite lack of will to market/push this nice product to the masses, wonder why?

[Rocketscience]

The main reasons for its failure seem to be the very tiny footprint , and bad looking rear (subjective) , i dont't think a product fails because of bad audio system or some features , as far as interiors are concerned , even the amaze had the same interiors and is a a sucess , so that too can safely be ruled out, infact what amaze does is it gets the brio rid of its small size and has a better looking rear , the mechanicals are identical and its more or less the same car with the boot, these two reasons seem the most logical to me.

Originally Posted by sgiitk

There is a parcel shelf which conceals the goods.

As for the Diesel it will take a slightly larger engine compartment to accommodate it. so a major redesign will be required.

Amaze has the same engine bay which accomodates the 1.5 i-DTEC motor , so if honda wants it they can put it in , even the initial testing (according to a video was posted by GTO) for the i-DTEC engine was done on a brio.

Originally Posted by sgiitk

Hyundai have always given the better interiors and creature comforts. So that is a given.. Where they hit you is i. poorer performance and economy, and ii. higher maintenance costs (after you add up the non-standard services added by the garages).

I think generalising brands on basis of their past products does'nt make sense , although i agree hondas are generally very reliable but having used both in the past i can say hyundai isn't behind either , hyundai's service is much better too.
As far as grand i10 vs Brio is concerned its a no brainer , the hyundai looks much better , the interiors are way better desgined and put together , the handling is pretty neutral and above hyundai's standards , and kappa 2 engine performs more or less the same as 1.2 i-VTEC and Maruti's k-12 and is sufficiently peppy and economical too.

The main reasons for its failure seem to be the very tiny footprint , and bad looking rear (subjective) , i dont't think a product fails because of bad audio system or some features , as far as interiors are concerned , even the amaze had the same interiors and is a a sucess , so that too can safely be ruled out, infact what amaze does is it gets the brio rid of its small size and has a better looking rear , the mechanicals are identical and its more or less the same car with the boot, these two reasons seem the most logical to me.

Originally Posted by sgiitk

There is a parcel shelf which conceals the goods.

As for the Diesel it will take a slightly larger engine compartment to accommodate it. so a major redesign will be required.

Amaze has the same engine bay which accomodates the 1.5 i-DTEC motor , so if honda wants it they can put it in , even the initial testing (according to a video was posted by GTO) for the i-DTEC engine was done on a brio.

Originally Posted by sgiitk

Hyundai have always given the better interiors and creature comforts. So that is a given.. Where they hit you is i. poorer performance and economy, and ii. higher maintenance costs (after you add up the non-standard services added by the garages).

I think generalising brands on basis of their past products does'nt make sense , although i agree hondas are generally very reliable but having used both in the past i can say hyundai isn't behind either , hyundai's service is much better too.
As far as grand i10 vs Brio is concerned its a no brainer , the hyundai looks much better , the interiors are way better desgined and put together , the handling is pretty neutral and above hyundai's standards , and kappa 2 engine performs more or less the same as 1.2 i-VTEC and Maruti's k-12 and is sufficiently peppy and economical too.