[romeomidhun]

Originally Posted by suhaas307

And despite being small on the outside, the Brio packs in quite a lot of space on the inside. More than the Ritz, marginally more than the i10

Interior space wise, Ritz is bigger than i10 at all means. Then how can Brio's interior space become "more than Ritz but marginally more than i10"?

[deetjohn]

Originally Posted by suhaas307

I don't know how you've come to this conclusion.

During my 1st and 2nd years of college, I'd driven a friend's Swift extensively. Despite the skinny tyres, the car handled like a dream. The steering and gearbox were fantastic.

But the interior quality was appalling. Almost ugly. My 8 year old Santro seems to have the same or maybe even marginally better quality than the Swift. I'm talking about the old Swift. Quite frankly, the interiors of the old one were a huge let down, in terms of quality. The plastics were very cheap and were crudely put together. Parts would even come off very easily.

In comparison, the Brio feels like an 8 lakh car on the inside. It's miles ahead of the Swift, even the new one, in terms of interior quality. The space seems to be the same too, and it's surprising considering that the Swift is a much larger car.

suhaas307, I deduce you haven't seen the new Swift in person yet. And let me assure you that the interiors won't be miles behind that of the Honda Brio.

Now, I haven't seen the Brio in person yet. But I have seen the new Jazz and I think at max, Brio will have the same interior quality as that of the Jazz, class leading that is. And new Swift is definitely not far behind. And its certainly not ugly, but one of the best looking cabins for a sporty hatch in my books.

And, regarding how well the new Swift' interior will age is a question which can be answered only in the long run. I think it would hold up better because the new Swift rides really really well. The old Swift with a combination of the bad plastics and the harsh ride made the interior rattle so much. It was a double whammy. Because the plastics became loose in the first place due to the bad ride.

[informmaha]

Originally Posted by suhaas307

I don't know how you've come to this conclusion.

But the interior quality was appalling. Almost ugly. My 8 year old Santro seems to have the same or maybe even marginally better quality than the Swift. I'm talking about the old Swift. Quite frankly, the interiors of the old one were a huge let down, in terms of quality. The plastics were very cheap and were crudely put together. Parts would even come off very easily.

Well if you are comparing with the interiors, then you should have to compare with Beat, do you think beat as a overall vehicle is lesser to this vehicle? Except the marginal peak power of brio, other things in beat are definitely equivalent to that of brio, including the boot space. If beat is a impractical vehicle, brio also would fall in the same category.

If everyone had the same thoughts as that of your's, Swift would not have clocked 11K sales even during its last month of production (first generation swift).

We also had a santro before, which was 1999 model, remember the first year of santro, quality and AC till we sold (in 2010) was top notch, but compare the same with the current santro, you will not feel the same quality interiors, can definitely bet you on that, since before we changed our santro, we had a look at all vehicles in that range.

Originally Posted by suhaas307

If you're talking purely on the basis of exterior dimension, then the Swift is one step ahead, for sure. But everything else just proves that the Brio has been more effectively packaged and designed than any other car without a boot.

One must not pit two cars against each other and determine the better one purely on the basis of its exterior dimensions.

I never said at any time that brio is leagues lesser in terms of a whole package, I just was mentioning about the size of the vehicle (exterior dimension), swift can be compared with the likes of i20, polo, etc.. Its like comparing a SX4 to a Dzire (just an example) is all I meant.

[karty_83]

After all the positive feedback , am now getting to read a few downsides of the Brio since its launch in the last couple of pages.

[suhaas307]

Originally Posted by romeomidhun

Interior space wise, Ritz is bigger than i10 at all means. Then how can Brio's interior space become "more than Ritz but marginally more than i10"?

Really? I've been in both, and somehow I got the feeling that the Ritz is not gifted in the interior department. The back doesn't feel too different from my Santro. The knee-room is very little. The i10 too suffers from lack of space at the back. But I could sit in one for a relatively long journey without complaining. The Brio in comparison feels a lot wider inside. It feels like a wider car, somehow. And the knee-room is great for a hatch of its size, IMO.

Originally Posted by deetjohn

suhaas307, I deduce you haven't seen the new Swift in person yet. And let me assure you that the interiors won't be miles behind that of the Honda Brio.

Now, I haven't seen the Brio in person yet. But I have seen the new Jazz and I think at max, Brio will have the same interior quality as that of the Jazz, class leading that is. And new Swift is definitely not far behind. And its certainly not ugly, but one of the best looking cabins for a sporty hatch in my books.

And, regarding how well the new Swift' interior will age is a question which can be answered only in the long run. I think it would hold up better because the new Swift rides really really well. The old Swift with a combination of the bad plastics and the harsh ride made the interior rattle so much. It was a double whammy. Because the plastics became loose in the first place due to the bad ride.

You're quite right about the Brio's quality.

The new Swift must be a better car on the inside. From the pictures, it looks pretty well designed. From the reviews here, I've understood that the space is not much more than the outgoing Swift. However, it feels much better on the inside, which is a great thing. The ride, as you've mentioned, just made the whole thing worse for the old Swift. How's the ride in the new one? I've heard that there have been improvements, which can only mean that new Swift customers will enjoy the smoother experience.

Originally Posted by informmaha

Well if you are comparing with the interiors, then you should have to compare with Beat, do you think beat as a overall vehicle is lesser to this vehicle? Except the marginal peak power of brio, other things in beat are definitely equivalent to that of brio, including the boot space. If beat is a impractical vehicle, brio also would fall in the same category.

Yes. The Beat too is a great car actually. As a package, it's wonderful and makes a lot of sense. The petrol engine is pretty good and can hold its own in a petrol car war. I still think it needs to be a little more refined. The gearbox could do with a tweak too. All in all, it's a decent package. What doesn't work for the Beat is the after-sales-service, which is steadily improving.

Originally Posted by informmaha

If everyone had the same thoughts as that of your's, Swift would not have clocked 11K sales even during its last month of production (first generation swift).

Precisely.

I'm glad I think a little differently. I'm the sort of bloke who would never put a price on safety features, while 90% of the car-buying crowd in India would. I'm the sort of bloke who would prefer sound mechanicals, a proven core, a tried and tested engine, a sorted 'box, rather than fancy features and a tempting price-tag. I'd prefer a hatch over a sedan, even if I had 25 lakhs to buy whatever I'd want. I would be the first to buy a VW Golf. So that would make me the first out of about a hundred people in India. The tens of thousands would rather buy and drive Fortuners.

Originally Posted by informmaha

We also had a santro before, which was 1999 model, remember the first year of santro, quality and AC till we sold (in 2010) was top notch, but compare the same with the current santro, you will not feel the same quality interiors, can definitely bet you on that, since before we changed our santro...

No dispute on that.

Originally Posted by informmaha

I never said at any time that brio is leagues lesser in terms of a whole package, I just was mentioning about the size of the vehicle (exterior dimension), swift can be compared with the likes of i20, polo, etc.. Its like comparing a SX4 to a Dzire (just an example) is all I meant.

Right. Slight misunderstanding there, then. No harm no foul.

Why the Brio can be compared to the Swift is because it feels like a more premium hatch than the price would suggest. It feels like it's in the league of the Swift, due to that fantastic engine and that superb gearbox. It still is a whole scale smaller than the Swift, and is positioned one step below it too.

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by suhaas307

I'm glad I think a little differently. I'm the sort of bloke who would never put a price on safety features, while 90% of the car-buying crowd in India would. I'm the sort of bloke who would prefer sound mechanicals, a proven core, a tried and tested engine, a sorted 'box, rather than fancy features and a tempting price-tag. I'd prefer a hatch over a sedan, even if I had 25 lakhs to buy whatever I'd want. I would be the first to buy a VW Golf. So that would make me the first out of about a hundred people in India. The tens of thousands would rather buy and drive Fortuners.

Completely agree with this statement. And I guess that’s one reason for you to go and get the Jazz when it was termed as a hatchback with luxury pricing

Back to the Brio, I hope it does not go in the (new) Jazz way with long waiting periods.

[Bh.P]

Had been to the showroom today to pick up my city after repairs. Had a look at the Brio. Looks could be a very personal opinion. Not a very big fan of the looks, but not too bad either (say like the Ritz IMO).
The interiors are very good for this category. Pretty spacious. Should give the i10 a run for its money. Hope the supply chain can cater to the demand.

Pricing I think is fair. And pricing the high end of Brio close to entry level Jazz is probably intended. It may end up increasing the market for Jazz.

[anu21v]

Just like the Launch of Jazz helped Honda sell more City and helped Hyundai Sell more i20, I think Brio should pull in more customer who would actually buy "now the best value - Honda", THE JAZZ.

Bravo Honda

[Nimz]

Just heard from the dealer in Gurgaon.. no TD car yet.. will come in 20 days.. waiting period for getting a car - 2 months.. but if we book now (without TD and stuff) he will try and get the car before Diwali. Tough call. Guess me gotta look elsewhere for a car now!

[vigsom]

Originally Posted by Nimz

.. no TD car yet.. will come in 20 days.. waiting period for getting a car - 2 months.. but if we book now (without TD and stuff) he will try and get the car before Diwali.

A friend here enquired ; no TD car yet but expected in 10 days.

The dealer said the booking amount would be 21k and delivery would be end Jan ; perfect way to kill excitement.

[Nimz]

Originally Posted by vigsom

A friend here enquired ; no TD car yet but expected in 10 days.

The dealer said the booking amount would be 21k and delivery would be end Jan ; perfect way to kill excitement.

My excitement is already killed... wonder why I waited for the Brio's launch. With discounts + faster delivery for the i10, I guess the Brio would not pose any major threat just yet. Brio is going the Jazz way I guess.

[v.anand]

I had a look at Brio and liked it quite a bit. Looks compact, nippy and futuristic, with reasonable quality interiors, only complaint is lack of under thigh support throughout at all seats. More pronounced at the back, seat lacks width which gives the illusion of huge leg space. Don't know much about other cars in its segment like i10 and Beat, have never been a fan of Korean cars.

Booked one paying 21k and expected delivery is 3 months. No problem waiting at all, plan to get one in January to join Laura and Polo.

[karty_83]

Originally Posted by v.anand

Booked one paying 21k and expected delivery is 3 months. No problem waiting at all, plan to get one in January to join Laura and Polo.

Congrats !! This is where Brio will shine IMO. An excellent second or third car in the family for city runabouts.

[acroback]

I am in same dilemma.
No signs of even a test vehicle :(.
I had booked Brio like 15 days back and still no show.
Sigh... I am getting impatient.
Ritz VXI at 4.5L OTR seems tempting.

[mayank10]

Well, checked out the BRIO today at Peninsular Honda Trivandrum and recalled the ad, "IT LOVES YOU BACK". It is a beautiful car, specially targeted for the youth. I loved the design, paint quality, interior quality and the price at which it is being offered. Looks better than i10, IMHO.
Though the car was not available for TD and the dealer did not have a clue how much time it will take for a TD vehicle to come, i was pleased to find that the car is available for display. Booking has already started with 7 Brio booked at the dealership so far, but delivery would not start before December as not many Brio have been developed so far.

Brio was one of the cars i was looking for when i was planning to buy one. It came a little late, but i am happy with my decision to buy the Liva. Overall, in my opinion, Brio is a good car for nuclear families and bachelors, which do not bother much about rear and boot space. My 2 cents about the Brio (I did not have a TD, so all the points mentioned below are based on the first impression):

Positives:

1- Good design, i liked the front specially. Good front seats.
2- Great paint quality, display vehicle was of blue color, an awesome choice IMO
3- Good interior quality and accessories, wish some of those were in Liva

4- Affordable price for a Honda, even the middle variants have safety options and steering has stereo control buttons.

Not so positives:

1- Very very small boot- Just good for a couple of medium sized bags
2- Not a family hatch, will target youngsters and people with sedans looking for a smaller car.
3- Rear leg space not good for tall people (I am 5'10). Also the rear headroom is not sufficient. No other small car can beat my Liva in this department. Checked out a Civic after that and felt like Liva having more rear space than even that car. You can keep the world at rear seat in Liva. Don't kill me if i am wrong.
4- Distance between back seat and glass hatch is very less, people may find it awkward IMO. Feels like A-Star in this category.

I believe space can be a deciding factor for some people to not buy a Brio, but others would definitely love this car.