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Old 9th September 2011, 10:31   #121
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Re: Honda Brio : Test Drive & Review

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I'm sorry Parsh, but I beg to disagree with you on this.

The Brio is a pure city-car. And with the levels of quality it boasts of, that superb 1.2 liter mill and a well packaged interior and design just trumps the likes of the A-Star, the Beat, the i10 and most importantly, the Liva.

If you want a car with a big boot, then buy a car with a big boot. Why look at small hatchbacks at all, in that case? In terms of sheer volume, the Brio's boot is just 175 liters. But remember, it isn't about sheer volume, it's about how well packaged and designed the boot is. It might look small, but it's very deep and one can accommodate quite a lot in it, if you plan it properly.

At the end of the day, it's a hatch and one won't be looking to take it on the highway and stuff it with a weekend's worth of luggage. But if one does contemplate on taking it on the highway for a holiday, then I'm sorry you've just bought the wrong car. Nay. you've looked at the wrong segment!

The only grouse I have with it is the glass hatch. It may be durable and may be able to withstand the slamming for 5 years, but it doesn't provide security to the owner, if he decides to leave something valuable inside it.

The rear seating is actually very good. For a car that is so small from the outside, it still manages to provide more space than a Swift, which is considerably larger than the Brio. Five people can be accommodated in the rear seat, but in the case with most hatchbacks in this segment, the 5th passenger will NOT be comfortable.

Personally, I love the way it looks. It's compact, yet, stretched and wrapped around the wheels that have been positioned at the extreme corners of the car, giving it fantastic balance, handling and dynamics. It will NOT roll the way other hatches would, and the 175 section tyres on 14" wheels ensure that it stays planted.

The Brio is leagues ahead of everything else in the segment.

If you're looking for a car that gives you more features like sunroof, auto-mirrors, etc. then the i10 is the car for you. But if material things don't matter to you, and the quality and performance and reliability matters to you, then the Brio has no competition.

The Liva, lesser said the better. DO you really want to buy a 'made-for-India' car that feels it's worth a lot lesser? And to make it's case worse for it, it isn't as well equipped as the cars available in the segment either.

Hondas are as reliable as Toyotas, if not more.

Don't get me wrong, the i10 is a great car. The Auto-'box gives it a huge edge over the others in the competition. But that's about it. That's where it draws the line. And @ 4-5 lakhs, this is a fantastically priced hatchback. It gives you Swift power, performance and reliability for Beat money.
Suhaas, many of your points are stand in various different aspects. So do mine. And we are talking about a Hatch in similar segment and only a Hatch here and not a Sedan with larger boot. Will come back to you soon. I can't help but roll at the ferrocity with which you have tried to put the case for Brio... Let me also tell you I do not own any of these hatches but have experienced them first hand and each has their +/-ses.
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Old 9th September 2011, 10:49   #122
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Re: Honda Brio : Test Drive & Review

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Suhaas, many of your points are stand in various different aspects. So do mine. And we are talking about a Hatch in similar segment and only a Hatch here and not a Sedan with larger boot. Will come back to you soon. I can't help but roll at the ferrocity with which you have tried to put the case for Brio... Let me also tell you I do not own any of these hatches but have experienced them first hand and each has their +/-ses.
Ferocity?

I was just making my point loud and clear, parsh.

See, this is the way I look at it. And I'm a BHPian. 90% of the BHPians are enthusiasts. So this is an enthusiast's perspective, somewhat.

Brio vs. i10..

Superior Dynamics & Handling vs. auto-fold mirrors.

Amazingly frugal, refined and powerful 88 bhp engine vs. auto-climate-control.

Superior quality and reliability vs. Sunroof.

I believe that a good-car is determined by how it performs. How it delivers. What it's made of. Basically, a good-car is a good-car when the basic essentials are satisfied and its core ingredients are bullet-proof.

And that's why the Honda Brio stands out as a clear winner in my books. Its core ingredients are strong and make a statement. The engine is fantastic, the dynamics are fantastic, the quality is fantastic.

The i10, in all probability, is a great car too. But in a straight-forward comparison, the Brio is the winner. The engine is better, the Honda is more reliable, the space on the inside is more, maybe marginally, but more, nevertheless. And the quality, well, I've been in an i10, and it's good. But it just isn't as good as the Brio. Want to be a judge of quality, the best way to judge a car's interior quality is to see how responsive the stalks behind the steering-wheel are. Do they 'feel' good? If they do, then the car has been put-together well. It's juts a little test, and may not hold true all the time.

It's plain and simple, if you value little features more than core ingredients, then the i10 is the car for you.
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Old 9th September 2011, 10:59   #123
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Re: Honda Brio : Test Drive & Review

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Originally Posted by suhaas307 View Post
At the end of the day, it's a hatch and one won't be looking to take it on the highway and stuff it with a weekend's worth of luggage. But if one does contemplate on taking it on the highway for a holiday, then I'm sorry you've just bought the wrong car. Nay. you've looked at the wrong segment!
Suhaas,

For a certain section of the society who cannot afford to buy a higher segment cars with larger boot space, will look for a all-round car which suits their needs, be it going around in the city or taking it on the highway. One just cannot confine themselves to city roads alone and they will surely look forward to go on a holiday. And that is where i10 is generating large volumes for Hyundai.

Hopefully Brio will fill in the gaps for an all round hatchback.

Regards,
Greg
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Old 9th September 2011, 11:09   #124
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Re: Honda Brio : Test Drive & Review

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Suhaas,

For a certain section of the society who cannot afford to buy a higher segment cars with larger boot space, will look for a all-round car which suits their needs, be it going around in the city or taking it on the highway. One just cannot confine themselves to city roads alone and they will surely look forward to go on a holiday. And that is where i10 is generating large volumes for Hyundai.

Hopefully Brio will fill in the gaps for an all round hatchback.

Regards,
Greg


And that's where entry-level sedans come into play.

Now, even if that's not affordable, then the only options becomes a city-hatch. In that case, how many hatchbacks can hold a weekend's worth of luggage and do comfortable highway runs? The only cars that come to mind: Jazz, Punto, Polo, Fabia. Even these cars, apart from the Jazz, suffer from smaller boots. The Fabia is slightly larger than the other two, I presume.

Let's look at the mid-level hatchbacks now. Most of them range from 170-250 liters, in terms of boot-space. Now the difference is negligible, I'd say. How much more can you hold in that extra 20-30 liters you get? A small handbag? And none of them can seat 5 people comfortably, I can vouch for that. 4, maybe, yes. But not 5. The Vista can probably seat 5 in comfort for a decent distance, but 5 is a squeeze in any hatchback under 6 lakhs.

Also, I've heard from several reliable sources, that the Brio's boot is rather small, as you can see in pictures as well. But the boot is very very deep. One can accommodate several tote-bags one on top of the other, all the way up to the glass area.

Like I said, it's not just about sheer volume, it's also about how well it has been designed and how well it makes use of the space on offer.
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Old 9th September 2011, 11:23   #125
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Re: Honda Brio : Test Drive & Review

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Originally Posted by suhaas307 View Post


And that's where entry-level sedans come into play.

Now, even if that's not affordable, then the only options becomes a city-hatch. In that case, how many hatchbacks can hold a weekend's worth of luggage and do comfortable highway runs? The only cars that come to mind: Jazz, Punto, Polo, Fabia. Even these cars, apart from the Jazz, suffer from smaller boots. The Fabia is slightly larger than the other two, I presume.

Let's look at the mid-level hatchbacks now. Most of them range from 170-250 liters, in terms of boot-space. Now the difference is negligible, I'd say. How much more can you hold in that extra 20-30 liters you get? A small handbag? And none of them can seat 5 people comfortably, I can vouch for that. 4, maybe, yes. But not 5. The Vista can probably seat 5 in comfort for a decent distance, but 5 is a squeeze in any hatchback under 6 lakhs.

Like I said, it's not just about sheer volume, it's also about how well it has been designed and how well it makes use of the space on offer.
Are you deliberately keeping the Figo out of the discussion?

With 284 liters and a well spread out loading area, you certainly can stuff most of the weekend luggage. If that's not all then you have the official roof rails and carrier to stow away some more luggage.

And the highway dynamics with 5 people and full load(with so many putting down their experiences on the forum), the figo is a comfortable highway machine as well.
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Old 9th September 2011, 11:46   #126
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Re: Honda Brio : Test Drive & Review

Outstanding review. Covered everthing about the car. Very very disappointed to learn that there will not be the auto-tranny variant.
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Old 9th September 2011, 12:03   #127
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Re: Honda Brio : Test Drive & Review

brilliant review. Just one query, why is it not compared with the figo?
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Old 9th September 2011, 12:10   #128
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Re: Honda Brio : Test Drive & Review

Thanks guys for another cracker of a review. Loved reading it. A small gap regarding gearing aspect has also been filled up subsequently by .anshuman. Thanks! And this small early miss certainly does not take the 5-star rating away from the thread! While on this, I have a li'l suggestion. In all future reviews, one may think of providing a little detailed idea about gearing of the car by putting up obserations of tacho readings at a few relevant speeds in different gears in small table - along with a two-liner summary of it. Oh, I know it's nitpicking. But I can expect this only from T-bhp!

Now onto Brio, nay Bree-oh! (Will take a while getting used to the pronunciation!) Brilliant refined car more for the young crowd that was mis-targeted by Liva in its "Baari Hamaari hai!" commercial. Bree-oh (I am still practising!) fits to the tee here. This crowd won't mind the small boot. And this is a BIG market. For me, apart from the boot, another turn-off is the poor ride quality. But I think the Indian buyer won't mind this. And gals are absolutely going to love the effortless driveability and manouvreability, though many will be left wanting the automatic tranny.

And I don't mind the big glass at the rear - or the looks thereof. It actually improves reversing visibility big time. The smart Indian buyer is not known to readily fall for the looks - maybe his aesthetic sense is yet to evolve! Or maybe the practice of arranged marriages that involves substantial overall due diligence has also got something to do with it!

Still, for the average practical Joe who can afford only one car, nope, there are options around. But then, if the pricing is right, I just might fall for this one! So, in my view, the pricing will really decide how big Brio is going to be in the petrol hatch market.

Last edited by RadiantKarma : 9th September 2011 at 12:13.
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Old 9th September 2011, 12:13   #129
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Re: Honda Brio : Test Drive & Review

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Originally Posted by suhaas307 View Post

Brio vs. i10..

Superior Dynamics & Handling vs. auto-fold mirrors.

Amazingly frugal, refined and powerful 88 bhp engine vs. auto-climate-control.

Superior quality and reliability vs. Sunroof.
I don't think i10 has auto folding mirrors or auto-climate control.
Also, in terms of the power/performance, new kappa should match up to Brio.
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Old 9th September 2011, 12:23   #130
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Re: Honda Brio : Test Drive & Review

As much as I agree with you re the fact that Brio's tail light resembles a cedia, I think the front lights resemble the outgoing Verna (Transform)!!
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Old 9th September 2011, 12:36   #131
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Re: Honda Brio : Test Drive & Review

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Ferocity?
Brio vs. i10..

Superior Dynamics & Handling vs. auto-fold mirrors.

Amazingly frugal, refined and powerful 88 bhp engine vs. auto-climate-control.

Superior quality and reliability vs. Sunroof.

I believe that a good-car is determined by how it performs. How it delivers. What it's made of. Basically, a good-car is a good-car when the basic essentials are satisfied and its core ingredients are bullet-proof.

And that's why the Honda Brio stands out as a clear winner in my books. Its core ingredients are strong and make a statement. The engine is fantastic, the dynamics are fantastic, the quality is fantastic.

The i10, in all probability, is a great car too. But in a straight-forward comparison, the Brio is the winner. The engine is better, the Honda is more reliable, the space on the inside is more, maybe marginally, but more, nevertheless. And the quality, well, I've been in an i10, and it's good. But it just isn't as good as the Brio. Want to be a judge of quality, the best way to judge a car's interior quality is to see how responsive the stalks behind the steering-wheel are. Do they 'feel' good? If they do, then the car has been put-together well. It's juts a little test, and may not hold true all the time.

It's plain and simple, if you value little features more than core ingredients, then the i10 is the car for you.
Hi suhaas307, no offense mate, but I guess you need to revisit your post. The i10 has a strong engine and gearbox combination. I've not driven the Brio, but having driven the Hyundai (Kappa) for over 2 years now, I can vouch for it. It's fantastic, responsive and refined. Also, the quality of plastics, fabric used in the i10 are definitely top notch. I would rate them above the Swift/Ritz.

As far as after-sales is concerned, Hyundai has never let me down even once. Also, i10 does not come with auto-climate control even on the top-end. Please get your facts right.

In a nutshell, what I'd like to say is, let's wait for the Brio to be launched this month. It might sound premature trying to compare with other cars based on reviews. Recalls from Honda recently definitely do not help either.

Just my two cents
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Old 9th September 2011, 12:44   #132
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Re: Honda Brio : Test Drive & Review

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And that's where entry-level sedans come into play.



Like I said, it's not just about sheer volume, it's also about how well it has
been designed and how well it makes use of the space on offer.
Exactly my point, what makes it an all-round vehicle. If space is the only concern, then every body will be buying Vista. Its more about the quality,reliability and durability and above all the comfort ride.

I expect that Brio will definitely live up to the hype it has garnered.
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Old 9th September 2011, 13:18   #133
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Re: Honda Brio : Test Drive & Review

Wow, looks like a lot of i10 owners have taken offence on the comparisons

Chill people, the TBHP reviews are as unbiased as we get. And from the reviews its pretty clear than Brio is a strong competitor to i10 & Swift as a Fun To Drive car. Thats what really matters to us TBHPians.

However, here few things before we declare any car a winner.

a. We need to see how the pricing is going to be
b. A car being loved on TBHP does not mean an automatic success. (If that is the cases Cedia would have been sold in 1000s and Fiesta would have been the C segment topper.)

Where are the Martuti loyalists? I expected a few to come back and say this car is a segment down, as they claim for i10.

note: Since we talked about service, as an owner of a Hyundai (i10) & a Honda (ANHC) - i hardly see any difference in the A.S.S between both. I found them to be equally good.
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Old 9th September 2011, 13:43   #134
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Re: Honda Brio : Test Drive & Review

Wonderful review by our team, kudos for the terrific effort.

I for one love this car, rear-end and lack of boot space be damned. The Jazz engine in a sub 1000 kg car was what the doctor ordered and the fact remains nobody comes close to Honda in small petrol engines.

Go-kart like handling and ride quality mentioned reminds one of the old Zen which is the icing on the cake to the terrific engine. This to my mind is going to be the most enthusiastic micro small car.
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Old 9th September 2011, 13:59   #135
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Re: Honda Brio : Test Drive & Review

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Originally Posted by suhaas307 View Post
Also, I've heard from several reliable sources, that the Brio's boot is rather small, as you can see in pictures as well. But the boot is very very deep. One can accommodate several tote-bags one on top of the other, all the way up to the glass area.
How well does the deep boot play with foldable seats, in terms of trying to accomodate larger flat packages?
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