Honda Brio: Small car with huge potential

The Brio is Honda’s bet in the competitive city car segment.
CDN PHOTO/BRIAN J. OCHOA

In the local auto scene, it is clear that the segment that has the biggest impact is the subcompact city car category.
Sports utility vehicles (SUV) and pickup trucks may have increased in numbers in the past years but it is still in the subcompact city car class where one can find the most affordable vehicles. This means this is the class that is geared towards putting more people on the road. It is also in this category that people from all walks of life are introduced to new car ownership.
Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. recently joined the competitive subcompact city car race when it unveiled the Brio hatchback and Brio Amaze sedan, both a step lower than Honda’s previous entry level City subcompact sedan.
The Brio and Brio Amaze are expected to go up against a tough field of competitors such as the Mitsubishi Mirage and Toyota Wigo. The Brio’s competitors may have already made their names known, being in the Philippine market for quite some time now, but Honda isn’t quite worried about that. The Brio, after all, has several advantages under its belt, starting with its brand.

The Brio looks pretty from this angle.
CDN PHOTO/BRIAN J. OCHOA

Honda has always been tagged by many as a quality brand and it is evident with the higher resale value of its vehicles. The Brio’s development is backed by Honda’s extensive experience in creating successful subcompact cars such as the Jazz and City, which means there is again the application of Honda’s “man maximum, machine minimum” design concept. While it is the most affordable car in Honda’s vehicle line-up, the Brio is still priced a bit higher than its competitors but it embodies high levels of Honda’s durability, quality and reliability, which justifies the price difference.
Another reason not to frown about the price is that this mini car, which is available in two variants both with either manual or automatic transmissions, is equipped with a 4-cylinder, 1.3-liter i-VTEC engine that is capable of churning out a decent 100 horsepower, a good number considering its size. With this engine, the Brio positions itself above its competitors since most of them have smaller powerplants, some even running in 3-cylinder engines.

The Brio’s 1.3-liter i-VTEC engine is the best in its class.
CDN PHOTO/BRIAN J. OCHOA

This 1.3-liter engine is what used to power the bigger City and Jazz before Honda decided to equip them with 1.5-liter engines in the latest models. With a bigger engine compared to its competitors, the Brio now has another advantage to boast of. The 1.3-liter i-VTEC engine gives the Brio quite a punch on the city streets, especially that the car is lightweight.
Inside the top-of-the-line V variant that was lent to Cebu Daily News, the highlights included a nifty touchscreen infotainment system that also serves as display for the GPS navigation system. Climate controls are manual and there’s no push-button engine start/stop button here but the interior seems a bit more classy compared to the rest, especially with the presence of steering wheel audio controls.
Space isn’t a problem as legroom and headroom is decent in both front and rear. Seating four adults comfortably is possible. Seats are also great, especially in the front, which are like sporty bucket seats. It gives the driver a secure feel when cornering at a high speed.
Driving the Brio around the city is very easy, thanks to its petite size. Parking isn’t a problem since it’s a small car and it is made easier with great visibility from the driver’s seat, thanks to the lower belt line.

The dashboard layout is simple with a bit of premium feel.
CDN PHOTO/BRIAN J. OCHOA

The Brio’s looks is also one to boast of. It actually turns heads when driving around the metropolis.
At first glance, there seems nothing special with the Brio. But a look closer would bring out its unique design that seems to favor aerodynamic efficiency. The rear sits a bit awkwardly but it pays off when you come to realize that the handling of this car is as great as most of the sportier hatchbacks out in the market.
With all these features, we expect more Honda Brio and Brio Amaze roaming the streets in the coming months and this is good news to local dealer Honda Cars Cebu, Inc. The price tag for the hatchback Brio in Cebu ranges from a little over P600,000 to P750,000 while the sedan Brio Amaze starts at around P650,000 to P800,000. Again, the price may seem high, but we think it’s a worthy catch. /with a report from the Inquirer