The Indian car market is primarily driven by hatchbacks in the sub Rs 10 lakh price bracket. While Maruti and Hyundai appear to have tracked the sweet spot of this segment with their respective products, Honda Cars India has been lagging in this department for over a decade. The Japanese manufacturer is now all set to change this by introducing the new Honda Brio 2019.
The second generation Honda Brio has made its global debut at the ongoing Giakindo Indonesia International Auto Show (GIIAS). This new Brio gets a vastly updated design language and various new features. But can this update help Hond India to get a much-needed breakthrough in the high volume hatchback segment?
Honda does have a very good brand image in India. The products on offer from the Japanese automaker aren’t slouches either. However, the company has failed to come with a superstar hatchback due to one reason or the other. The Brio failed due to its unconventional rear profile and basic equipment list, while the Jazz just couldn’t revive from the pricing blunder of the first gen model. In fact, the Honda Brio in India was widely appreciated for its fun to drive characteristics and easy city manners.
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Hence, there is a high possibility that a mew gen Brio can become a potential competitor to the likes of the Maruti Swift and the Hyundai Grand i10.
As a result, it is important for every customer in the market to know about the new Honda Brio 2019 in utmost detail before making a final purchase decision. We thus present you everything we know so far about the new Honda Brio.
New Honda Brio India launch date
Honda hasn’t made an official announcement about the new Brio’s launch in India. However, we expect the updated model to mark its Indian debut sometime next year. Since the Indian hatchback segment has been a target marketplace for all budget automakers, there is no reason for Honda to miss out on such a large potential market by not bringing the new Brio to India.
We will update this section whenever there is more concrete information or any official announcement about the 2019 Honda Brio India launch.
Honda Brio 2019 expected price in India
The hatchback marketplace is tightly packed in terms of price. Any manufacturer that overprices a product can not expect to make a large impact in this segment. Honda knows this by experience. The company has already messed up a very good product with its extremely enthusiastic pricing strategy – case-in-point the Honda Jazz. Hence, the manufacturer won’t make a similar mistake again.
We thus expect the new Honda Brio to be priced in the range of Rs. 5.5 lakh to Rs. 8.5 lakh (ex-showroom). This would make it a head-on rival to the Swift and the Grand i10.
| Base Model | ? 5.5 lakhs |
| Top Model | ? 8.5 lakhs |
New Honda Brio specifications
The India-spec new-gen Honda Brio is expected to come with the same 1.2-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine that is found on the current-gen model. This particular power plant is rated at 82BHP and 104Nm. Transmission options expected include a 5-speed manual gearbox and a CVT automatic.
Meanwhile, there are also chances of getting a diesel version of the Honda Brio this time around. We are not yet sure about what engine option would be on offer under its hood. However, there are chances of getting a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder i-DTEC powerplant, which is seen on the Amaze compact sedan. There are also some chances of getting a 1.2-litre diesel engine, which might be derived from Honda’s latest 1.6-litre i-DTEC engine.
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Honda Brio 2019 feature list
- 7.0 Touchscreen infotainment system
- Satellite navigation
- Android Auto
- Apple CarPlay
- Push buttons start
- Keyless entry
New Honda Brio safety features
- Standard dual front airbags (driver and passenger)
- Standard anti-lock braking system (ABS)
- Electronic brake force distribution (EBD)