With its good looks and fun-to-drive attributes, the new mini Honda is set to shape the company’s future

Honda launches Brio at Rs 3.95 lakh

In the small car melting pot marked by price wars, international players and their speculated models, there is a car-maker who, even despite a large base of aficionados, has not been able to make a mark in India’s all-important hatchback segment. At least not until now. Honda’s Jazz could not make the Indian buyers dance to its tune and the hitherto unshakeable City is facing immense competition from the likes of the Volkswagen Vento and new Hyundai Verna. It was imperative, therefore, that Honda’s revisit to the hatch segment should be ‘spirited’ and ‘vigorous’ both in order to keep the till ringing and to make their presence felt in that segment. This, by the way, also happens to be the meaning of ‘Brio’.

What Car?

Honda have developed the Brio hatchback specifically for Thailand and India. Although the Indian launch was originally scheduled for May 2011, the recent catastrophe in Japan resulted in the programme getting delayed. Therefore, we decided to undertake a short trip to Thailand to get you the first world exclusive drive report of this much-awaited car. This is the Thai eco-car version – a cost-effective and fuel-efficient vehicle. Honda have used lightweight material to bring down the overall weight of the car, which has improved its power-to-weight ratio while making it very fuel-efficient. The Thai Brio is offered in two variants: S and V.

Source: http://autos.in.msn.com/motorsport/article.aspx?cp-documentid=5322153