Honda Brio with bigger 1.3 Liter i-VTEC engine and CVT automatic transmission bags 1000 bookings in Indonesia

The Honda Brio small car has been launched in Indonesia and has managed to bag 1,000 bookings within weeks of its launch in the island nation. The Honda Brio that is sold in Indonesia is different from the Indian version, in that it comes with a more powerful engine and an CVT automatic transmission. The engine is a 1,339cc i-VTEC unit, and produces a peak power of 100 PS with peak torque rated at 127 Nm. Both these figures are higher than the 90 PS-110 Nm output of the 1.2 liter i-VTEC petrol engine that the Indian version of the Brio features.

While the Indian Brio comes with a five speed manual transmission, the Indonesian version of the Brio also gets a Modulo body kit to spice up its looks. The body kit which costs INR 94,000 comes with fog lamps, a different grille design, front and rear bumper inserts, side skirts, a new fuel cap insert and a rear roof spoiler. Honda plans to sell 1,200 units of the Brio hatchback in Indonesia every month and has targeted sales of 6,000 units by the end of 2012. In India too, the Brio has been a hot selling car for the Japanese brand, what with the hatchback now the best selling model in Honda’s Indian line up.

In the coming months, the automatic variant of the Brio, perhaps with the CVT gearbox, is expected to be launched in the Indian car market. The Brio is an excellent car to drive around town, with compact dimensions and a peppy yet fuel efficient i-VTEC engine-5 speed gearbox combo making short work of the city traffic. This also explains why the Brio has particularly found favor with the fairer sex, who have taken to the easy-to-drive demeanour of the Brio like fish to water. The addition of the CVT gearbox will only serve to reinforce this strength of the Brio, of that of being an ideal city car.

Honda has also been spied testing the Brio Diesel in India. So, a diesel engined version of the Brio is definitely in the pipeline, with a launch expected to happen sometime in 2013. A diesel engine on the Brio is just what the Japanese automaker needs, as it struggles to sell its petrol-only car models in India, with the market clearly biased towards the more frugal and economical diesel engined car models. A turbo diesel engine under the hood and a competitive price tag are the only two factors stopping the Brio from becoming a huge success for Honda in India.

Source;

http://www.indiancarsbikes.in/cars/honda-brio-with-bigger-1-3-liter-i-vtec-engine-and-cvt-automatic-transmission-bags-1000-bookings-in-indonesia-61442/#more-61442