Japanese auto giant Honda is planning to launch a low cost Multi Purpose Vehicle (MPV), which will be based on the Brio platform. This segment is gaining a lot of momentum in the Indian car market with a lot of competitors. During tough market conditions, a lot of car makers are trying to lure customers by introducing new cars that are quite affordable. Honda, one of many such auto makers, has plans to launch a number of new cars in India, the Brio based MPV being one of them. Honda has tasted success in the form of the Amaze compact sedan, which has upped the sales and revenue for the Japanese auto maker. Honda is expected to follow an aggressive pricing strategy for the Brio MPV, which will be similar to the one applied for the Amaze.
The Honda Brio MPV will be initially introduced in the Indonesian car market before hitting showrooms in India. This vehicle will be produced at Honda Prospect Motor, which is an Indonesian subsidiary of Honda. It can be noted that this trend has been spotted with a few cars that have been launched in Indonesia first. Before hitting the roads, the Honda Brio MPV will be unveiled at the 2013 Indonesia International Motor Show. This can be attributed to the similarities between the auto markets of the two countries in terms of demand, segment preferences and potential of revenue generation.
Industry experts are of the opinion that the Brio-based MPV will have similar features in terms of space, comfort, interiors and performance to other cars in the segment. Honda Brio MPV is expected to come in diesel and petrol options. The diesel variant will be fitted with a turbocharged 1.5 litre diesel engine, which is powered by the highly successful Earth Dreams technology. On the other hand, the petrol model of the Honda Brio MPV will be equipped with a 1.2 litre i-VTEC engine that is capable of generating an approximate output of 88 bhp at 6000 rpm along with a torque of 109 Nm at 4600 rpm. Notably, the engine used in the diesel variant of the Honda Brio MPV will be the same as the one used in the Amaze. Sources say that Honda is hoping to ride on the success of the Brio platform and trump its competitors by providing a vehicle that is high on performance and efficiency.
Apart from the Brio MPV, Honda also has plans of launching a number of other new vehicles. Honda also has plans of introducing a diesel version of the Brio hatchback by the year 2015.
