Indian Autos blog

Honda’s little wonder Brio has just started to get the grip on the Indian market. However, the company already has plans to introduce it in the Indonesian markets in September 2012.

The Japanese car maker does not intend to manufacturer the Brio in Indonesia just yet. It will be assembled in the company’s Thailand plant and exported to Indonesia.

If all goes well, Honda will start manufacturing the Brio in Indonesia by 2013.

click through to read on

The new Honda Civic has finally entered the Indian sub-continent but not the country that we wanted it to. The Lankans have finally received the updated Honda Civic that was launched at the Detroit Motor show last year. The Lankans get the same version that is launched in Thailand which has a different grille and bumper design.

The headlamps consist of clear turn indicators instead of the amber lights that are a legal requirement in the US. While most successive models of popular cars are getting longer, the new Honda Civic is actually shorter by 30mm than the outgoing model. The Lankans get two engine options:

click through to read on

I spotted this kitted-up Honda Brio on 7Tune’s Facebook page, it could be the work of Thai tuners who have lowered the suspension, adorned it with thick tires, custom alloys, Xenon projector headlights, reinforced wheel arches and body art around the rear wheel arch.

Are they contesting in a Drift festival with the Honda Brio bad boy version?

Sources have told IndianAutosBlog.com that Honda is working on a 1.2-liter, four-cylinder diesel engine that produces between 70-80bhp for application on its two mini cars Brio and Jazz.

The 1.2L engine is said to be the smallest member of the ‘EarthDreams’ brand and is likely to be ready next year. Honda could have specifically developed this engine for the Indian market which is predominantly a diesel car country. Due to its low displacement, fuel economy is expected to reach close to 25kmpl in the ARAI tests.

click through to read on

Since ages, Honda India has been criticized for not having Diesel engines in its lineup. Well, the Japanese automaker wants to more than make up for the loss by making India its hub for manufacturing and exporting diesel engines. As the 2012 budget did not impose any tax on diesel powered cars, Honda is planning to establish a diesel plant in India.

What is the Plan?

The plan is split into 2 phases:

Phase 1: Honda’s R&D department has already started work on a new small capacity diesel engine. Honda’s diesel engines will be sold under the brand ‘EarthDreams’. However, Honda plans to take its own sweet time with these new engine with their debut scheduled in 2013.

Yes, the Honda Brio does look like a cutesy small car from the outside. Unfortunately, a ‘small car’ may conjure up images of a cramped interior space, legs touching legs and a little bit of elbow action. Further adding to the pain, rival Toyota offers class leading space in its Liva with plenty of storage solutions as well.

But there is a chink in the Liva’s armor and that is that the Liva is not a boring car to be in. There is plenty of evidence of cost cutting in Liva’s interior which spoils the party.

So in this horde to shed its premium brand image, has Honda compromised on the build quality?

Let’s find out:

click through to read on

Looked upon as a premium brand in India, Honda decided that it needs to go mass market to attract more customers. The Honda Brio was the Japanese automaker’s competitor in the hatchback space which constitutes for almost 70% of the car sales in India. But fortune did not favor Honda.

As soon as the Brio was launched, Honda component factories in Thailand and Japan were struck by natural calamities resulting in shortage of supply. As a result Honda had to shut down bookings for the Brio and the Jazz. Finally some help came from other component manufacturers from China and Honda could resume the production of the Brio. Now, the little stalwart can be booked from any Honda dealership in India. So we decided to have a closer look at what Honda had to offer to an average Joe aspiring to buy his first car.

So many glitzy launches have taken place at Geneva. Honda has also entered the party showing a hot version of the Honda Jazz. Called the Honda Jazz Si, it is Honda attempt to make the Jazz, a conventional family car, into a hot hatch. Developed by Honda Research and Development Europe, the Honda Jazz Si benefits from:

Exteriors

• Revised front and rear bumpers
• Deep valances and prominent side skirts
• 16’ inch alloy wheels with low profile tyres
• Tinted privacy glass

click through for more features