Rio Gets Some Brio

On March 17, Honda revealed its new low-cost, emerging-market, sales-busting (they hope) Brio. Well, at least in name Honda is looking for a fight as the car’s name, in Italian, means something along the lines of “fighting spirit”. Will it have a fighting chance to make it in Brazil?

According to Brazilian magazine Quatro-Rodas, Honda finally showed its market-ready Brio at Thailand’s Auto Show. Honda do Brasil has confirmed that it intends to build it at its facility in Sumaré, São Paulo state. No word though on pricing for Brazil. The deadline is also quite flexible. Honda will only confirm that it’ll be built in Brazil “until 2013” (whatever that means, let’s hope something was rost in tlansration). Honda hasn’t said yet how many of these little fighting spirit buggers they intend to move here. In the Thai market, the target has been set at 40,000. I’m no expert in that market, but at US$13,800 I expect it to have a difficult time. In Brazil, that would mean R$22,000, but I’m sure Honda has other plans.

Just one more thing on that deadline for Brazil. The compact or subcompact (take your pick) field is very crowded in Brazil. By 2013, Hyundai will have started producing and selling its i15 or 120. Toyota will have launched its Etios, too (read Bertel’s excellent article here). Not to mention that market leader Fiat’s new Palio is just a few months from launch. If Honda waits until 2013, the market will be that much more crowded (and difficult). Wonder why Honda is being so slow?

In Thailand, the baby Honda will come with a 1.2L i-Vtec mill (good for 90 ponies). Though a low-cost project, all Brios will be produced with air-bags, ABS and EBD. You can get it either with a 5-speed stick or a CVT. Honda has already confirmed that this package will suffer variations. The ones that’ll go to India will be different (read less standard equipment).

For Brazil, I’m sure we’ll get an India special if Honda intends to go mass-market. If it chooses to remain in its lofty special-pricing niche (20 percent above what everybody else charges), the market for this car will be rarified.

Finally, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, but did Honda have to hit its little puppy so hard with such a big ugly stick?