Amidst all the activity at the 2012 Honda Meeting in Japan was a special preview of the upcoming Brio sedan, which is set to be launched in Thailand on November 23. A short sampling of the car was arranged for the Malaysian contingent, and we managed to try out the example meant for the Indian market.
The Amaze, or the Brio Amaze as it will be known in Thailand, is set to debut in the Kingdom with a 1.2 litre petrol engine (as seen in the existing hatch), but the particular example on hand at Tochigi wore the spanking new 1.5 litre Earth Dreams i-DTEC turbodiesel.
It’s the company’s newest oil burner, and follows on the recently-announced 1.6 litre i-DTEC meant for the European market. Work on the 1.5 litre unit branched out as development began on the Euro 6-compliant 1.6 litre unit, and progressed in tandem.
Destined to debut in India next year (with the petrol unit), the new mill is Euro 4-compliant, and though the Honda engineers were tight-lipped when asked about the power output (or any other figures, for that matter), one of them let slip the maximum torque available from the mill – it’s 200 Nm.
Also dropped was the weight of the Amaze in its diesel configuration, and that’s 1,050 kg. Aside from that, no other numbers to report. No photos either from the quiet aside, which was done just off the main area of proceedings, but hidden from view.
The benchmark competitor for the Amaze is the bulky-looking Suzuki Swift Dzire sedan, and the Honda looks a fair bit tidier in this regard, at least in the metal. The C-pillar area is Saga-esque in its shape, and the rear looks compacted in direct view, but offers competent cargo space when revealed.
Likewise, the interior, which offers good in-cabin height perception and decent acreage for rear passengers despite the car’s compactness. Materials are par for the course in the segment, with good finish, and the light-tan coloured interior (like in the cabin photo here, taken from the Brio Amaze Club Thailand FB page), spartan though it may be, helps with making things airier.
The drive itself was brief, two rounds on a rather short loop, so we could only gun the car – which was equipped with a five-speed manual transmission – for a very short stretch. The diesel has good poke, but isn’t just a veritable mule.
Floor it and dump the clutch, and the car torque steers its way off the blocks, but it’s pretty smooth going up the rev range, and the ratios on 1st through 3rd (no chance to go much higher) suggest a clean and efficient partner in the gearbox. Ride is compliant, if a bit on the soft side.
You won’t mistake it for not being a diesel from inside the cabin; there’s a fair bit of clatter evident to remind you, but on the whole the Amaze diesel seems well sorted out. Shame we won’t be seeing the likes of it here, or even the Brio Amaze for that matter – like in the case of the Brio hatch, word is that there are no plans to introduce the sedan in Malaysia.
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Brio= better ride in oven
Terrible interior and horrible exterior !
Another great option from Honda apart from current City..
Looking fwd for this :)
Best small car! Coming to Bolehland ……..
yes next 10 tahun coming to bodehland, only after tomyamland wan to scrap their old rubbish, then bodehland sambut
I want to buy 2 without NAP taxes!
Personally, i think its ugly.
Personally, I think you need to view it in metal…..
Ever seen a bunny or a healthy puppy,it’s not handsome, its adorable looking , so is this car
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I don’t think anyone should criticize other people’s opinion on looks of a car. It’s all about preference.
1.5l diesel EarthDream engine (200Nm!!!!). manual tranny. smaller, cuter, more-youthful looking ver of the Honda City. price it below the 70k horizon and you have the most perfect car for a young driver like me….
… And all to be ruin by the fact in won’t be in Malaysia Terima Kasih to the fuel quality.
think this turbodiesel car wont come to Msia coz our is “Euro 2? standards.
Yup….. Think
this Brio & Brio Amaze will be rare species for next 10 years..hard to find spare parts, hard to find performance parts..just like what had happened to City SX8 1997-2002 now..
hello new Proton Saga, maybe??
Should be…..
go n learn wat is turbodiesel engine bfore u start condemning on it la. “katak di bawah tempurung”
Look! It’s Proton Saga’s Cousin Brio!!
this car is… UGLY.
Soon it’ll become rebadge Proton Kagum Syok Sendiri limited edition…
Looks like it was slammed from behind by a truck and its butt got swollen!
Dear Honda,
Please leave Brio in it’s cute hatchback form…
yeahh ..all the bad things from a person who dont even have a driving license..hahahah…lets the consumer decide..the sale will be like new civic,,marvelous!
ewww look at that glove box! Looks like a shoe drawer sold at ikea. They’re just slammed it there. Really?
Funnily, even the colour of the glovebox doesn’t match the rest of the IP. Not to mention the terrible gap…
My God, this is car is UGLY. Makes Proton Saga look elegant!
Wow, I am NOT amazed by the interior.
Proton re-badge it and sell for RM 8K!
this one is aunty sports car..
Why would they actually made the interior so brownish? O.o its really terrible. I can accept the exterior but not the interior
You either buy this car because you can’t afford a City, or because you think you know better…
Heck, i’ve seen one in metal and seriously it’s not good looking.
i know i won’t be buying one since i’m not blind, although i can afford it.
Btw, i’ve seen the hatchback version. Thank you.
well, it’s a HONDA anyway, im sure it will sell like hot cakes…
brio AMAZE? this so fugly interior… what happen to all the car design engineer.. same goes to proton… bring all college student they can do more better design..