Five years after Honda launched its Brio hatchback, the Japanese car maker has brought in an updated version of the hatchback. Even though it is a facelift only, Honda has made quite a few changes to get its B-segment hatchback back into the competition dominated by stalwarts like the Maruti Swift and the Hyundai Grand i10. So here are the top four changes in the Brio that makes the small hatch more appealing.
1. Styling
The Brio gets a brand new front bumper which makes it look muscular thanks to the sculpted three part air dam. The moustache-like thick slat grille design brings it at par with all the latest Honda design philosophy and gives it a premium appeal. The tail design gets a new rear spoiler which makes it look sporty and the new layout of the LED tail lamps is intended to make it look wider. Despite the face suiting the three-box design of the Amaze we do feel that new Brio does look much better than its previous avatar.
2. Dashboard
The old round-themed beige dashboard of the Brio seems Neolithic when compared to the new black dash. Inspired from the bigger Hondas, the dash gets silver accents, rectangular AC vents, a carbon finished applique and the piano black surround for the centre console. The design is busy especially with the angular layout that is focussed towards the driver but does enliven the Brio cabin.
3. Upholstery
The Brio cabin is offered in two shades – beige for the E and S trims and black for the top-spec VX. Dressed in fabric, the upholstery now gets design patterns on the seat base and the seatback and makes it look premium unlike the monotonous interiors of the older Brio. It also accentuates the sense of space in the hatchback.
4. Music system
The 2-DIN music system, again, has been borrowed from the Amaze. While it had USB and AUX connectivity, the Brio now gets Bluetooth telephony and audio streaming with smartphone integration. The four-speaker setup sounds decent and unless you are a fan of audio systems, it will suffice for most of us. Also, the Brio gets steering mounted audio controls to shuffle through your playlist on the go.
