Sales of its other models also include 3202 units of the City sedan, 24 units of the Accord premium sedan and 68 units of the CR-V. Honda also exported  a total of 738 cars in May. 

Commenting on the company’s performance JnaneswarSen, senior vice president – marketing and Sales, said, “We have started the financial year on a good note and would look to build on this positive trend in our new phase of growth in the country. Our success can be attributed to our attractive product portfolio and Honda brand promise of technology, performance and efficiency.  We expanded our operating universe with the new Honda Amaze which continues to receive great response from the first time buyers and consumers looking for a family car.”  

The upgrades include a driver’s seat height adjuster and a rear defogger, both features that were introduced with Amaze sedan that was launched last month. Honda will now offer the Brio in six variants - EMT, EXMT, SMT, VMT, VXMT and VXAT of which the last two are new trim lines that were introduced with the Amaze. Honda has now done away with S trim line.

The Honda Brio is now also being offered with "Honda Care Maintenance Package (HCMP)" for free periodic maintenance service up to 40,000km or 2 years which ever occur first. The customer can buy HCMP package at just Rs 9996.     

Announcing the new variants, Mr. Jnaneswar Sen, Senior Vice President, marketing and sales said, “ the Brio is a significant model for Honda in India as the car has added more than 32,000 happy customers in the last fiscal year. It is our constant endeavour to study customers’ needs and aspirations and introduce features that enhance the overall ownership experience. We are pleased to announce upgrades to the Brio with added comfort and convenience in its segment which will appeal to the customers.”

Prices for the upgraded Honda Brio (Ex-showroom Delhi)

Honda Brio EMT Rs 4.12 Lakh

Honda Brio EX  MT Rs 4.28 Lakh 

Honda Brio S MT Rs 4.60 Lakh

Honda Brio V MT Rs 5.06 Lakh

Honda Brio VX MT Rs 5.34 Lakh

Honda Brio VX AT Rs 6.12 Lakh

The Japanese auto giant has been offering discounts on Brio and Jazz to increase sales numbers and gain additional market share. The manufactures at times are forced to sell their cars below the tag price and at times even at loss due to low demand. The car makers need moving capital and hence at times it becomes imperative that the inventory is cleared even at prices below cost.

Some of the Indian manufacturers currently pay excise duty on the transaction cost of a car, whereas the tax authorities want the duty to be paid on the manufacturing cost plus their profit margin. The government is looking to generate revenues to limit the fiscal deficit but taxing the already burdened automobile industry does not seem to be a good option. 

Source: Economictimes

Although the Japanese automaker has not revealed any mechanical details about the car, we can be certain that the engine line up will include at least one turbocharged petrol version with Honda’s Earthdreams technology.

The Concept M looks roughly the same size as an Innova and is a seven-seater. The interiors follow the idea of plain design that has been combined with green LED ambient lighting and a touchscreen system that controls all the internal functions of the vehicle.

This is an MPV designed specifically for the Chinese market and so it has oodles of rear space. The second row captain seats can slide all the way to the position of the third row for increased leg room. Honda has confirmed that it aims to put the vehicle into production for the Chinese market by next year, obviously in a slightly toned down version.       

While this is car is specific to the Chinese market, Honda will launch a MUV in India based on the Brio platform. The Indian version will compete with the Maruti Ertiga and Mahindra Quanto on the pricing and will be powered by the 1.5-litre diesel engine unit from the Amaze.

According to reports, the MPV will make its debut in Indonesia due to the popularity of MPV’s in country and the fact that the car has been designed using local inputs as well. It is expected to first roll out of Honda’s new factory in west Java that is expected to begin operations next year. 

Jonfis Fandy, director of marketing and after sales service at Honda Prospect Motors (Indonesian subsidiary) said that they would debut an MPV along with another vehicle during the show but did not provide any further details. 

It is almost certain that this MPV will make its way to the Indian market within a few months of its global debut. It is expected to get the 1.2-litre petrol engine as well as the 1.5-litre i-DTEC diesel mill which will make its Indian debut in the Amaze sedan next month.  We expect that much like the Amaze it will share various components and features with the hatchback.  We will provide you more details about the MPV once they emerge. 

Source: Tribunnews

Since the car already offers a decent amount of kit, it is likely that the company, if it upgrades the car, is doing so to attract more number of customers. The outside is expected to remain pretty much the same save for a rear wiper. The interiors are expected to get new upholstery and a height adjustment for the driver’s seat.

The Amaze sedan will be here by March and it is likely that Honda will launch the updated Brio around the same time to offer its customers two new models. The upgrades are likely to be offered on the V MT variant as well as both automatic variants. 

Source: Gaadi.com  

Edit: We are not sure about a rear wiper but are almost certain that Honda will add a rear heater element to the updated model.

This is Honda’s second price hike of the year. It joins a host of manufacturers like Toyota, Nissan, Maruti Suzuki and Audi who have all been facing the heat of the global economic slowdown and have hiked their prices for similar reasons.    

The Amaze powered by the 1.5-litre i-DTEC will be the only diesel-powered Honda in India for the next year, and we don't mind that fact because we're sure Honda will be selling them as soon as they can rush them off the factory floor. The City and Jazz will have diesel power by the end of 2014. 

Also interesting is Honda's claim that the 1.5-litre will be the start of a new range of small diesels produced by the company, which makes us hopeful of a full diesel range being offered by the company. 

The export of the Brio also means that Honda’s Gurgaon plant, which has seen a drop in output over the last one year due to lack of demand for petrol models, will work closer to optimum capacity. Honda had previously been sending cars to SAARC countries since it began export operations but without much success.    

The South African and Indian car markets are very similar in nature. Both are classified as developing markets, but more importantly they are both right-hand-drive, so cars can be exported with minimum modifications. This likely to ensure that the Brio will achieve a similar sales figure that other Indian made cars like the Etios, Tata Indica Vista and Tata Manza have got since they were launched there.        

 Image courtesy: Honda South Africa

The facebook page also reveales that the car will be called the Brio Amaze - this we will be able to verify only on the Thailand launch day. Inside, compact sedan is expected to have a bench with fresh fabric colour, but otherwise Honda is likely to retain most of the interior and underpinnings from the hatchback to keep costs down. 

The Brio Amaze will be launched here in 2013 and will be the Japanese automakers first diesel model in the country. It will be a sub-four metre sedan in India and will compete with cars like Maruti Suzuki Dzire, Toyota Etios, Tata Indigo CS and soon-to-be-launched Mahindra Verito CS. The petrol engine for the sedan is expected to be the same 1.2-litre i-VTEC from the Jazz and the Brio, to avail tax benefits. It might have slightly better power ratings. 

The diesel engine for the Amaze will be based on the 1.6-litre Earth Dreams unit that powers the Honda Civic in Europe. The cubic capacity will be reduced to little less than 1.5-litres – once again to avail tax benefits as per Indian regulations. The same diesel engine will later also power the new versions of the Brio, Jazz and the City sedan. 

The Facebook page has also posted unofficial prices for the Brio Amaze

• Brio Amaze S-Manual – 455,500 Baht (Rs 8.2 lakh)
• Brio Amaze S-Automatic - 494,500 Baht (Rs 8.9 lakh)
• Brio Amaze V-Manual- 484,500 Baht (Rs 8.7 lakh)
• Brio Amaze V-Automatic- 523,500 Baht (Rs 9.4 lakh) 

However, we are sure that the Honda will price the car much lower when it is launched in India to ensure that it is able to perform well against the competition.