The offset of Diwali has had many of the car makers running towards launching new cars/variants in view of the festive season. One of these car makers is Japanese giant Honda, which is planning to release an Automatic Transmission model of the Honda Brio.

 

Brio is anticipated to do this with their higher end 'V' version, which is inclusive of alloy wheels, airbags and fog silver inserts. This is the car which is one of the best hatchbacks in its segment. Coming with 1198 i-VTec engine, the car offers many pleasures on the drive, but one of the main inconveniences that the users reported was the harsh ride at low speeds. Also another variant, 'S', might get the auto transmission. This is to ensure that when going for budget hatchbacks, they are still in the market. The current price of the 'V' variant is around Rs 5, 20, 000. This might increase by another Rs 60, 000 to Rs 80, 000.

One of the other interesting things to note about the Brio is that the petrol and MT version was launched around the end of 2011. But some buyers have regretted the fact that they bought this one year before the AT version was out. The Brio comes, as mentioned before, with an 1198cc i-VTec engine. Besides that, it offers a maximum power of 88 PS at around 4800 rpm. Its maximum torque is around 108 Nm at 6000 rpm. It can seat 5 persons comfortably, and has a re-assuring ground clearance of around 165 mm.

The exteriors and interiors of the Brio are amazingly new, young and trendy. There is a sports feel you get when you look at it. It has a full glass rear hatch, which makes it somewhat unique in India. The interiors are plush, with very comfortable seating. Besides all this, it still manages to give an average of around 18.34 kmpl.

Brio also does not compromise on the safety aspects of the drive. It uses Honda's G-CON technology, which uses high performance tensile steel for good performance, and safety. It comes with normal ABS and also two airbags for both the front seat passenger and the driver.

Given the facts and the fixtures, the Honda Brio AT, will definitely make an impact in the car market in India. The fact that it has been rated as many as the 'Best Economy Hatchback' works in its favor. The Honda Brio AT will be launched around the 18th of October, in India.

The brand name itself will be one of the most compelling factors. Reliability and customer satisfaction is often one of the most important things to note about Honda cars. The Honda City is one of the stark examples of this. Expected to be at least as good as its manual transmission counter-part, the automatic transmission of the Brio will raise eyebrows, and not just for the consumers, but the market players, 3rd party spectators, in fact it will also be an amazing case study for other car companies to launch their AT versions in India. Let us hope that the hype meets the product.