2016 Honda Brio facelift likely to arrive in India by end of this year

Honda showcased the Brio facelift at the ongoing 2016 Indonesia Motor Show. As seen from the images, the exterior changes are similar to the ones on the new Honda Amaze. The interior too has been updated to make it look more appealing and premium. Sold as the Brio Satya in the Indonesian market, the facelift is priced at Rp 129.6 million (Rs 6.57 lakh) for the S M/T variant.

The Brio facelift gets a bold single slat radiator grille, wider front bumper with a solid profile and wider fog lamp housing. The side profile remains unchanged except for new 14-inch alloys. The rear doesn't get any substantial additions/changes over the earlier model except for a chrome strip on the tail gate, spoiler and LED stop lamp. However, the RS variant gets all the snazzy updates which include projector lights, LED position lamps, 15-inch dual tone alloys, side skirts and RS badges.

The one area where the Honda Brio always received criticism was the interior. Last year, Honda introduced a new VX grade with all-black upholstery and a touchscreen audio-video navigation unit. The 2016 Honda Brio gets a completely redesigned dashboard and a new central panel. It gets a new steering wheel and a 2-DIN entertainment system with improved plastics, as seen on the Amaze facelift. The dual-tone beige and black upholstery has been carried from the earlier model. The RS variant, on the other hand gets all-black seats with orange highlights and RS badges. We will update the article with latest interior images as soon as they appear on the official Honda Indonesia website.

Tomoki Uchida, president director of PT Honda Prospect Motor said, "Since its introduction, Honda Brio has sparked trend for city car in Indonesia, with its attractive design, sporty performance, fuel efficiency and affordable price. Various updates introduce today will complete character of Honda Brio as most reliable companion for its customers."

The Honda Brio that's presently sold in India is powered by a 1.2-litre petrol motor that puts out 88PS of power at 6,000rpm and generates 109Nm at 4,500rpm. This motor is offered with a 5-speed manual transmission. It also gets an optional 5-speed automatic. The 2016 Honda Brio gets a slight increase in power and torque figures at 90PS and 110Nm. In addition to the manual gearbox, the new Brio will also be offered with a Earth Dreams CVT unit, the same as in the Amaze.

We expect Honda India to bring the Brio facelift by the end of this year. The Honda Brio competes with the Hyundai i10 and the Chevrolet Beat in India.