We found it to be a frugal city car, which had some questionable interior colour combinations but overall was a welcome addition to our long-term garage. Now, Honda has released an updated version of its small car and here’s what you need to know…

Hatch and sedan design updates

Both the hatchback and sedan, or the Amaze, as it’s called - have received design updates. These include: a new grille and bumper with reshaped headlights up front, while at the rear the changes are less noticeable however keen observers will note a change to the taillight clusters. The little Brio now looks more like it belongs to its rather sveltely-shaped family members than before.

Interior decorating

The interior has received a more comprehensive update with an all-new dashboard that Honda claims is sleeker, with things like integrated air vents and re-worked air ventilation controls. The idea behind the redesign was to improve ergonomics. We feel this is something that was needed as we weren’t the biggest fans of the outgoing model’s interior.

New standard kit

The Brio Comfort models now also benefit from the addition of Bluetooth hands-free telephony and audio streaming, a proverbial “must” for cars in this day and age.

No changes under the hood

The same 65kW/109Nm 1.2-litre four-pot will be doing duty in the Brio via a five-speed manual or five-speed automatic transmission, which is an option on the Comfort models. The engine isn’t a tower of power but it is keen to rev and it doesn’t have much to lug around as the Brio has a kerb weight of just a shade over 900kg.

Standard safety kit

The Brio range gets ABS brakes with electronic brake force distribution (EBD), dual front airbags and front seat belts with pre-tensioners and load limiters. Central locking and an engine immobiliser are included, too.

Verdict

We are yet to drive the updated Brio however, upon first glance, it would appear that the revisions - especially the ones made to the interior - will make it a far more appealing product to the local market.

Warranty

All Brio models come as standard with a five-year/200 000km warranty as well as a two-year/30 000km service plan.

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