Honda Brio Automatic to launch on 18 October 2012

Last month, we had reported that Honda is planning to roll out the automatic variant of its beloved hatchback, the Brio in October. And just as the media preview of the Brio Automatic is getting underway today, Honda officials have confirmed that the Brio Automatic will be launched in the Indian market on October 18. 

Powering the automatic variant is the same 1.2-litre i-VTEC engine that churns out 88PS of max power and 109Nm of max torque. However, the engine in the new variant has been tweaked to return a fuel effeciency of 16.5 kmpl.

Honda instead of using the CVT gearbox that is currently used in the Brio sold in the Thai market, the company has opted to use a conventional five-speed automatic transmission that is driven by a torque converter - similar to the one found in the Honda City. 

Other than the regular D mode, the transmission offers three more driving modes - the 'D3', '2' and '1'. In the 'D3' mode the gearbox shifts between 1st, 2nd and 3rd gear, while in '2' mode the gearbox stays in 2nd gear only and in '1' mode the gearbox doesn't go beyond 1st gear. The AT version of the Brio to be offered in S(O) and V variants. 

The Brio Automatic will take on cars like the Hyundai i10 Automatic and the Maruti Suzuki A-Star Automatic once it goes on sale in the country in two week from today.  The Brio AT hatchback is expected to cost Rs 60,000-Rs 70,000 more than the regular manual version. 

With the Brio Automatic, Honda is hoping to capture a major chunk of shares in the budget automatic hatchback segment that currently is not very crowded. 

Click here to view the first live images of the Honda Brio Automatic.