t was a pleasure to be driving the nippy Honda Brio and not having to fill it up with fluid every 150 kms. I'm not talking about pertrol here, but rather brake fluid, power steering fluid, water, oil and any other fluid that my car thirstily sucks up like a dry sponge.
When I pulled up at the petrol station, the attendant Kapok, who usually assists me with my porous excuse for a car, was visibly pleased to see me sitting behind the wheel of the gleaming Honda Brio. "Power steering fluid?" he said grinning. "No thanks," I said. "Oil?" he enquired. "No thanks," I said. "Water?" he asked hesitantly. "No thank you," I said again. "Brake fluid?" he questioned. "No thanks," I said. "Ahhh ... petrol?" enquired Kapok as if asking the million pound question on Who Wants to be a Millionaire.
I slowly, ever so coolly, wearing my cheap sunglasses, let my eyes wander almost movie-star-like across the forecourt to the the sign that said in big orange letters 'Coffee and muffin special this week'. Kapok's eyes came to rest on the same sign and it was evident from his deflated response that he missed my thirsty old turquoise banger of misfiring splutteringness. "Breakfast?" he said. "Spot on," I said. And so began my road test of the spritely Brio ... after coffee and a cuppaccino muffin.
The engine in the Brio is a gutsy 1.2-litre i-Vtec four-cylinder petrol engine. It boasts a healthy 65kW of power and 109Nm of torque. I drove the manual version of the Brio which I prefer as response times and manoeuvring are more exact than the automatic. The consumption during my usage of the vehicle registered between 6.2 and 6.8 litres per 100 kms, bearing in mind that my accelerator foot is as heavy as a blacksmith's anvil.
The Brio is a city slicker, gliding along during bustling town journeys with its small size allowing for nipping in and out of the traffic. The five-speed gearbox is smooth to operate and the ride is direct. The Brio that I drove had a light beige interior which is not ideal for many of the younger buyers that are purchasing this model. Newer model Brios now come with darker interiors. After all the testing, focus-group questioning and market research that goes into a new model, you would have thought they'd get the interior colour right from the beginning, but sometimes mistakes slip through the cracks. Oops.
The seating is very comfortable and the interior dash configuration is modern and aesthetically pleasing. The Brio comes standard with air conditioning, power steering and radio/CD player with an aux and USB input function. The boot is small with just over 160 litres of packing space. The Brio is tagged as a 5-seater, but from a comfort point of view, 4 passengers as a maximum is best.
The Brio configuration includes electric windows, electric side mirrors, remote central locking, immobiliser, height-adjustable headlights, height-adjustable steering, ABS braking, EBD and dual front airbags, which is impressive for a vehicle in this segment of the market. My opinion – the Brio is an excellent small vehicle to purchase. It offers high specification levels and with the ever-reliable backing of Honda, this is a must test drive entry-level vehicle for buyers young and old.
Vusi's rating
Vusi Mulambo
Black or white ... the Brio is right
My way or the highway!
29
Motoring correspondent