Honda working on Brio sedan, to be introduced by 2013?

Rehashing hatchbacks into sedans as value offerings seems to be the buzzword, as far as developing countries go. From the Indigo, to Swift Dzire, to Vento, more recently the Skoda Rapid, every carmaker is creating a sedan version of its hatch to offer a more alluring choice for the car customer’s palate. Seems like Honda (with compatriot Toyota already having done the trick with the Etios twins) is the latest to jump onto the bandwagon.

The Japanese carmaker is mulling a sedan version of the Brio compact with the tentative timeline for the new model being sometime in 2013, reports Paul Tan. What triggers the development of the new car is the fact that Thai government, which thus far had been supporting hatchbacks for its eco-car projects may soon bring even sedans into the ambit. This would bring tax cuts and other benefits for the cars developed under the program, meaning lower costs for the manufacturer. The development, focused around the Thailand market (as usually is the case for most Honda cars in the ASEAN region) will proliferate to the rest of the South / South East Asian market.

Goes without saying, the Brio sedan will have the Etios in its crosshairs. We cannot be sure whether Honda will be able to match the impressive space of the Etios with the Brio’s compact design, but the workmanship and quality of Honda products can never be doubted.

One Theophilus Chin has already come out with the renderings for the rumoured car. Does a Brio sedan make sense for you? If yes, would you mind it looks like the one in the renderings above? Do let us know.

Honda planning a sedan version of the Brio, to be introduced by 2013