Cat out of the bag; Honda Brio diesel caught on video camera with distinct clatter

Honda is definitely prepping up a diesel engined Brio for a possible launch in early 2013.The Japanese automaker, as always has been tight lipped about a diesel engined version of the Brio, choosing to downplay it time and again. But now, we have a full blown video as evidence thanks to our friends over at Indian top automotive forum, Team-Bhp. The video, in which an under-test Honda Brio is the center piece, the clear giveaway is the fact that the Brio’s engine makes distinct clatter, which is unmistakably that of a turbo diesel engine. Take a peek and decide for yourself.

A 2012 Honda Brio hatchback used as an illustration

Note: The sporty exhaust note heard in the video is that of a Honda Civic and should not be mistaken to be that of the Brio Diesel. However, the distinct diesel clatter is that of the Brio Diesel. Coming to what could be under the Brio Diesel’s hood, a downsized variant of the 1.6 Liter, 4 cylinder i-DTEC EarthDreams engine that Honda unveiled at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show. This engine produces a peak power of 120 Bhp with peak torque coming in at 300 Nm. This turbo diesel engine is said to be class leading in many aspects and powers the 2012 Honda Civic that is sold in the European car market.

So, the Brio Diesel’s engine too could be a very competitive unit, displacing about 1.2 liters. Honda, for its part remains tight lipped about the diesel engine option for the Brio, although this is one thing that the Japanese automaker cannot choose to ignore anymore given the overwhelming preference for diesel engined cars in the Indian car market. Currently, Honda does not have a single diesel engine in its Indian portfolio and the Brio featuring a diesel engine will be the automaker’s best bet to garner big volumes as Honda’s brand value and recall still remains very high in India.

Once the Brio is available with a diesel heart, expect other high volume products from Honda like the Jazz, City and Civic to also feature diesel engines in due course of time. So, in the next couple of years, expect many more turbo diesel engines to make their way onto Honda cars. By the looks of it, Honda is definitely on the move to recapture its market share in the Indian car market, which has been dwindling over the past couple of years due to an irrational pricing policy and a petrol engine only car portfolio.

Video Courtesy Team-Bhp