Honda Brio launched at a starting price of Rs 3.95 lakh

[jimken]

NEW DELHI: Honda has entered the business end of India's car market with the aggressively-priced Brio, sending a message that it has the gumption for a fight in the world's second-fastest-growing car market.

With a starting price of Rs 3.95 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), Brio is Honda's cheapest offering and is being launched in the middle of a trying period for the Japanese carmaker.

"Brio is our answer to the demand of mass car market. It's our most focused product," said Takashi Nagai, the president & chief executive of Honda's Indian unit. Honda Siel, the Indian arm is a joint venture with Siel, a Siddharth Shriram group company.

Honda has been struggling with falling sales, production stoppages caused by a devastating tsunami in Japan in March and the recall earlier this month of more than 70,000 City sedans to replace faulty power window switches.