Questions About Modifying a Honda Brio


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I bought a Honda Brio SMT in 2012 and it has been doing pretty good. However, I plan to do some upgrades (cosmetic and performance). As far as cosmetic upgrades go, I will be sticking to wraps, wheels and lights.

The problem is that I have scoured the internet but I can't find any performance mods for the Brio. All of the mods are from Bangkok. I only found information about a custom exhaust, but nothing else.

Another question I always had was that is turbocharging a wise idea? The cost of a turbocharger would be about 50k I think and I would need an intercooler too if I'm not wrong.

Another option is to go to a customizing shop like D.A.D. Design and let them do everything.

I would appreciate it if you could answer my questions and share your experiences with modifications and chip tuning. Thanks!
 
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Why would you want to mod the Brio for better performance. Is already a very peppy compact car and well engineered. If anything, change the filter over to a K&N or green cotton filter as that would make it peppier. Your S MT already came with ABS, Airbags and alloy wheels, right?

You could stick to cosmetic changes only. My personal opinion is, doing too much reduces the resale value, but thats a personal choice. Just remember, doing too much reduces the resale value

Ameyam
 
Thread Starter #3
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Why would you want to mod the Brio for better performance. Is already a very peppy compact car and well engineered. If anything, change the filter over to a K&N or green cotton filter as that would make it peppier. Your S MT already came with ABS, Airbags and alloy wheels, right?

You could stick to cosmetic changes only. My personal opinion is, doing too much reduces the resale value, but thats a personal choice. Just remember, doing too much reduces the resale value

Ameyam
Unfortunately, no. No airbags, ABS or alloy wheels. However, I do get your point and I might stick to cosmetic mods only!
 
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Weird. My friend's S came with all of those

Anyway, you can do this
K&N filter: Try the india website for the installers. In India, K&N does not carry a warranty. Make sure you retain the stock filter, so when giving the car to the ASC for service, put in the stock one and give. That way you cant lose the expensive K&N filter at the ASC

Alloy wheels: Try Neo wheels. You can get the same alloys as those that came with the Brios or something unique (I did the latter)

No scope of ABS & Airbag addition though

You can look at getting a Brio spoiler if you want that look

There are plenty of interior and exterior chrome garnishes available for that car

Ameyam
 
Thread Starter #6
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Weird. My friend's S came with all of those

Anyway, you can do this
K&N filter: Try the india website for the installers. In India, K&N does not carry a warranty. Make sure you retain the stock filter, so when giving the car to the ASC for service, put in the stock one and give. That way you cant lose the expensive K&N filter at the ASC

Alloy wheels: Try Neo wheels. You can get the same alloys as those that came with the Brios or something unique (I did the latter)

No scope of ABS & Airbag addition though

You can look at getting a Brio spoiler if you want that look

There are plenty of interior and exterior chrome garnishes available for that car

Ameyam
Your friend might have an S(0)MT which has these features but is more expensive than the regular SMT. Oh. I didn't know ASC removed the filter. I couldn't find much apart from chrome and wood parts (I hate both). Will take a look at the wheels. I still regret not buying the S(O)MT for the safety features [frustration]

Most important question:
BUDGET?
Haha! Budget is <60k or so. I know that isn't much, but I reckon it is enough for some wheels and a roof wrap. Any idea how much 3M's Paint Protection costs?
 
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I do not think brio requires any performance mod. It's stayed with me for 2 and a half years now and still starts up great in the morning and no complaints regarding the engine.

I am hooked up to this thread as I am looking to add up some wraps and tints to the babe in coming days. [;)][:)]
 
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60k is a bit low budget for some true blue mods. In fact my suggestion would be:

1) ECU remap to remove the speed limiter. I guess Brio maxes out at 140 kph despite of having an engine that can propel it up to 180. Now a very costly mod, maybe 10-15k max.

2) K&N air filter which can supply a good amount of air into manifold adding this with a slight ECU map will do wonders though. Mapping + K&N should cost 20-25k (including the speed limiter removal)

3) 185-195 section low profile tires to complement the steering and handling of the Brio. 40k should be the cost for a decent set. Go with Michelin primacy if you want to enjoy handling without spending a fortune.

4) A good quality free flow exhaust for producing some awesome exhaust note. 15-20k should be fine

5) Wrapping up should cost anything between 10-30k until you go for a super expensive full body wrap.

6) For added performance we need better brakes. Drilled rotors should do IMO. 10k for a decent set and if you go for a proper brembo set thenbit will cost a lot.

All in all you can have a drool worthy and a seriously quick Brio after spending around 1 lac bucks.

If you are strict at your budget then I will suggest you do only ECU map with a better air filter and better rubber. Rest let the Brio look stock and eat up others on highways giving them surprises and goosebumps altogether. 0-100 in 10 seconds is quite achievable on this baby Honda without spending a lot of money you know.
 
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60k is a bit low budget for some true blue mods. In fact my suggestion would be:

1) ECU remap to remove the speed limiter. I guess Brio maxes out at 140 kph despite of having an engine that can propel it up to 180. Now a very costly mod, maybe 10-15k max.

2) K&N air filter which can supply a good amount of air into manifold adding this with a slight ECU map will do wonders though. Mapping + K&N should cost 20-25k (including the speed limiter removal)

3) 185-195 section low profile tires to complement the steering and handling of the Brio. 40k should be the cost for a decent set. Go with Michelin primacy if you want to enjoy handling without spending a fortune.

4) A good quality free flow exhaust for producing some awesome exhaust note. 15-20k should be fine

5) Wrapping up should cost anything between 10-30k until you go for a super expensive full body wrap.

6) For added performance we need better brakes. Drilled rotors should do IMO. 10k for a decent set and if you go for a proper brembo set thenbit will cost a lot.

All in all you can have a drool worthy and a seriously quick Brio after spending around 1 lac bucks.

If you are strict at your budget then I will suggest you do only ECU map with a better air filter and better rubber. Rest let the Brio look stock and eat up others on highways giving them surprises and goosebumps altogether. 0-100 in 10 seconds is quite achievable on this baby Honda without spending a lot of money you know.
Thanks a lot for your reply! Very informative. Do you know how much 3M charges for their paint protection wraps? Also, I'm only planning to wrap the roof in black or carbon fiber as I think that will be enough. Also, I have heard that increasing the tire size results in loss of fuel economy, weird handling and improper speed reading, so is it advisable to move from 175 section to 185 or even 195? I might skip the FFE as the louder exhaust note might get annoying at times.

Some people have told me that doing an ECU remap might void the warranty and the service station might mess it up. Is that true?
 
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With your 60k budget, I would suggest -

1. Roof wrap in matte black, ORVMs painted to some contrasting colour (silver/gunmetal grey/other), 3M PPF on bumper and door edges - Rs. 10k Approx
2. Retrofitted Projectors with Philips HID kit - Rs. 17-20k Approx
3. 14" Deep Dish Rims (others would look to small for the car since you're not upgrading the4 wheel size) - Rs. 17-20k
4. A sleek spoiler for the rear, basic side skirts - Rs. 10-12k

Giving to custom tuners like D.A.D. Designs doesn't make sense here as your budget is limited. Don't go for Filters as with everything else stock (as you've planned), a filter would make very less improvement in performance. Best is to get better BHP and torque figures through ECU Remaps when you have ample money.

If you want to make it a head turner
1. Wrap it fully in some chic colour - 30k
2. Projector Retrofit with Halogens - 12k
3. Gunmetal or other sporty looking 14" alloy wheels - 17k

Rest you can do basic stuff like LED conversion for parking lights and taping the taillamps with a smoke tint film to make it look more attractive. Don't forget to remove mudflaps though!
 
Thread Starter #11
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With your 60k budget, I would suggest -

1. Roof wrap in matte black, ORVMs painted to some contrasting colour (silver/gunmetal grey/other), 3M PPF on bumper and door edges - Rs. 10k Approx
2. Retrofitted Projectors with Philips HID kit - Rs. 17-20k Approx
3. 14" Deep Dish Rims (others would look to small for the car since you're not upgrading the4 wheel size) - Rs. 17-20k
4. A sleek spoiler for the rear, basic side skirts - Rs. 10-12k

Giving to custom tuners like D.A.D. Designs doesn't make sense here as your budget is limited. Don't go for Filters as with everything else stock (as you've planned), a filter would make very less improvement in performance. Best is to get better BHP and torque figures through ECU Remaps when you have ample money.

If you want to make it a head turner
1. Wrap it fully in some chic colour - 30k
2. Projector Retrofit with Halogens - 12k
3. Gunmetal or other sporty looking 14" alloy wheels - 17k

Rest you can do basic stuff like LED conversion for parking lights and taping the taillamps with a smoke tint film to make it look more attractive. Don't forget to remove mudflaps though!
Is wrapping the car completely that cheap? I was under the impression that a full wrap runs in lakhs! :O
 
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Is wrapping the car completely that cheap? I was under the impression that a full wrap runs in lakhs! :O
Sorry, it was a typo. I meant 50k and not 30k. It costs around the same as a repaint and may run into lakhs also if you are going for super expensive high quality wraps (gold chrome, etc) from a reputed installer.
 
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Sorry, it was a typo. I meant 50k and not 30k. It costs around the same as a repaint and may run into lakhs also if you are going for super expensive high quality wraps (gold chrome, etc) from a reputed installer.
Oh. Still, 50k for that kind of protection is pretty good! How much is 3M's paint protection film or Xpel?
 
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Oh. Still, 50k for that kind of protection is pretty good! How much is 3M's paint protection film or Xpel?
A wrap is in a way a protection but more of an aesthetic tool.

3M PPF was 460 bucks per square feet in mid-2014, when my friend got it done for the ORVMs. The edges will accumulate dust in some time (like cello tape acquires dust over the edges) and starts turning yellow, which is slightly noticeable after 1 year. His car is a white Civic with indicators on the ORVM.
 
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Hi... I have a Honda Brio and have done the following mods successfully...
1. A body kit for 25k
2. 15 inch alloys with 185 spec tires... 35k
3. A K&N stock replacement filter with a cold air intake duct (duct is a Honda OEM part available at an authorized dealer) approx 6k.
4. After market free flow exhaust from Borla... 25k
5. An upgrade to the music system with component speakers and amplifier and a sub woofer.
6. Projector Headlamps with LED bulbs from Hella alongwith Projector Fog lamps (from Hella too). Cost approx 25k.
7. Racing stripes... And some blackout treatment.
The power mod was the exhaust, which increased the acceleration... Added a super crisp exhaust note (note not to remove the resonator, else u would exceed the prescribed sound level of 115 decibels as per RTO rule). Exhaust also helped improve a fuel consumption of 15.73 kmpl (overall) to 17.17 kmpl (overall). Just need to take care on the throttle a bit to achieve that... I am simply in love with my car now... Looking for an ECU remap too... Found no one till date who could do this... still I love the way my Brio drives now...
 

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