Honda Drive to Discover 2 - Driven and Discovered!

The ‘Drive to Discover – 2’ organised by Honda Siel Cars from Mumbai to Goa, was a welcome break from routine for me. Us the media representatives were given half a dozen Brios for the drive down south. 

For me the drive started from Bund Garden Road in Pune and since it was at an hour before the peak hour traffic clogged the roads, it was easy and without stress. We had tested the Brio when it was launched but the 500-kilometres plus to South Goa was a revelation. 

The first 275km on NH4 through Kolhapur was a quick straight line or say B-line drive. The Brio (top speed 146km/h) can reach 120km/h in a jiffy. Weaving through the NH4 traffic was as easy as pie. My colleague, the talented lensman Kunal Khadse made sure we had ample photographic evidence of our traverse on the NH4 through Satara-Karad- Kolhapur and Sankeshwar, where we left NH4 and turned right to go to Ajara-Amboli.

Photo shoots with Kunal are always a pleasure. Back to the Brio, and I must mention that the engine is not as voracious and the fuel gauge had hardly moved from the full indication. But we topped up before leaving the NH4 besides relishing our lunch at Sankeshwar. 

Past Ajara on to Amboli is the beginning of the ghats, wth forest cover and smooth winding roads. Here I gave the Brio some free rein and the 55km through the forest was a little like my rallying days of the past. This special stage in the Brio was immensely enjoyable and the car made me forget it was a Rs 5 lakh hatchback. The handling is noteworthy, with no oversteer nor understeer. 

The brakes are good enough to stop you in your tracks and the steering is precise with loads of feedback. And the brake, clutch and accelerator pedal are so well spaced that heel-toeing and using your feet in quick shifting is a pleasure. No fatigue, no cramps. 

To back all this is the excellent engine coupled to a smooth silky gearbox, the combination delivering adequate at all rpm and all the gears. In spite of driving at the limit there were no hiccups from the cooling system or the air-conditioning. The car has amazing off-road ability, it must be said. 

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Even on the 25km descent down the ghats the Brio exhibited no flutter, with no fading of brakes or any other tantrums, underlining the quality of the package. 

On super smooth Mumbai-Goa highway I was able to push the car to her limits. The Brio air-conditioning is so good that even with non-tinted glass the insides were chill. We reached Panaji at 3pm and headed to South Goa’s Park Hyatt hotel. We were the first to arrive and the rest of the contingent kept arriving till 6:30pm. 

The journey from Pune to Goa took us 8.5 hours with a couple of hours for lunch and photography. So a travelling time of 6.5 hours almost beats flying to Goa. And the Brio’s frugal nature means it’s easy on the wallet as well. Yes, the Brio proved to be a winner on all counts.