Brilliance H230

Brilliance H230: Which Version Should You Buy?

The Brilliance H230 choice comes down to transmission and performance rather than engine output. Every listed version uses the same 1498 cc Gasoline engine producing 105 hp and 143 Nm, with FWD and a 42-litre fuel tank. The 1.5 MT is the lighter and quicker option: it has a 5-speed Manual gearbox, weighs 1207 kg and reaches 100 km/h in 12.6 seconds.

The Brilliance H230 choice comes down to transmission and performance rather than engine output. Every listed version uses the same 1498 cc Gasoline engine producing 105 hp and 143 Nm, with FWD and a 42-litre fuel tank. The 1.5 MT is the lighter and quicker option: it has a 5-speed Manual gearbox, weighs 1207 kg and reaches 100 km/h in 12.6 seconds. The two 1.5 DSG entries use a 6-speed Robotic transmission and weigh 1214 kg. One reaches 100 km/h in 14.4 seconds and has a 175 km/h top speed; the other has a 170 km/h top speed, while its acceleration figure is not measured. With no price data supplied, it is not possible to say what the transmission upgrade costs or whether any extra money is justified.

Generation comparison

The H230 catalogue contains one generation, so there is no meaningful comparison between generations or any documented generational change. The 1 generation was produced from May 2015 through January 2019 as a Sedan and contains three listed versions. No separate restyling is identified in the supplied data.

Because every version belongs to the same production period and body type, the buying decision rests on the differences between the 1.5 MT and the two records named 1.5 DSG. The duplicated 1.5 DSG name cannot be distinguished by power because both entries produce 105 hp; their documented difference is in performance data, with listed top speeds of 175 km/h and 170 km/h respectively.

Brilliance H230 engine and transmission specs

All three versions share a naturally aspirated, front-mounted transverse engine. It has 4 Inline cylinders, 4 valves per cylinder, distributed injection (multi-point), a compression ratio of 10 and no boost. Output is 77 kW or 105 hp from 1498 cc, equal to about 70.1 hp per litre. Torque is 143 Nm at 3800–4200 rpm. The specified fuel is 95.

The exact catalogue version names are 1.5 MT, 1.5 DSG and 1.5 DSG. The speed labels in the table only distinguish the otherwise identical 1.5 DSG names; they do not rename either version.

Claims that the Brilliance H230 has a Mitsubishi engine cannot be confirmed from the supplied specifications. The data identifies the engine only by its displacement, output, torque, cylinder configuration, installation, injection system and fuel type.

Performance, mpg and economy

The 1.5 MT has the clearest performance advantage. It accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 12.6 seconds, while the 175 km/h 1.5 DSG takes 14.4 seconds. The Manual version is therefore 1.8 seconds quicker to 100 km/h despite having exactly the same 105 hp and 143 Nm.

Both the 1.5 MT and the first 1.5 DSG have a listed maximum speed of 175 km/h. The second 1.5 DSG reaches 170 km/h, which is 5 km/h lower. Its 0–100 km/h time is not measured, so its acceleration cannot be compared numerically with the other two versions.

Fuel consumption and mpg are not measured for any listed H230 version. CO₂ output is also not measured, so the data cannot establish which transmission is more economical or calculate a driving range. All three versions meet Euro 4.

Dimensions, weight and chassis specs

The 1.5 MT has a kerb weight of 1207 kg and a gross weight of 1597 kg. Each 1.5 DSG weighs 1214 kg at the kerb and 1604 kg gross. The Robotic versions are therefore 7 kg heavier in both measures.

Since output remains 105 hp, the 1.5 MT carries about 11.5 kg per horsepower, compared with about 11.6 kg per horsepower for either 1.5 DSG. The difference is small, but it favours the Manual version and is consistent with its quicker measured acceleration.

Every version has 114 mm of ground clearance and a 42-litre tank. Wheel sizes are not measured. Suspension and brake specifications are also common across the range: independent spring front suspension, semi-independent spring rear suspension, ventilated disc front brakes and drum rear brakes.

Which Brilliance H230 version should you buy?

Choose the 1.5 MT if measured performance and lower weight matter most. Its 105 hp engine delivers the same output as both Robotic alternatives, yet the car is 7 kg lighter and its 12.6-second 0–100 km/h time is 1.8 seconds better than the measured 1.5 DSG result. It also matches the faster 1.5 DSG at 175 km/h.

Choose the 175 km/h 1.5 DSG if the 6-speed Robotic transmission is the priority. Compared with the 1.5 MT, it adds one forward gear but no extra power, torque, ground clearance or fuel capacity. Its measured compromises are 7 kg more kerb weight and slower acceleration to 100 km/h.

The 170 km/h 1.5 DSG is the least convincing choice on the available figures. It has the same 105 hp, 143 Nm, 1214 kg kerb weight and 6-speed Robotic gearbox as the other 1.5 DSG, but its listed maximum speed is 5 km/h lower and its 0–100 km/h result is not measured. It may have differences that are absent from the supplied data, but none can be claimed here.

Price, parts availability, owner opinions, reliability, known problems and equipment levels are not included in the data. Consequently, the evidence supports the 1.5 MT as the strongest performance-based buy, while the 1.5 DSG should be selected only when its Robotic gearbox is preferable to the lighter, quicker Manual configuration.