Honda used the Delhi motor show (aka Auto Expo 2010) to whip the covers off the imaginatively named (not) New Small Concept -- a pint-sized design study that paves the way for a production variant due in 2011.

The eventual showroom-ready entity will be pitched primarily at emerging markets -- particularly India and Thailand -- with Indian pricing expected to start under $12,000.

Honda says it has underpinned the New Small Concept with a wide platform to provide seating for five (although we're struggling to visualise five beefy blokes squashed into the thing) along with a "stable centre of gravity".

Its edgy styling borrows the odd design element from the CR-Z Coupe, and Honda describes it as an "Efficient Energetic Exterior" with "forward bumpers".

This design philosophy is intended to give the Concept "significant road presence despite its size", and we'd suggest this isn't a bad idea given the take-no-prisoners approach to driving that prevails in Delhi and Mumbai.

Honda says it conceived the New Small Concept "to provide a new small-sized vehicle that is beyond the expectations of customers in rapidly growing markets -- offering the car at an affordable price by leveraging Honda's global parts sourcing network".

The company hasn't as yet revealed any tech details, but we take the last statement to mean that the eventual production version will borrow at least some components from the likes of the Jazz and the City.

The Delhi debut of the New Small Concept is significant as it marks the first occasion that Honda has chosen India for the world premiere of a car.

However, it's not all that surprising when you consider India has now topped Japan in sales of super-compact cars -- and it's a trend that appears set to continue as India's burgeoning middle-class is fuelling strong demand for new cars (in stark contrast to most markets other than China).

Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at www.carsales.mobi