Following the success of the Amaze and City in the Indian car market, Honda will now attempt to establish its stronghold in a new segment with it latest product, the Mobilio. With the launch date of the car inching closer, Honda has officially started accepting bookings for the MPV for a token of Rs 50,000. The company has started airing the TV commercial of the car in which it claims an efficiency of 24.2kmpl for the i-DTEC variants.
The Mobilio is based on the same platform used in the Brio and the Amaze sedan. The design cues on the Mobilio seem like the magnified version of the ones in the Brio and Amaze, though the premium feel is evident. Beige has been liberally used for the interiors in a typical Honda fashion, which is very simple and functional. Since the wheelbase of the Mobilio is larger than the Ertiga, we expect it to be more spacious than the Japanese MPV.
The Mobilio will be sold with two engine options – a 1.5-litre version of the i-VTEC and a 1.5-litre i-DTEC. These engines churn out 116bhp and 145Nm of torque and 100bhp and 200Nm of torque respectively. Both engines send power to the front wheels through a five-speed manual gearbox.
The Mobilio will share many components with the Amaze and the City which should help keep the price tag of the car very competitive. Though the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga will be its main rival, its competitive price tag might also pit it against a wide range of cars from different segments like premium hatchbacks and compact sedans. The biggest advantage in a Mobilio though, will be the added practicality of the third row of seat, which in itself will be a big influencing factor for a majority of customers.
