The highly anticipated Honda Mobilio has been launched in India at Rs 6.49 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). The Mobilio is available in seven variants, with the option of a petrol and a diesel engine. The base diesel variant has been priced at Rs 7.89 lakh and the top-end RS variant costs Rs 10.86 lakh, both ex-showroom Delhi. Riding on the success of the Amaze and the City, Honda will now attempt to establish its stronghold with this Ertiga rivalling MPV.
The Honda Mobilio is based on the Brio hatchback’s versatile platform which also underpins the Amaze compact sedan. The Japanese manufacturer has taken a lot of effort in the design department to ensure that the Mobilio looks like a compact MPV, though the dimensions tell a different story altogether. At 4.4 metres, the Mobilio is longer than both its rivals, the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga and the Chevrolet Enjoy. The design does remind you of the Brio and the Amaze, though it also brings with it the premium ‘feel-good’ factor.
The interior of the Mobilio is very similar to that of the Amaze and the Brio. Beige is used liberally inside the Mobilio which makes the car look spacious. The interiors are extremely spacious and the third row of seats can manage to accommodate adults for short rides. Smart measures like reducing the thickness of the seats have helped increase the knee room for the passengers and the slide-and-tumble function offers easy entry and exit from the third row.
Honda has decided to skip the AVN package from the top-end variant as well as the faux wood trim, which is offered in the Indonesian market. The AVN package included a navigation system, reverse camera screen and a conventional audio and video system are expected to be introduced in the next few months.
The Mobilio is offered 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.
To save production costs, the Mobilio will share many components with the Amaze and the City. While the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga will be its main rival, the Mobilio’s price tag makes it rival a wide range of cars from different segments like premium hatchbacks and compact sedans. The third row of seats though, will be the Mobilio’s biggest advantage which in itself will be a big influencing factor for a majority of its customers.
The deliveries for the Mobilio begin from today, while the RS deliveries begin from September 2014. The Mobilio will be available in seven paint schemes- brilliant gold, alabaster silver, majestic blue, carnelian red pearl, taffeta white urban titanium and crystal black pearl (only for the RS variant).
Prices of the Honda Mobilio (ex-showroom Delhi)-
Honda Mobilio E Petrol: Rs 6.49 lakh
Honda Mobilio S Petrol: Rs 7.50 lakh
Honda Mobilio V Petrol: Rs 8.76 lakh
Honda Mobilio E Diesel: Rs 7.89 lakh
Honda Mobilio S Diesel: Rs 8.60 lakh
Honda Mobilio V Diesel: Rs 9.76 lakh
Honda Mobilio RS Diesel: Rs 10.86 lakh
