Come January 2016 and Honda will start selling the BR-V in Indonesia. Although the Japanese carmaker has revealed that this new compact SUV is designed specifically for the Indonesian market, the BR-V is headed for the Indian market as well, and for good reasons. When launched, the BR-V will compete against the Renault Duster and the Hyundai Creta in the Indian market.
In many ways the BR-V is closely related to the Mobilio MPV which is sold here in India and the similarities do not end with interior trim or the drivetrain bits. The BR-V and the Mobilio, in fact, share a considerable chunk of bodywork including the front and rear doors, door handles, wing mirrors and the roof line.
Despite the similarities, the BR-V boasts of a slightly bigger footprint than the Mobilio in terms of length, width, height and even the wheelbase. That being said, we do not expect the increased length and the marginally longer wheelbase to improve the cabin space significantly. Additionally, if we consider the tad bit of difference in width of both these utility vehicles, accommodating three adults on the second row of seats is likely to be bit of a squeeze, just like in the Mobilio. Lastly, the cabin design and layout is different from the one in the Mobilio although there will be some parts sharing from the City.
As for the ground clearance, Honda is claiming over 200mm for the new BR-V and given the vehicle’s positioning as a compact SUV segment, the figure seems just about suitable. The Mobilio, on the other hand, sits closer to the ground at 189mm.
Coming back to the similarities, the Indonesian-spec BR-V gets the same 1.5-litre i-VTEC petrol engine seen in the Mobilio. However, it’s the 1.5-litre i-DTEC diesel unit that will prove to be a popular choice among the entire BR-V range here in India. Now it’s not that the diesel Mobilio is outright unrefined but the MPV could certainly do with better sound insulation materials. Needless to say, we expect the forthcoming BR-V to be better insulated than the Mobilio.
The BR-V, then, will be a familiar proposition for modern Honda users, more so for Mobilio users. Although what will inevitably work in favour of the BR-V is its contemporary design, SUV-like stance, a better put together cabin and an expected competitive price range of Rs 10 lakh to Rs 14 lakh.
