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This is us rushing to the Auto Expo, i-DTEC engine on duty
The Honda BR-V is being offered with the 1.5-litre petrol (MT and AT) and the more popular 1.5-litre diesel engine, which is mated to a 6-speed manual transmission that we had for testing. The oil burner produces 100 PS of power and 200 Nm of torque. It is quite a tractable engine offering linear acceleration with minimal lag in the low-end. I like the i-DTEC for its perfect balance of performance and efficiency. Even with the full load of passengers and luggage, I managed to extract 16.5 km/l on the highway, which is easily stretchable up to 19 km/l with lesser load. The diesel clatter is quite audible inside the cabin if you’re not listening to music and it gets louder near the redline. The 6-speed gearbox is slick with well defined gates and even the clutch is light for easy city drivability. The additional 6th gear is a boon on the highways ticking 2000 RPM at 100 km/hr while cruising. If you are concerned about the top speed of the BR-V, it is limited to 149 km/hr, which is not bad. Also, the ECO lamp on the cluster is quite helpful too, which pops up when you drive efficiently. I got used to it and miss it on cars that don’t have this feature.
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You get some amount of body roll while cornering hard
The ride quality is comfortable and at the same time offers good stability
The ride quality of the Honda BR-V is good at low speeds, not too soft and not too stiff. It becomes better as you speed up and offers a flat ride on the highway, offering good sense of control and stability. The steering is responsive and communicates well but the BR-V has some body roll when you corner hard, so you need to turn in with ease in order to keep your passengers in place. Braking is fantastic since it offers good stopping power and positive pedal bite, which doesn’t fade with hard braking and ABS works well. For safety, it comes with dual front airbags as standard but since it is a 7-seater, Honda should’ve added a couple more.
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Honda is known for their low maintenance, same is the case with BR-V
Honda BR-V Diesel Service Costs
1. Service Schedule – 10,000 kms/6 months (whichever is earlier)
2. Cost of Service per 1,00,000 Km – Rs. 49,081/-
3. Cost of Spares –
* Engine Oil Per Service – Rs. 1785/-
* Brake Oil – Rs. 322/-
* Oil Filter – Rs. 426/-
* Fuel Filter – Rs. 1323/-
* Brake Pads (Front) – Rs. 3000/-
* Front Bumper (without painting) – Rs. 2500/- (est.)
* Rear Bumper (without painting) – Rs. 2800/- (est.)
* Headlamp Assembly (Each) – Rs. 3200/- (est.)
* Tail Lamp Assembly (Each) – Rs. 3700/- (est.)
