The Honda BR-V has made its official debut at the 2016 GIIAS and bookings have also begun. The vehicle’s production will start by January 2016 at the company’s Karawang factory.
The compact SUV segment is seeing a slew of new product launches. Honda has also been developing a new compact SUV that is based on the Brio’s underpinnings and now the company has finally revealed the vehicle at the 2016 GIIAS. The Honda BR-V compact SUV looks striking on the outside and comes with dollops of chrome along with some rugged styling elements. The design of the vehicle takes influence from the Honda Pilot while the side profile is long and reminds us of the Mobilio MPV. The interiors of the vehicle carry forward the same dashboard that is used in the Jazz and City while the steering wheel is lifted from the Brio. This combination is a bit of a mismatch but this is still a prototype and not the actual production model.
The Honda BR-V comes with high ground clearance that will allow it to tackle bad roads with ease. All variants of the SUV will come with roof rails as standard. The tail lights come with LEDs in a C-character shape. The BR-V also gets 16-inch aluminium wheels. Honda has always managed to extract the most space possible from their vehicles and the BR-V will be no different. It will boast of roomy interiors with more than adequate knee room and head room. Rear AC vents between the first and second row will also be provided. The equipment list will include a touchscreen infotainment system as well.
The Honda BR-V will come powered by the same 1.5-litre i-VTEC petrol engine that also powers the City and Mobilio. This engine belts out 120 HP of power at 6600 RPM and 145 Nm of torque at 4600 RPM. The engine is mated to a new 6-speed manual transmission while the conventional CVT gearbox will also be offered. Nothing has been mentioned about the possibility of a diesel engine. The vehicle is also loaded with dual front airbags, ABS with EBD, Vehicle Stability Assist and Hill Start Assist. Bookings for the BR-V in the Indonesian market will begin right at the GIIAS and the compact SUV is priced between 230-265 million Indonesian Rupaih which translates to Rs. 10.8-12.5 lakhs.
Honda will most likely showcase the BR-V in India at the 2016 Auto Expo and an official launch will follow soon. The company might also offer its 1.5-litre i-DTEC diesel engine for the Indian market. The Honda BR-V will fight it out with the Hyundai Creta, Maruti S-Cross, Ford EcoSport and Renault Duster.
