Honda Cars India will foray into a completely new segment for the company with the Mobilio MPV in the country. The Japanese auto giant confirmed that the Mobilio will be launched in July this year and has been developed to offer space, comfort and utility for the modern Indian family. The company had unveiled the Mobilio at the 2014 Auto Expo in February this year and received a good response for the MPV. Just ahead of the launch next month, the diesel variant of the Mobilio was also spotted in the country.
The Honda Mobilio gets a 1.5-litre i-DTEC diesel engine from the City and Amaze that produces 100 PS of power and 200 Nm of torque, mated to a 6-speed manual transmission. The MPV is also expected to be powered by the 1.5-litre i-VTEC petrol engine that produces 119 PS of power and 145 Nm of torque, mated to a 5-speed manual and CVT automatic transmission. The model spotted on test was the higher spec ‘V’ trim, which gets features like alloy wheels, reverse camera, rear wiper and much more.
Honda has a strong legacy of MPVs like the Odyssey, Freed and Stepwagon sold internationally and has used its MPV know-how to develop the Mobilio for emerging markets. Based on the Brio platform, the Mobilio shares its front fascia with the Brio hatchback and gets a large chrome garnish at the front, while the rear is reminiscent of the new Honda City with a similar arrangement of tail lights. After two back to back successes with the Amaze and City, Honda is optimistic that the 7-seater Mobilio will be able to replicate the same and will capture a major chunk of market share in the MPV segment.
Owing to the increase in demand for its products, Honda will also increase production at its new Tapukara plant in order to achieve the target of selling 3 lakh units per annum by 2016-17. The company will also launch the all new Jazz in the country by the end of this financial year which will be competing in the premium hatchback space. The Honda Mobilio on the other hand will be slotted between the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga and Toyota Innova and will be operating in a segment that contributes 12,000 units per month to overall vehicle sales in the country.
Pictures Source – Swapnil Mhaske’s Facebook Page