Honda Mobilio Review
On the eve of the Tokyo Motor Show, Honda showcased the Mobilio MPV at the Journalist meet at their Motegi facilty in Japan. The Mobilio is based on the Brio platform and was recently showcased at the Indonesian Motor Show. This body style is extremely popular in the Asian markets and this vehicle has been made specifically for countries like Indonesia and India. The Mobilio will make it to India in late 2014 and will directly compete with Maruti Suzuki’s Ertiga.
As far as the design goes, whoever said that an MPV cant look sporty was very wrong. Honda has managed to make it look sporty by using sharp design elements. The front is heavily inspired by the Brio and sharp creases on the front bumper add to the style. The large chrome strip is something which Indians always love. The side profile is continuous with the sharp creases. The rear door is large in size and also opens quite wide, making ingress and egress quite easy. Windows are large and they induce a sense of spaciousness with generous amount of light coming in. Notice that the window line dips as you go backwards from the B-pillar to further amplify the large size of the windows. Wraparound tail lamps look quite classy too. The sporty design language runs along the side to the rear and one has to only appreciate that the designers have done a fabulous job with this vehicle.
The test car was a prototype version and hence we were not allowed to click interior pictures. The dashboard is heavily inspired from the Honda Amaze and was almost identical to it. Even in the prototype version, the fit and finish was as good as Honda’s are known for. The front seats seemed to be straight out of the Amaze and are comfortable. The middle row offers ample legroom and headroom in all the rows is sufficient. The middle row has sliding function and is sufficiently wide for three regular adults. The rear AC blowers are placed on the roof in the middle row, similar to the Maruti Ertiga. The last row is more spacious than the Ertiga and can seat two adults. The boot space is pretty generous and far more than that of the Maruti Ertiga. In case you need more, you can fold the last row of seats completely flat to get ample space for all your luggage.
Though we did not get a chance to take a spin in this MPV, it’s sure to carry the typical Honda driving dynamics which means it should be a decent handler with a compliant ride. The Mobilio’s wheelbase is 245 mm longer than that of the Honda Amaze and measures 2650 mm. It will be offered with the tried and tested 1.5 i-VTEC petrol motor from the City and the new i-DTEC oil burner seen currently only in the Amaze. Power output and torque figures may vary from the current setup in the City and Amaze respectively but the Mobilio should pack in at least 118 BHP from its petrol motor and 100 BHP from the diesel mill. Both the petrol and diesel versions will come mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. Honda will introduce the 5-speed automatic in petrol guise at a later date. Maximum volume will come from the diesel engine and this will also be the most fuel efficient MPV when it hits the road next year.
Honda will unveil the Mobilio in India at the Auto Expo scheduled in February 2014 at Delhi. The Honda Mobilio promises to offer comfortable 7-seater capability with good performance and outstanding fuel efficiency, which should tick off everything an Indian consumer desires from this segment. It is more spacious than its closest rival and not only that, it will be priced very near to the Ertiga and will find many takers based on Honda’s reputation for quality and reliability.