[harpreetkanwar]

Had the (mis)fortune of inspecting the car last week before it was launched (yes, a rare dealer allowed that) with the hopes of booking it too. Not me, a cousin wanted to.

Unfortunately - Mobilio's production is stopped and this car is nothing but a mobilio with more metal on it's bonnet. Inside, the space is exactly the same - the rear seats can't seat 3 passengers as comfortably as Creta or Duster can - infact the mere mention of the competition sent the Honda dealer into a fit as he knew what Honda is doing. There is no feeling of roominess as it is in the competition.

This car is in no way a crossover SUV - it's just being marketed as one. Now please don't bash me and say that Creta and Duster are not SUVs either, you can't do off road, etc etc but going by the basics - > you don't sit high in this car, its no different in the space inside than the mobilio - granted some difference is felt because you have slightly different wheels I assume - but the interior space on the whole - is no different than the mobilio. Sadly - or intentionally - there was no Mobilio at the showroom to make the comparison, else the similarities would have been glaringly evident.

See guys, let me enlighten you all here, all the Honda fans, pardon my sarcasm but, Honda had it's success when it launched the outdated Honda Accord named as City back in the 90's in India. After that, they had some changes visually which were good but then came the stupid fish like model which people still admired for no good reason (Worst body roll, more like a santro with a boot) - and then they gave us the current one.

Besides the city, honda has not enjoyed good sales from any other models and its evident as they are going to Toyota goes with Etios/Leva Reva way. Selling us weird designs, no discounts, lower quality than the germans, etc.

So dont get your expectations high with this model. Save for the Nissan Kicks. Or the Hyundai Tucson.

[RavenAvi]

Originally Posted by BUXX

Comparing the BRV CVT to the City CVT .. this will be similarly priced.. about 13.35L OTR in Delhi !!! Buying !!!!

Don't forget that for your money, you are getting the top-of-the-line VX CVT variant in the City range, compared to the BR-V's second-top variant, the V CVT.

Plenty of more goodies, plus a maintenance-free, fuss-free ownership and a guaranteed resale value.

Originally Posted by landcruiser123

I think the pricing is marginally higher than I expected, but it's nothing I'll complain about as long as they don't hike the price a few months down the lane.

Marginally higher, yes. Hence a reduction of at least 40,000 across variants would have really set the cat among the pigeons. Wouldn't have been hard for Honda to do this and advertise as "introductory prices". They could always hike them once the car is a hit.

Originally Posted by landcruiser123

Not really. The masses love an SUV with 7 seats. I think the demand is going to shoot through the roof.

The masses have re-adjusted their preferences. Gone are the days when big, butch 7-seater SUVs were desirable. Urban commuters mostly come with nuclear families, and there is a big shortage of parking spaces where they ply about as well.

One of the main reasons why the Creta is such a superhit, despite being grossly overpriced, and why the Storme struggles to sell more than 500 units a month (among other factors).

Admit this - a 4.2m car is much easier to park and maneuver through city streets than a 4.5m car.

Originally Posted by landcruiser123

Who doesn't want a 7 seater that is slightly cheaper than the Honda City with the same engines and interiors?

The BR-V is not cheaper than the Honda City. It's the other way around.

A difference of ~1 lac for the VX petrol models of both cars. For other variants, it's more than a lac rupees!



And, same interiors as the City?!

Come on! Both of us know which car's interiors are the better ones, and in which car's cabin one would want to be in, given the preference.

Originally Posted by riteshritesh

1) the legs get raised too much to be comfortable in the last row. I am 5.6 and the last row is ideal for 2 kids on a long drive. In city driving, 2 can manage.

This can be a deal-breaker for most customers looking at the 7-seating option.

Originally Posted by riteshritesh

4) the middle row with 3 full grown adults happen to rub shoulders with each other.

Another big problem, considering other offerings in the segment come with better rear seats (Duster, Terrano & Creta).

Originally Posted by riteshritesh

At 14 lakhs OTR for the CVT, I am not happy but will be buying it anyways.

If you are not happy with your purchase, you will always regret buying it. More so, when other SUVs cross you from the front and you inadvertently end up comparing your buy with them. I would say to you to look elsewhere - car purchases are satisfying when they are done from the heart, all other factors be damned.

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Guess we both predicted a bit lesser than the launch price.

We predicted what we both thought was ideal for the BR-V's pricing, given the market situation & segment competition. Honda overshot it by a small margin, which otherwise could have made the BR-V a sureshot winner in the VFM ranks.

You are right. The Mobilio now seems like an excellent buy, compared to the BR-V.

Originally Posted by autorahul

I also fully expect BR-V E-MT to have a presence in taxi segment, in the space vacated by Innova, with the price of Crysta.

+1. This will be a hit among the taxi fleet.

Originally Posted by drive2eternity

As mentioned here already, I too think it will settle down in a comfortable 3-4k per month sales, not bothering the Creta much.

Knowing Honda, price hikes are a given a few months down the line. If the BR-V holds steady at even 2,000 units per month through it's life cycle, I will be happy.

Originally Posted by TSIched'Out

The target market for BRV or similar cheap 7/8 seater is:

1. Someone who is looking for a compromised last row space
2. Someone who would need last row for short drives within City
3. Someone who would need couple of long drives for 7/8 in a year

Compromises for some, deal-breakers for many.

Originally Posted by TSIched'Out

For the ones who need proper 7/8 seaters, XUV and Innova are the options to go to and their lowest variants are within the price range of BR-V.

This is where the BR-V might lose ground. But still, since the Creta is doing so well despite being priced in range to the two mentioned above, I think the BR-V's top variants ought to hold it's own.

Problem is - the BR-V doesn't command the kind of respect the "City" brand does in the mindset of the common customer. More so a Honda customer. It is basically starting from scratch. And comparisons with it's closest sibling, the Mobilio, is inevitable.

Originally Posted by TSIched'Out

And with this, gone are the chances of Honda to sell 3 Lacs vehicle in a year in India.

I won't write off the BR-V just yet, neither Honda. Like I said in one of my earlier posts, customers might see the pros of the car vis-a-vis it's pricing and who knows, we might see a sleeper hit.

As for Honda, they still have enough firepower to ensure maximum sales in our country in the days to come.

Originally Posted by Hvt77

The billion dollar (or Rs 8-12 Lakhs!!) question: When is the TBHP review coming up? Was hoping it would have come by the weekend after the media drive....

But then, neither has it come out for the Crysta launched 3 days back!

Both are being fine-tuned as we speak. The Crysta review will be up first, followed by the BR-V.

Plenty of work goes into the official reviews behind the scenes to make it as perfect as they are. GTO & the T-BHP team spend nights and days poring over each and every detail of the car in question, and only when they are fully satisfied that they have covered all the critical aspects in full detail, the reviews are moved out from the Assembly Line into the Official Reviews section.

There is no replacement for finesse. Hence, patience.

Originally Posted by PrideRed

While the touch screens are more modern and feels premium they don't offer significant advantages over buttons unlike mobile phones. I would anyday prefer a better sounding old school button music system with bluetooth than average sounding touch music system.

Don't forget the "feel-good" factor of a touchscreen HU over a plain one. Customers would want one in their cars simply for that premium feeling and for that mental satisfaction that their chosen car doesn't lack in features from similar in-segment offerings.

Features are a big part of car sales today. Even if customers end up not using any/all/most features in their purchased cars, they would want it to be there.

Only a handful of old-school enthusiasts prefer quality over everything else. The common customer wants more-and-more bang for his plonked bucks.

Originally Posted by antz.bin

All the talk about the VFM pricing, isn't this extremely close to body on frame RWD 7/8 seater SUVs like Mahindra Scorpio & Tata Safari/Storme (Even Tata Aria?)? The advantage here being higher fuel economy? But losing out on RWD, engine capacity, power and size in the bargain? Screams *lower segment* to me as far as being an SUV is concerned!

Even though priced in the similar range, I have always regarded the Scorpio & Storme as above these crossover pseudo-SUV offerings.

Make no mistake - an SUV guy will go for those cars only. No compromises.

Originally Posted by antz.bin

And anyways, apart from the SUVish looks, I fail to understand how this is any more practical than the already overpriced (w.r.t. Ertiga) Mobilio.

A newer, fresher product with better interiors.

Originally Posted by antz.bin

I would really like to look very closely at the sales numbers 3-4 months down the line on how the market perceives this product at such a price point. I would be really surprised if it does even 25-30% of Creta's monthly no.s.

It's a practical, safe & no-nonsense option. It would be commendable if it manages 30% of the Creta's sales, although the BR-V's trump cards are restricted to only 2 - the 7-seater option & the i-VTEC reliability (since the i-DTEC's long-term reliability is yet to be proven).

Originally Posted by hondacity

The car happened to be a diesel. It sounds fine till 40kmph beyond which the engine clatter starts affecting the cabin.

This could be a deal-breaker for many as well. My 2014 City suffered badly from this infamous clatter, which is always evident and refuses to go away even at high speeds. In this age of ultra-refined diesel engines, this is a really sore point which cannot be overlooked.

Originally Posted by Nilesh5417

All in all, i came back underwhelmed - maybe cause i'm not looking for car. But as an enthusiast, i was disappointed.

Yet to have checked out the car in person myself, but I don't think the BR-V is drab-looking or boring. Sure, it has plenty of similarities with the Mobilio but there are enough design elements to give it it's own distinct personality.

Yes, it might not be as exciting as the EcoSport when it first came out, but it has it's fair share of pros. Not a car for the enthusiast, I agree, but the masses might like it for what it brings to the table, specially when compared to it's segment offerings.


One more point for those who are comparing it with the Creta - remember that the Creta's top 3 variants come with the 1.6L engine option and hence do not get tax benefits. Combine that with a 4m+ length and a ground clearance of 190 mm, and you have nothing to save on the tax front.

(Mahindra reduced the ground clearance of the XUV 500 under 170mm to save on taxes, remember?)

The BR-V has a 1.5L diesel heart which ducks under the tax benefit specification, so despite being 4m+ in length and having a higher ground clearance specification, it is still cheaper than the Creta in the diesel pricing department.

[Aaron:)]

Originally Posted by harpreetkanwar

Unfortunately - Mobilio's production is stopped

Are you sure that the Mobilio's production has been stopped? Because Honda just recently said that they are not planning to discontinue it.

But they should IMO, because the Mobilio is hardly selling. All its doing is diluting their brand value.

[su1978]

i as a mobilio customer and user can fight it out with any of other Ertiga user or the user of Duster/Ecosports/Lodgy. For me the ride, handling and self satisfaction is way above than its competition. Being an informed Indian customer and living in a joint family, on a personal note, i would any-day prefer to have a 7 seater worth 10 Lakhs than having ah 5 seater costing as much. Yes, Honda has done many more tweaking to the interiors just because of owners complaining it of being stretched Brio and Ertiga excelling it in all departments. From things as simple as the effectiveness of air-conditioning to the space inside the ertiga as well fuel efficiency. Honda leaves behind its counterpart in all the departments. I do not mind paying a premium for the better features that i enjoy.

[Hvt77]

Hi Guys,

I made a quick visit to the local Honda store (Linkway, Powai).

They had the S iVtec on display, while TD one, VX iDtec, was gone for some launch ceremony etc, so could not to a TD today.

Overall, the looks department have certainly improved I felt, both exteriors (except the side view!), and interiors (all black looked nice, hopefully less easy to spoil also, wrt beige?).

Dashboard, ICE and steering are decent, and yes, even I saw the bare bones steering, sales rep said that V CVT and others will get the better one!

Prices for mumbai have not yet come, nor they are sure about delivery dates. CVT TD car might come in 2-3 weeks.

And then here's the funny gem from the sales rep: "impact sensing auto door unlock" means when you put P gear in CVT, the doors auto open!!

Given that statement, don't know what else I can trust from the other info he gave me above, need the TBHP review for sure now!

Also, I did a quick comparo, feature by feature of the AT options from Ertiga, BRV and Creta, I know I am going across 3 separate segments as such, but that is my shortlist from which I need to select one, so please help me choose.

Here is the comparo, did I miss / error on anything? Please correct me.

Overall I felt BRV gets better in the looks (mainly exterior) and some features department wrt Ertiga than the previous Mobilio, but Ertiga still seems a more practical and VFM buy.

What exactly is the extra 4.5 lakhs fetching me if I go for BRV vs Ertiga?

Or should I go with the over-stylish over-featured (wrt BRV at least) and over-priced 5-seater Creta just due to its looks and the hyundai experience?

Advice !!

[chandras1]

Creta petrol 1.6 VTVT AT comes with 17inch diamond alloy wheels. A minor correction needed. Seat belts are not height adjustable though.

Btw, before I bought the Creta, I desperately tried my best to get a Ertiga Vxi AT. I couldn't. Dealerships were simply not interested. Managed to get in touch with Maruti sales people too and they too were non committal. I couldn't wait indefinitely and hence went with Creta

[harpreetkanwar]

Originally Posted by Aaron:)

Are you sure that the Mobilio's production has been stopped? Because Honda just recently said that they are not planning to discontinue it.

But they should IMO, because the Mobilio is hardly selling. All its doing is diluting their brand value.

It is what the dealership guy told me. They have to sell this now. Terrible car. Beefed up exterior but same interior.

[civic-sense]

I don't understand, but are us Indians so foolish that we are ready to believe that a Mobilio with a modified front and back and a raised stance is a SUV?

And how long is Honda going to milk the Brio platform? Don't we deserve better than that?

[riteshritesh]

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

If you are not happy with your purchase, you will always regret buying it. More so, when other SUVs cross you from the front and you inadvertently end up comparing your buy with them. I would say to you to look elsewhere - car purchases are satisfying when they are done from the heart, all other factors be damned.

I am not happy with the price. I need a 6~7 seater Automatic Petrol Car and the BRV fits that slot, which is why I will be buying it. My other options are Ertiga & Mobilio, so why not buy a newer offering.

[autorahul]

Originally Posted by Hvt77

Also, I did a quick comparo, feature by feature of the AT options from Ertiga, BRV and Creta, I know I am going across 3 separate segments as such, but that is my shortlist from which I need to select one, so please help me choose.

Here is the comparo, did I miss / error on anything? Please correct me.

Overall I felt BRV gets better in the looks (mainly exterior) and some features department wrt Ertiga than the previous Mobilio, but Ertiga still seems a more practical and VFM buy.

What exactly is the extra 4.5 lakhs fetching me if I go for BRV vs Ertiga?

Or should I go with the over-stylish over-featured (wrt BRV at least) and over-priced 5-seater Creta just due to its looks and the hyundai experience?

Advice !!

What you need to decide is the importance of 3rd row seats. Also keep in mind CVT is smoother than 4 speed auto generally. If they aren't important to you, go for Ertiga, and you could save cool amount of cash that you can use in adding stuff to the car like Alloy and upgrading its audio system, and still have significant money remaining. Few stuff are wrong in your comparison though.

• Immobilizer is included in the Ertiga
• BR-V and Creta both have allow wheels, hence no wheel covers

[i74js]

Originally Posted by windiesel

Wonder what's keeping Honda from launching Diesel+CVT variants? Are there technical issues that prevent it?

early availability of torque volume is one of the main issues to design a cost effective (I am not using cheap) CVT. Technically it is possible but the impact on cost would be significant.

[Aaron:)]

Originally Posted by Hvt77

What exactly is the extra 4.5 lakhs fetching me if I go for BRV vs Ertiga?

Advice !!

The BR-V is more spacious and comfortable than the Ertiga. It also has better engines, transmission, and is much better to drive.

The Ertiga is a good car, but a segment lower than the BR-V. If you can afford the BR-V, go for it. Otherwise the Ertiga is a decent option.

[romeomidhun]

Originally Posted by Aaron:)

The Ertiga is a good car, but a segment lower than the BR-V. If you can afford the BR-V, go for it. Otherwise the Ertiga is a decent option.

Ertiga is built on a platform which is a segment higher than that of BR-V. Pricing BR-V higher doesn't make it a higher segment car.

Ertiga has decent space in the third row for an average built person. At 5.8', I've experienced it myself. All talks about the space issue in Ertiga is a goof-up.

BTW, can we expect a Grand Ertiga with a 4.5m length and the 1.6L DDiS?

[Hvt77]

Originally Posted by riteshritesh

I am not happy with the price. I need a 6~7 seater Automatic Petrol Car and the BRV fits that slot, which is why I will be buying it. My other options are Ertiga & Mobilio, so why not buy a newer offering.

I agree with Ritesh on this, as per TBHP review of Creta, the "what you won't like" section said "Rear seat is more suitable for 2 adults, not 3".

I will wait patiently, and eagerly, for the TBHP review of BRV, but am pretty sure Creta certainly won't get me to take 5 people happily, and if the need is for proper 5 or more people, then a 5-seater, in the price bracket we are talking about, just won't fit the bill! Better to decide b/w Ertiga or BRV!

PS: Thanks to all who gave their advice on my post, and thanks for those corrections as well, will wait some more time for more advice and more corrections and will upload the corrected comparo soon!

[mustang_shelby]

Happened to check out the BR-V in person today at the Honda showroom nearby, since I am on the hunt for a 7 seater petrol automatic.
Some observations:

1. Was attended promptly on arrival at the showroom. Only 1-2 other customers in the showroom, and no one checking out the BR-V. Most likely 'Friday afternoon' effect.
2. It is definitely not a tall vehicle. As crazy_driver pointed out earlier, a lot of the additional height reported in spec sheet is just from the roof rails. Vertical dimension of the cabin compartment seems identical to Mobilio.
3. Looks certainly better than Mobilio from the front (yes, comparisons to Mobilio are inevitable given how much is shared with Mobilio).
4. Only the S and E trims were on display at the showroom. This was a letdown, since I expected that the top model will always be on display ('put the best foot forward', no?). Therefore, I could not make a reliable judgement of how good the interiors on BR-V would be. Need to see the V/VX in person.
5. Interior on S was all hard plastics, although they looked durable. Sat into the City V right after to compare the interiors, and City's definitely looked a class above. But then, comparing V trims on both maybe a more meaningful comparison. Could not checkout the interiors of Mobilio for comparison (Honda conspiracy!)
6. Driver seating is very sedan like. This may or may not be good depending on personal preferences. I for one, dislike the sedan like seating with knees pointing slightly upwards since I find it causes fatigue on long journeys. I like raised seating whereby I get better under-thigh support. This is hard to accomplish in BR-V for tall guys like me (5'11") since if you raise the seat height, then your eye-level is almost at the top of the windscreen (although there is still enough head room). Cannot drive in that position. I like the Ertiga's seating better.
7. Windscreen is very sharply raked and as a result, the vertical space between the windscreen bottom (or the top of the dash) and the top of the windscreen is very narrow. I am comparing here with my current drive: Swift. Therefore, I found the outwards front view from the driver’s seat a bit constricted.
8. In terms of the rest of the things in the interior like leg room, shoulder room, knee room, I expect nothing has changed vis-à-vis Mobilio. Even the boot space is identical at 223 litres. Leg room is good in all rows, including the 3rd row.
9. Front wheel wells get full cladding, but I could see some wires hanging out. This has been observed in the Mobilio official review as well. Rear wheel wells looked half clad.
10. SA was not very well versed with the vehicle. She did not know whether the rear AC was just blower or had a condenser inside as well. She kept repeating “these are separate rear ac vents”. I believe there is a condenser inside just like Mobilio. She also had to fiddle a lot to figure out how to recline or tumble the middle row. SA also once said “this is not an SUV” and then hurriedly corrected herself :-)
11. No TD vehicle available yet. Expected in 1 week or so. Big let down. Why launch a car, create the media buzz and then make the customer wait to actually experience the vehicle. Also, SA’s response suggested that there may not be a CVT vehicle for TD at all.
12. No price-list available so far. Was not even offered a brochure.
13. Honda realizes that comparisons with Mobilio are bound to happen, and therefore Mobilio was conspicuous by its absence from the showroom. They do not want any comparisons with the Mobilio. I see that some other t-bhp'ians that visited the showroom also found the Mobilio missing from the showroom floor.

Keenly awaiting the Team BHP official review, which would be the final word, as always.