Honda BR-V

The Honda BR-V is inspired from the smaller Jazz hatchback and City sedan. In fact, the interior setting also seems to be identical in these cars. However, the soft touch plastic usage is missed out on this MPV, something that can put off many customers.

Other than that minor glitch, you won’t find anything else to worry about. The seats on the top grade model are wrapped in good quality leather covers, which are traditionally more comfortable than the fabric ones. The three-spoke steering wheel has audio control switches for the convenience of the drivers.

Up at the dashboard, there is a 6.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system, which can be synchronized with the smartphone with the help of Bluetooth or USB. The MPV has a modest boot storage capacity of 233 litres. However, once you fold the third row, you get 539-litre of cargo carrier. There are roof mounted AC vents that make sure that all the occupants are comfortable. However, if the fan speed of rear AC is set to max, the driver may have a lot of buzzing sound up his ears.

The MPV family in the Malaysian market is considered to be that one segment where the instincts of youthfulness start to fade away as the cars are not at all attractive but are more about getting the utility quotient higher.

However, things just change with the Honda BR-V. It is probably the only car in this segment that has an attractive design and might satisfy your lookout for attractive cars while being efficient.

The Honda BR-V has an SUV-ish aesthetic, thanks to its high ground clearance of 201 mm and big 16-inch wheels. The automatic headlamps have projector units, along with LED DRLs running around it. The tail lights are split units on the boot door. Fog lamps are also added to the package to assist on roads where visibility is low. The turn indicators are installed on the ORVMs.

The body is beefed up with the use of black plastic claddings along the low skirts and on the wheel arches. The roof rails are very much functional and can carry around 30 kgs of luggage.

The power and performance of the BR-V could never be doubted. It can take on the hilly-inclined roads fully loaded and still manage to complete the journey at a great pace. Thanks to the lightweight platform, the BR-V results in lesser weight even if it is fully stuffed with occupants and load.

However, it won’t be very wise to think that the lightweight platform would hurt the buyers. There are reports that quote that the car passes all the needed safety regulations. Moreover, the CVT gearbox does not disappoint at all. It is smooth and does not stack up annoying noise at the engine. Despite having a length of almost 4.5 metres, the turning radius of 5.6 metres isn’t that bad.

The Honda BR-V has a powerful 1.5-litre i-VTEC (4-cylinder) engine given under the hood. This engine is capable of making a good power of 120 PS at 6,600 rpm along with a peak torque of 145 Nm at 4,600 rpm. It is to be noted that this is exactly the same engine that is used in the City sedan as well.

The power is sent down to the wheels via an Earth Dreams CVT (continuously variable transmission) gearbox, which is not only smooth but helps in making the car more fuel efficient. There is also an ECO indicator which lightens up whenever you are driving economically, encouraging you to continue driving the same way.

The Honda BR-V, despite being light, is a very sturdy car. It has received a 5-star rating at the NCAP ASEAN. There are two safety airbags given as standard for the driver and the front passenger.

As far as the braking is concerned, there are ventilated disc brakes for the front wheels while drum units are given for the rear. ABS is also provided in case you need to pull off the brakes in tight situations. There are certain other drivers’ assistance systems as well, which makes driving easier and safer.

Hill Start Assist helps the driver to start off on an incline without rolling back. Moreover, if you are on the highway, taking on a sharp or blunt turn, the Vehicle Stability Control steps up and prevents under-steering or over-steering.

The car is built on the company’s G-CON technology, which distributes the impact force across the car so that the effect is minimal. The reverse parking sensor comes in handy while you need to take a reverse to fit in the parking slot.

The Honda BR-V is a perfect combination of youthfulness and efficiency with a promise to serve a plethora of customers. It is very different than what we are accustomed of seeing in the MPV segment. It is way more stylish than most of its competitors and promises to be equally effective without being brash stature.

The overall package of the Honda BR-V ticks all the boxes right. And such things on offer, it is a bit difficult to find an MPV which can fit in the middle-class people’s requirements any better.