[-xplora-]

A little Update:

Spent an hour yesterday at the dealer with the Sales Manager and the Honda Trainer on the phone.

1. CVT will have the Honda City prev-gen steering like the VX. MT V,S and E will have the Amaze steering.
2. Side Impact Beams are present in all Honda cars including the BR-V and Indian BR-V has received 5 star NCAP rating, was very happy to hear that
3. There will be AVN, reverse camera, sensors and several other accessories available for BR-V, I am promised to be emailed the price list as soon as they get it in a a couple of days. VX features will be available as accessories for V,S, including bumper garnish, side chrome strips, etc. So making CVT a VX is easy.
4. Honda has yet not given allocation to dealers, but will be done soon, following that deliveries will start, they are expecting a month. This particular dealership has got 70+ bookings till date.

Did another brief TD of City CVT and BR-V MT, a sea of change in cabin space and airyness from city to BR-V. Same feel for the Diesel though as my prevous TD, it is noisy and gearing could be more refined. Loved the way you can half-tumble the middle row and "lounge-sleep" from the third row. I can totally see myself upgrading the third row seats and removing the middle seat once its a chauffer driven car :P

Thanks to the nice dealers at Honda, will be getting an extended 1-2 hour TD on highways in a couple of days. This should be fun.

No point in waiting for the TD of the CVT, so confirmed the color of V CVT White PF . Now the wait !

[Yeldo]

Originally Posted by Doylthippo

Did Honda lost the plot again ?

Flimsy build, iffy finish, miserable seats, quirky (oddball?) styling, noisy Diesel motors, greedy pricing, Honda seem to have lost the plot big time on the whole Brio platform.

Sorry to say, I am unable to see any other factor than 5+2 seating and perhaps slightly better fuel economy which supports the BR-V's case in its segment.

Honda fans, please don't shoot the messenger.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by -xplora-

2. Side Impact Beams are present in all Honda cars including the BR-V and Indian BR-V has received 5 star NCAP rating, was very happy to hear that

Partially true. BRV did receive 5 star rating, but that was for the Indonesian model made in Indonesia.

Even assuming the same build applies for the Indian version, our car only qualifies for 4 star rating as Honda skimped on ESC for all variants.

Originally Posted by -xplora-

So making CVT a VX is easy

CVT would still miss out on few basic features-

1. Power window auto up driver side.
2. Heat absorbing front windshield.
3. Leather wrapped gear knob. (Personally I found the normal golf ball one to be of inferior quality)
4. Leather wrapped steering

All these features are present in my small 8L INR hatchback. Hence was disappointed to see these missing in the 15.14L (OTR Bangalore) BRV CVT.

Adding accessories to this package would take it dangerously close to the XUV 5OO W6 AT, which is bigger, more powerful, diesel and feature loaded in comparison and priced at 14.2 L ex showroom.

[-xplora-]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Partially true. BRV did receive 5 star rating, but that was for the Indonesian model made in Indonesia.

Even assuming the same build applies for the Indian version, our car only qualifies for 4 star rating as Honda skimped on ESC for all variants.

I specifically confirmed about 5 star NCAP rating of the Indian version of the BR-V, they told me they just received it a few days back.

CVT would still miss out on few basic features-

1. Power window auto up driver side.
2. Heat absorbing front windshield.
3. Leather wrapped gear knob. (Personally I found the normal golf ball one to be of inferior quality)
4. Leather wrapped steering

All these features are present in my small 8L INR hatchback. Hence was disappointed to see these missing in the 15.14L (OTR Bangalore) BRV CVT.
Adding accessories to this package would take it dangerously close to the XUV 5OO W6 AT, which is bigger, more powerful, diesel and feature loaded in comparison and priced at 14.2 L ex showroom.

1. This has a little utility, atleast auto-down is there
2. Coating wont cost a bomb
3. I agree, the plastic one looks el-cheapo. But after-market will again not be a huge cost.
4. Same with this
All this would not cross 20k

I think the buyers for XUV and BR-V are different. Anyone looking for SUV will go for such vehicles, anyone looking for car-like driving and still good GC will look for BR-V, there is not much cross-shopping / competition here. Lot of posts talking about how Ertiga is a better buy etc. Seriously ? with its 68bhp engine and those looks ?

BR-V will hit the market of Creta / S-Cross / Duster / Ecosport etc. In my city its 13.5 OTR for V CVT and that is a very good deal, could have been better, but no complaints.

[SmartCat]

Even though I will be paying Rs. 15 Lacs for BR-V CVT, I won't complain too much about it (although it was Rs. 1 Lac more than what I was expecting to pay)

Out of Rs. 15 Lacs -

50K is going to the insurance company.
2.5 Lacs is going to the State government

2 Lacs is going to the Central Govt. It might be more because BR-V with high ground clearance has extra tax.
http://www.charteredclub.com/excise-...cars-in-india/

This means the ex-factory price is around Rs. 10 Lacs. The CVT gearbox is imported and that costs Rs. 1.5 Lacs. So poor Honda has to give you the entire car for something like Rs. 7 - 8 lacs (there are more taxes for manufacturing).

I have newfound respect for Maruti - I really wonder how they manage to cram so much equipment into their cars, price it so low and still make decent profits. Hyundai and Mahindra cars are well equipped too, but only in higher versions, which are very expensive.

The XUV 500 W6 AT will cost approx Rs. 18 lacs on road (3 lacs more than BR-V). It is less practical than a BR-V because of lack of bootspace, loses out on features like alloy wheels, keyless start/stop and projector headlamps. But it gets a diesel engine and lots of "automatic" stuff (auto headlamps, auto wipers and auto what not!)

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by -xplora-

I specifically confirmed about 5 star NCAP rating of the Indian version of the BR-V, they told me they just received it a few days back.

Interesting. Either they are plain lying, or misinformed that ASEAN NCAP ratings are directly applicable for the Indian version notwithstanding the absence of VSA / ESC. Or the only other possibility is that BRV was included in the new list of global NCAP tests, the results of which are supposed to be announced by May 19.

Will need to wait one more week for that case.

[mustang_shelby]

Originally Posted by -xplora-

Lot of posts talking about how Ertiga is a better buy etc. Seriously ? with its 68bhp engine and those looks ?

Which version of Ertiga comes with a 68 bhp engine? AFAIK, petrol is 94 bhp and diesel is 89 bhp.

[BUXX]

On another note, BR-V garners 4000 bookings - sounds incredible ! Deliveries starting from next month.

http://www.oncars.in/car-news/honda-...art-soon/10491

People have'nt been able to TD the car & deliveries starting?!

[Karthik Chandra]

Originally Posted by -xplora-

Lot of posts talking about how Ertiga is a better buy etc. Seriously ? with its 68bhp engine and those looks ?

Originally Posted by mustang_shelby

Which version of Ertiga comes with a 68 bhp engine? AFAIK, petrol is 94 bhp and diesel is 89 bhp.

Its 66 KW and not 68 BHP, 1 KW = 1.34 BHP.

hence 66 KW ~ 89 bhp

Maruti reports power in KW and not in BHP

[-xplora-]

Originally Posted by Karthik Chandra

Its 66 KW and not 68 BHP, 1 KW = 1.34 BHP.

hence 66 KW ~ 89 bhp

Maruti reports power in KW and not in BHP

Aah I stand corrected. I never paid attention to Ertiga anyway, but on one of the car**** sites while doing a comparison of petrols it showed 68bhp instead of kw hence the comment.

Still does not change my view of the Ertiga and being 25 odd bhp lesser than BR-V and no iVtec+CVT combo

[samabhi]

Originally Posted by smartcat

The XUV 500 W6 AT will cost approx Rs. 18 lacs on road (3 lacs more than BR-V). It is less practical than a BR-V because of lack of bootspace, loses out on features like alloy wheels, keyless start/stop and projector headlamps. But it gets a diesel engine and lots of "automatic" stuff (auto headlamps, auto wipers and auto what not!)

More than the Auto thing, what matters for me is the space and creature comfort levels. 2nd row space in XUV is unmatchable. I am looking for a 6 seater for my family of 4 adults and 2 kids. However I look at it, BRV middle row is not at all a match to XUV 500. I know both are in two different segments, but Honda has definitely over priced the BRV atleast by a lakh. With the BRV pricing and the Innova Crysta pricing, XUV 500 sure does look like a total VFM prospect and now with the AT variant available on W6, the deal is even more sweater. Boot space is the only thing I would complain about in XUV500.

I am yet to check the BRV in person. But if at all I buy a BRV, I feel its only the S variant (ivtec) that would make sense as its ex showroom price is less than 10L in Bangalore and making it available at close to 12L .

[Hvt77]

Originally Posted by BUXX

On another note, BR-V garners 4000 bookings - sounds incredible ! Deliveries starting from next month.

http://www.oncars.in/car-news/honda-...art-soon/10491

People have'nt been able to TD the car & deliveries starting?!

I am happy to hear this news, and agree with BUXX's comment, the CVT TD is still not available in Mumbai, but since the ivtec CVT has been around in the City, with fingers crossed, I have booked the Red CVT BRV yesterday.

Hoping that the "new" CVT tech they mentioned during BRV launch does not introduce any new issues in the tried and tested City CVT.

Now just waiting for the detailed review, so as to review my own decision!




Two interesting quotes from the above "oncars" article:

The company has already registered over 4,000 pre-orders for the BRV SUV since its launch last week.

The company is also planning to launch the modified Mobilio MPV in the country in near future.

"Pre-orders since launch" means bookings post-launch? or Pre-bookings before launch?!

And then interesting one-liner about "Modified Mobilio", wonder what that is all about?! Other than news about the Mobilio being foccussed on the fleet segment.

Mobilio to Focus on Commercial Fleet Segment in India




PS: A little OT here, but I am so happy to hear this news, could not help but share it here out of sheer delight, will follow this launch to replace my 12 yr old Santro!

Hyundai plans to bring back Santro to take on Maruti

[Latheesh]

I had gone to a Honda dealer (South Bangalore) second day after the launch, they had 60 pre orders, and another 20 within 2 days after launch.

[SmartCat]

"Modified Mobilio" is very likely to be a Mobilio with the new dash. BR-V will bring footfalls into the showroom, and some might go the Honda City way while others will go the Mobilio way (especially with better dashboard).

Meanwhile, I found this pic on TOI website, BR-V ploughing through a raging river

[deemash]

Originally Posted by PrideRed

Everybody seem to be cribbing about absence of touch screen in BR-V. I have a different opinion though. I have touch screen in Kwid and the Endeavour. It definitely offers more feature than old school button interface but has some negatives as well.

Also, I heard there is no cruise control on any of the variants. Is this true?