[doble u]

With each new car Honda seems to be doing a Suzuki in India (I own both Suzuki and Honda, so no offense pls). Lower trims, flimsy equipment list and glaring cost cutting measures. The only respite is that Honda still offers safety features as a standard equipment. My worry is for how long?

With Indians lapping each and every Honda offering is the service going to be hit next? Right now, the Honda service is welcome break from the hustle and bustle of Suzuki dealerships experience. Would it change?

Is Honda applying different standards for us vs. the world?

[vharihar]

Saw the Mobilio in flesh yesterday in Forum Mall, Koramangala in Bangalore. Very long and good looking vehicle. But extremely poor under-thigh support in last row. And very poor ICE in dashboard and poor instr cluster.

Also, last row seat cushioning is very, very poor. It's strictly for kids, that too for max 3-4 hour drives I feel.

Lastly, the gear lever seemed unusually long to me, very car-unlike, more truck-like.

Before reading this review, I thought I'll wait for the RS before ruling out the Mobilio completely, hoping it'd have better interiors. But from this review it looks like the RS will have 15 mm less GC. That would make it too bad for Indian speed bumps. So I guess that kills the deal totally for me :-(

[blacksport]

Originally Posted by smartcat

You are missing the point about why an increasing number of typical urban Indian families - 2 adults & 2 kids - seem to prefer MPVs. Yes, they do occasionally need to carry more passengers, like you said, 4 or 5 times a year. But, when they don't have extra passengers, they see their MPVs as roomier & practical means of transport when compared to hatchback & sedans.

Dad in the driver's seat, Mom in the passenger seat, Junior 1 in middle seat and Junior 2 in the 3rd row seat. It's giving the kids their "own space" in the car. This is especially useful on long highway drives. Apparently, this keeps them from asking "Are we there yet?" every 30 minutes. They play with their iPad or even sleep in their own "pad" on long journeys.

See, its how a 3 BHK apartment is better than 2 BHK apartment, even for a typical 2+2 family. Kids have their own room most of the time, when when relatives drop in, there is still room for everybody.

Originally Posted by paragsachania

Exactly smartcat! The configuration to seat 4-5 adults gets better and flexible in the absence of the +2 passengers. Roomy cabin, stretchable leg room, bigger windows, reclining rear seats - Some major attributes for me too.

Like GTO mentioned in the Official Ertiga Review Throw away the 3rd row in that Ertiga, I wish I too could do that but I won't deny the fact on how useful the 3rd row was when I had to ferry the 6 and 7th passengers not only within the city but over couple of one day getaways too!

The Ertiga/Mobilio is more practical than equal length sedans, as you have a convertible back cabin that could be converted between luggage space and third row as needed.

BUT, this is still impractical as a city car, as it is too long. A 2 row hatchback is better if the third row is mostly unused or if you don't have huge luggage to haul everyday. And as GTO mentioned, on the odd day, when you need a boot or a third row, you could hire a sedan or a MPV.

The Mobilio does not look like an ideal car for highway drives either. So, it is still a confused car. Not suitable for city, not suitable for highways.

The only segment which this car would appeal to is, those people having an extended family (a couple + 2 elders + 2 kids) and living in a city, with no long drives to do.

Originally Posted by doble u

With each new car Honda seems to be doing a Suzuki in India

Not Suzuki, but Maruti. Maruti and Suzuki (abroad) seems to have different quality standards.

[samabhi]

Great review indeed. Aren't the details about each variant not disclosed yet during the media drive, particularly about the safety features?

The car does looks good and the interior quality is not a deal breaker for me at least. However the only biggest concern for me would be the build quality and the safety aspects of the car. It definitely is not confident inspiring.

[prakhar1998]

The Mobilio seems to be a promising proposition.
Both engines are very nice, and the Mobilio looks decent. The space inside too is good.

But, it seems as if Honda has really let itself loose in the QC department. Horrible downfall in the earlier famous Honda attention to detail and quality. In the mad rush to attain big numbers, Honda seems to have forgotten what the Indian consumer really liked in their initial offerings like the City and CRV. Times are changing really. Tata's quality is getting better day by day, but Honda is trying to go the other way.

Another thing I really doubt is the safety ratings of these cars. I am anxiously waiting for the Indian NCAP, as these cars IMO are too tinny to be safe. I know the weight minimisation philosophy plays role, but this is just too much. Hope these cars are safe though, as the are plying in such huge numbers all around India

[trek]

Thanks for the brilliant review GTO. Loved reading it.

I am disappointed on the crude cost cutting measures adopted by Honda. All these tricks will eventually dilute the brand name for the informed car buyer. Although the regular folks will still go out and buy the Mobilio as the Honda brand is very desirable and aspirational to most. They will continue to overlook the flimsy build quality, the bare basic interior trim, the odd integrated head rests and other cost cutting measures and will buy this copy paste mix of a job.

Maruti urgently needs to launch an updated version of the Eritga to renew interest in the model or else the initial launch euphoria of the Mobilio will surely dent its sales for a while.

We now need someone like Hyundai to enter this category and raise the quality bar.

[amtak]

Thank you for a fantastic review as always GTO. While this would be a popular upgrade(?) for Honday fans who always dreamt of travelling with their extended family; there's too much cost cutting done by Honda.

It may or may not be a VFM proposition but will sell in decent numbers.

Also, Just wanted to mentioned that an updated Evalia was launched just last week and has addressed many of the issues that are mentioned about it in the review. However, it still lacks the handrests in the middle row. And yes, it looks a lot better and less commercial van like now and the tires are 15 inchers now.

http://indianautosblog.com/2014/07/n...s-rear-quarter

If I was in the market with a VFM choice, my choice would have been:

1. Nissan Evalia - Much better ride than Expensive workhorse, Innova or if I had to run commercial ops.
2. Maruti Ertiga - VFM proposition with good interiors + Maruti tag
3. Enjoy - If I had to run commercial operations
4. Innova - The king of MUV's or "highway King"
5. Xylo H9 - for the safety features and no nonsense looks.
6. Honda Mobilio - Honda tag; Finally a people mover from Honda.

[anilkumar]

Awesome review GTO and MPower
Considering honda's premium tag I highly doubt if they can match Ertiga's pricing at 10.5L on road Bangalore for zdi. I expect at least a lac costlier. This segment doesn't scream for performance hence vfm point of view Ertiga is a winner for me

[Pacifica]

As someone who needs a UV with:

1. Automatic transmission
2. Front and side (6 or 8) airbags
3. Three rows of flexible seating

Neither Ertiga nor Mobilio makes the cut. The ladder frame ones - Aria, Innova, Enjoy, etc. don't either. Tata keeps promising an A/T Aria but I guess that'll never happen seeing as they're focused on Bolt/Zest/Kite now.

There are SUVs with these features but 1. They cost a bomb, 2. They're not as spacious as pure UVs, and I need the space more than 4x4 capability.

What options am I left with? A Mercedes R-class that costs more than my house?

[Lij]

Great review GTO and MPower, thank you!

The best view for me is the rear. Has good space compared to the Ertiga.

Looks like the Mobilio is a built to cost MPV. I think the Honda badge will keep its sales high.

[Leoshashi]

GTO Sir,
Thanks a lot for one of the most comprehensive reviews at TBHP.

A good product, but doesn't deserve a Honda badge according to me. This car has CHEAP plastered all over it. Honda should have presented a more polished product, in tune with their image, and should have charged a bit more if that warranted.

[drmohitg]

Great and very detailed review. For the first time I actually started skipping a paragraph in between simply because the write up is so detailed. Bravo! No wonder its gradually starting to take a longer time to compile the review.

i love the looks of the car. The front end could have been designed better specially the huge chrome bar bu the sides and the rear design more than make up for it. My only problem with the car is the dash design. It simply looks too plain and downmarket. For example just take a look at the grand i10 AC controls. Simply look so premium.

The reclining and sliding seats mean that the Mobilio would definitely be little more spacious and comfortable to use than the Ertiga. But overall I do not see this affecting the Ertiga numbers much apart from maybe the initial launch months. The panel gaps are so unlike Honda. Possibly would be sorted out in the final production cars?

[joe_antony]

Excellent review. Even after all those curves and lines in Mobilio, Ertiga looks better barring the tail lamp design. Being a clear winner at the after sales service section I think Ertiga will still rule the segment but with a very stiff competition from the Mobilio.

[sam_sant2005]

As usual excellent review GTO. You read most things in my mind

As an Ertiga owner let me tell you, if you fold down the second row backrest completely (which you should ideally do), getting in and out of 3rd row is not that difficult. I always tell my family to shift the 'base' from the 3rd row to the folded 2nd row and then step out (just an "about turn" sitting inside )

I have test driven Honda City D-tec and having been a Swift diesel user for 1.5 yrs (29000kms) and Ertiga diesel user for 10 months (18000 kms), my personal feeling is that although the lag is missing, the Honda diesel mill is not that exciting or anywhere near refinement (and NVH) in comparison to Ertiga DDiS. The "no-lag" concept came in even when Figo Tdci was launched, but you know why people like swift! 0-100 figures, yeh may be Ertiga might fall behind, but then top end it will blast off

After the review, as a Ertiga owner iam happy, yes I would have loved a 'little' more boot space for Ertiga form the onset!

Lastly, as an Ertiga owner the realworld mileage I get is 16-17 on highway at 100-110. Will watch out what Mobilio gives at such speeds based on the ARAI rating of 24.

[procrj]

Great review GTO and Mpower!

Looks like the success of the Amaze in spite of all its cost cutting has only reinforced Honda's assumption that the average Indian customer will settle for just about anything as long as it has a good engine and returns good FE. I think the 5-7 seater segment was looking for that one product that checks almost all boxes and was expecting the Mobilio to deliver. But the end result seems like a mishmash of various cars and its value proposition is not strong enough to convince people who are looking for C2 segment sedans/Top end hatchbacks/Top end C1 segment sedans to buy the Mobilio.