[PrideRed]

Originally Posted by Ragavsr

Competitors may cost the same but then they have better quality. A 6 lakh i20 would blow away a 16 lakh BRV when it comes to interior fit and finish and interior quality.

First of all i20 starts at on road price of 6.76 lacs on road here in Bangalore, and the interiors are pretty bad being basic version.
When you compare higher version, i20 definitely has a better interior than BR-V.
While good interiors is priority for some, reliability, performance, cost of ownership is important to others.
Just like i20 blew BRV interms of interior quality,A 4.5 Lakh K10 would blow away 9lac top spec i20 petrol interms of performance

[SmartCat]

Originally Posted by preetamkabra

I have cancelled my booking for Brezza in Navi Mumbai. I have gone ahead and booked the V trim thus increasing my already stretched budget from 11 to 14 +. Fingers crossed.

Originally Posted by -xplora-

This is exactly what I have been mentioning. There will be cross-shopping even though price difference is almost 30% ! Someone who had booked a Brezza is/was not looking for a 7 seater, but BR-Vs overall package is just better in every sense

I did not expect this. You were right about cross-shopping. If BR-V takes away market share from entry level compact SUV (Brezza, Ecosport) and premium compact SUVs (Creta, Duster), then BR-V could clock decent numbers and sustain it. Mobilio never had this ability. Brezza/Creta has a big waiting list too - that could drive away some customers.

I for one would love the extra space, without the bulk of XUV or Innova. If the kids are into outdoors i.e. "camping" and "biking" etc. then BR-V looks very very attractive.

Bulk, styling and fuel efficiency.

For me, the biggest deal-breaker for XUV 500 AT Vs BR-V CVT is not the price - but the styling of XUV 500. I'm pretty sure there are many others like me. The Crysta too is not exactly a beauty either.

Of course, styling/looks and brand value (Eg: Mahindra Vs Honda) are personal opinions - and can vary from person to person.

If somebody intends to clock 1500 to 2000 km per month, it might take away sales from XUV 500/Innova. The massive difference in fuel efficiency (because they weigh 1.8 tonnes) could result in fuel savings of Rs. 1 to 2 Lacs, at the end of 5 years - depending on average diesel rates.

Originally Posted by BUXX

Does anyone have any suggestion on a good aftermarket HU+ Reverse Camera & Sensors that we can get installed?
Will the dealer fit this aftermarket HU for us, so that warranty is not voided?

Unlikely if you get it from outside. But the dealer himself will probably give you a couple of options - one with GPS and one without.

Is there a truth in the belief that removing dashboard for fitting HU will cause rattles? What is the probability of getting such rattles?

[adimicra]

One thing I wanted to point out about installation of after-market HUs.

About a year ago, I did a mild refresh of my Jazz with new alloys, spoiler, door visors and a touchscreen HU. First, I had asked the Honda dealer. He quoted me 40K for a Blaupunkt HU with navigation and reverse camera. When I checked with my trusted accessory store, he quoted 30K for the same stuff. So, I got it done outside at 30K and I could not have been happier.

You can check this thread for details
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/car-en...onda-jazz.html

There is no rattle or issues whatsoever.
Just make sure that the installation is done by professional technicians and be there personally to supervise things. Honda dealer will do the same thing. Or else, try to reduce the price which the Honda dealer is offering by giving him the quotations from other accessory stores. In my case, he came down from 40K to 35K pretty quickly but I still went ahead with the local accessory store.

And in case there are any issues, you can always go to your trusted accessory store to sort out just the way you will go the dealer. There will be no warranty from Honda India in any case.

[BUXX]

Originally Posted by smartcat

Unlikely if you get it from outside. But the dealer himself will probably give you a couple of options - one with GPS and one without.

Is there a truth in the belief that removing dashboard for fitting HU will cause rattles? What is the probability of getting such rattles?

I got some work done in my Duster .. the AC re-circulation knob was stuck (known issue)
for this, they had to remove the dash. Things were never the same after that .. there was a audible rattle thereafter...


Also, I am thinking to go for just the Reverse Sensors in the first round- hoping that the dealer/accessories shop will get the availability/experience with the BR-V and then only undertake the HU up gradation.
From my experience with the Duster- the Reverse Sensors alone are quite adequate.

This brings a question though: does installation of reverse sensors involve too much of stripping work or is it pretty straight forward?

[nitinrawatdun]

Honda has again made the mistake they made earlier with Mobilio and this time they have gone a step further and launched at a higher price point.
Honda seems confused in which section they want BRV to compete! In the Crossovers, in Utility vehicles or in SUVs.
Aggressive pricing would have seriously been a boon for Honda. But if someone wants to spend in this range then people have many other solid options to choose from.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by BUXX

Just revisited that sheet again : comparing top end Mobilio RS (O) Diesel 13.6 OTR Delhi , with BRV V CVT 13.5L OTR

Surprised you are comparing the RS(O) variant of the Mobilio against V variant of the BRV. RS(o) was more like a special body kit variant, interior fake wooden trims etc with an insane price tag and comes above V, V(O) and RS variants of the Mobilio. So much overpriced so that it had 1.5L discounts till recently in cities like Bangalore. Comparison with regular V or V(O) variants make more sense.

Anyways, just wanted to point out the below corrections -

3rd Row Seat Adjustment - Recline, 50-50 split and full tumble present in Mobilio
Rear Armrest - Present in Mobilio
Extra chrome bling - Present for VX variant of BRV, not V
Projector headlamps - Present in Mobilio RS
Mobilio also gets Head absorbing front windscreen Wooden garnish for interiors on the RS trim.

Originally Posted by smartcat

Many customers seem to be give disproportionate weightage to "features", and Mahindra, Maruti and Hyundai knows this. Honda does NOT (probably because people who decide on product features are Japanese).

Small correction. Honda is right up there with Hyundai and Maruti in terms of features list when it comes to City and Jazz. For example, the cheaper City has -

Sunroof (Segment first)
Touch screen based climate control (Segment first)
Reversing camera with 3 viewing modes.
Cruise control
8 speaker audio system
Telephone controls on steering wheel
Front armrest
Four power outlets
Spring loaded grab handles

All of which have been given a miss on the BRV. Its not Honda specific, only restricted to the Brio platform vehicles I guess.

Originally Posted by smartcat

I did not expect this. You were right about cross-shopping.

The biggest push for the BRV would come from the ban on Innova diesels, already implemented in Kerala and Delhi. BRV makes a good people mover for 6 people and people who were looking at Innova earlier wont have much of a choice other than BRV.

Originally Posted by preetamkabra

I also felt that the brezza is high on features, but essentially is running on a dezire engine.

Brezza is running 90hp, 210Nm VGT tune of the 1.3 DDiS compared to 75hp, 190 Nm FGT the DZire.

[-xplora-]

Originally Posted by nitinrawatdun

Honda has again made the mistake they made earlier with Mobilio and this time they have gone a step further and launched at a higher price point.
Honda seems confused in which section they want BRV to compete! In the Crossovers, in Utility vehicles or in SUVs.
Aggressive pricing would have seriously been a boon for Honda. But if someone wants to spend in this range then people have many other solid options to choose from.

Care to enlighten ? "Many other solid options to choose from in the same price range". Of course it is taken that the "Many other solid options" have to provide everything that the BR-V does and some more

Honda is not confused. I think Honda is smart. It has launched a product that will have interest from compact SUV / MUV / MPV and even C/C2 segment Sedans. Sales over 12 months will show the true story and if the competitors launch any 6-7 seater in the near future to counter BR-V.

[SmartCat]

Originally Posted by adimicra

There is no rattle or issues whatsoever.

Originally Posted by BUXX

I got some work done in my Duster .. the AC re-circulation knob was stuck (known issue)
for this, they had to remove the dash. Things were never the same after that .. there was a audible rattle thereafter...

Two opposite experiences. Meanwhile, I've always got "AC Duct Cleaning" (to get rid of dust particles) for my Civic every year. Doesn't this involve messing with the dashboard? I've never had rattles in the car.

I can live without touchscreen/reversing camera on a BR-V, because I've been driving 4.5 metres cars (Optra & Civic) all my life. Reversing BR-V should be easier, because there is no sedan-like boot.

Rattles I cannot live with.

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Surprised you are comparing the RS(O) variant of the Mobilio against V variant of the BRV. RS(o) was more like a special body kit variant,

He is implying that BR-V too is like a Mobilio with a special body kit. Since the listed price of RS(O) is equal to BR-V, there is no charge for the mod. Fair argument methinks.

Mobilio also gets Head absorbing front windscreen

Why is Honda calling this heat absorbing windscreen? I think it should be heat rejecting windscreen.

All of which have been given a miss on the BRV. Its not Honda specific, only restricted to the Brio platform vehicles I guess.

Extending the Brio platform to make it a 7 seater involves significant engineering/extra features costs. Compare the cost of BR-V with that of Renault Lodgy Stepway, which is essentially SUVish body kit added to Lodgy with some extra features thrown in.

Lodgy Stepway, which is based on Dacia Logan platform, costs Rs. 15.6 Lacs on road Bangalore. Features are comparable with BR-V, with some features missing from eachother. Hyundai has it easy with Creta, because it does not involve costs associated with making of a 7 seater.

[fordfreak]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Mobilio also gets Head absorbing front windscreen

The only time the front windscreen absorbs a head, is when the front occupants aren't buckled up.

Sorry for going off topic. Couldn't resist.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by smartcat

He is implying that BR-V too is like a Mobilio with a special body kit. Since the listed price of RS(O) is equal to BR-V, there is no charge for the mod. Fair argument methinks.

Ah! Ok. That's a fair way to look at it too! Hopefully, there is no RS variant of the BRV coming. Lack of features like touchscreen points to an introduction of the RS or VX(o) variant later - based on past history.

Originally Posted by smartcat

Why is Honda calling this heat absorbing windscreen? I think it should be heat rejecting windscreen.

More of marketing from AIS who supplies the glass to Honda.

http://www.aisglass.com/products-ser...s/tinted-glass

Originally Posted by smartcat

Compare the cost of BR-V with that of Renault Lodgy Stepway, which is essentially SUVish body kit added to Lodgy with some extra features thrown in.

True. The problem with Lodgy and Duster however is not in the production costs, but the lack of competition when they came into their respective segments. Duster created its own segment, while with the Lodgy - they wanted to take on Mobilio and undercut Innova, a strategy that bombed. Even Duster is struggling now with more modern competition on either ends of the price scale.

Originally Posted by fordfreak

Sorry for going off topic. Couldn't resist.

Oops.

[BUXX]

This Reverse Sensor/Camera thing was bothering me a lot.. so wrote to Honda's generic Email ID: customer_relations@hondacarindia.com

If anyone has some direct email contacts of the top guys at Honda, may please share by PM. Thanks!

I have been following up a lot and researching on the vehicle & have visited the Prime Honda Showroom a few times since the launch of the BR-V and find that this vehicle best fits my current requirements. I have also taken a test drive of the Manual Petrol and currently awaiting the test drive of the CVT variant in Delhi before I go ahead and finalize my purchase.

However, I am quite appalled to find that the BR-V is missing a very critical safety feature of the Reversing Sensor/Camera as Standard equipment that is only available as an accessory.

As you are well aware, such a safety feature is present in cars many segment below where the BR-V is being positioned by Honda, as well as in many of BR-V's siblings from the Honda stable.

This feature is best available when fitted as a standard equipment by the Manufacturer as the fit, finish, quality of the accessory fitment at the Dealer level can never match the robotic precision fitment done with proper QA/QC at the Honda factory !! Not to mention that the fitment at the Dealer level will require the dashboard to be removed along with stripping of other internal fascia/material and quite possibly result in lifelong rattling of loose components.

I believe that this is a critical feature that is missing from the BR-V and one that Honda should be supplying at least as an Optional extra; BUT direct from the factory and NOT dealer fitment.
This miss was also highlighted by many reputed Automobile Reporters and Reviewers during the pre-launch Media Drive organized by Honda, but the feedback was not incorporated in production vehicles.

I would request you to kindly do the needful so that genuine buyers and prospective owners are not turned off by the absence of such a critical feature on an otherwise fine vehicle.
Honda really needs to listed to the Voice of the Customer on this one and oblige the prospective owners- it will result in a win-win situaton for the company as well the customer.

Thanking you in anticipation,

On the Heat Absorbing Windshield: I am sure this can be replaced later then? This is again a useful thing , especially in the Delhi summers. Every bit counts.

[Doylthippo]

Originally Posted by BUXX

On the Heat Absorbing Windshield: [/b]I am sure this can be replaced later then? This is again a useful thing , especially in the Delhi summers. Every bit counts.

Heat absorbing windshield is available in my Amaze VX. But I am not able to identify the exact purpose of this one.
I expect it should stop more heat entering into the car when the windshield is exposed to sunlight. Anyway i don't say that it is not doing it's duty well. Just i would like to mention that i have not yet identified the difference between the normal one in our Wagon-R and heat absorbing one in my car.
It could very well be a marketing gimmic by the glass supplier.

[nitinrawatdun]

Originally Posted by -xplora-

Care to enlighten ? "Many other solid options to choose from in the same price range". Of course it is taken that the "Many other solid options" have to provide everything that the BR-V does and some more

Honda is not confused. I think Honda is smart. It has launched a product that will have interest from compact SUV / MUV / MPV and even C/C2 segment Sedans. Sales over 12 months will show the true story and if the competitors launch any 6-7 seater in the near future to counter BR-V.

The features are already listed down on which the BRV is missing even on the highest models compared to other cars in this price range. Telescopic steering, Cruise control, Parking sensors,Parking camera(really? even small hatch have these nowdays), Driver Armrest storage, cooled glovebox, only 2 airbags etc.

On Road in delhi(comparatively less RTO fees) comes down to ~15.5 lacs for VX Diesel.

The point i am trying to make is that, for 15.5 lacs the features provided are not in the same league as you'll get on some other cars. Even duster(known for its basic features) is getting a face lift/upgraded feature list.

Coming to your other point on "interest from compact SUV / MUV / MPV and even C/C2 segment Sedans". That looks like a very vast segment of cars there, and again highlighting the point that i am trying to make. There is a reason that all these segments co exist separately. Honda has tried to deliver a Jack of all trades, which is commendable but only if this would have been priced aggressively.
With mobilio already out of the showrooms(cant find mobilio in few honda showrooms in hyderabad, same reported by other BHPians), and lodgy not even a competition in this MPV segment, i dont see BRV dismantling either(ertiga) sub 10 lacs MPV's or (innova) above 10lacs MPV's, leaders in the 7 seater MPV categories.

Originally Posted by gearbox

Great review Aditya!! Wish Honda or others stop putting out sub standard interiors, I fail to understand, for a company who provide better interiors in their other car models, cannot accommodate similar quality work in a new launch?

Totally with you on this one. If i ought to spend 16 lacs on a car, i cant really imagine spending it on a car with same interiors of a car priced @ ~8-9 lacs. BRV looks a nice package overall and would probably rate 3.5 and round about in all aspects, but the price range at which its being launched will obviously leave potential buyers wanting for more.

[-xplora-]

Originally Posted by nitinrawatdun

The features are already listed down on which the BRV is missing even on the highest models compared to other cars in this price range. Telescopic steering, Cruise control, Parking sensors,Parking camera(really? even small hatch have these nowdays), Driver Armrest storage, cooled glovebox, only 2 airbags etc.

On Road in delhi(comparatively less RTO fees) comes down to ~15.5 lacs for VX Diesel.

The point i am trying to make is that, for 15.5 lacs the features provided are not in the same league as you'll get on some other cars. Even duster(known for its basic features) is getting a face lift/upgraded feature list.

I think you missed my point completely. When you mention "solid options" then the list has to be of 6-7 seaters with BR-V kind of space / price and Honda kind of reliability as the base. Then we talk about RevCam and Driver's arm-rest etc. I fail to see a "solid competitor" here.

Ertiga / Mobilio / Lodgy pure MPVs cannot be compared to BR-V in styling, space and SUVish additions. Rest all are smaller 5 seaters so not "solid options". Then we have XUV and Innova, yes they are better equipped but pricing is way higher. Mahindra TUV 300 cannot match Honda offerings again with jump-seats. So where is this elusive list of "solid options" ?

Coming to your other point on "interest from compact SUV / MUV / MPV and even C/C2 segment Sedans". That looks like a very vast segment of cars there, and again highlighting the point that i am trying to make. There is a reason that all these segments co exist separately. Honda has tried to deliver a Jack of all trades, which is commendable but only if this would have been priced aggressively.
With mobilio already out of the showrooms(cant find mobilio in few honda showrooms in hyderabad, same reported by other BHPians), and lodgy not even a competition in this MPV segment, i dont see BRV dismantling either(ertiga) sub 10 lacs MPV's or (innova) above 10lacs MPV's, leaders in the 7 seater MPV categories.

That is an oxymoron. A "jack of all trades and yet it should have been priced aggressively?" The fact that it can compete with an MUV/MPV/C-SUV itself asks for a premium pricing. Having said that, I am not happy with BR-V fit and finish and skimping low-cost items like RevSensors etc. Touch-screen is okay to skip.

BR-V will not dismantle Ertiga or Innova. But the lowest end of Innova looker who only needs a 5-6 seater will seriously look at top-end BR-V. Similarly a top-end Ertiga looker will seriously look at S / V of BR-V. If someone looking for petrol AT BR-V is the only one in the sweet spot. BR-V will eat into Creta/ Duster / S-Cross / Brezza / Ecosport. That is their main focus. Ertiga and Innova will be secondary owing to the above explanation.

[nitinrawatdun]

Originally Posted by -xplora-

I think you missed my point completely. When you mention "solid options" then the list has to be of 6-7 seaters with BR-V kind of space / price and Honda kind of reliability as the base. Then we talk about RevCam and Driver's arm-rest etc. I fail to see a "solid competitor" here.

Ertiga / Mobilio / Lodgy pure MPVs cannot be compared to BR-V in styling, space and SUVish additions. Rest all are smaller 5 seaters so not "solid options". Then we have XUV and Innova, yes they are better equipped but pricing is way higher. Mahindra TUV 300 cannot match Honda offerings again with jump-seats. So where is this elusive list of "solid options" ?



That is an oxymoron. A "jack of all trades and yet it should have been priced aggressively?" The fact that it can compete with an MUV/MPV/C-SUV itself asks for a premium pricing. Having said that, I am not happy with BR-V fit and finish and skimping low-cost items like RevSensors etc. Touch-screen is okay to skip.

BR-V will not dismantle Ertiga or Innova. But the lowest end of Innova looker who only needs a 5-6 seater will seriously look at top-end BR-V. Similarly a top-end Ertiga looker will seriously look at S / V of BR-V. If someone looking for petrol AT BR-V is the only one in the sweet spot. BR-V will eat into Creta/ Duster / S-Cross / Brezza / Ecosport. That is their main focus. Ertiga and Innova will be secondary owing to the above explanation.

Yes.. exactly. I think the point that you and i have made are almost same.
I'll try again

BRV is good enough to eat into the sales of cars falling into segments such as MPVs SUVs and Crossovers(not sedans), but that is it. It is not going to be a table topper in any of the segments specially with the pricing and lack of features.
The majority of people might opt for fully loaded Ertiga/Mobilio or if the budget permits for Pure SUV's. What Honda did here with BRV was get somewhere in between but failed to find the sweet spot.

Coming to your point about jack of all trades and being priced higher, well i beg to differ on that. Its not as if BRV is exceptional as an MPV or is exceptional as an SUV, it is an overall nice package(if i may use that word, with slight caution), so if its an above average car why should someone pay a premium price for it?

PS: I did a TD on it last monday, and I really went there with a high expectation, but it didn't inspire the confidence of a SUV and neither it was fun to drive within the city traffic.