Honda debuts in compact SUV space

To compete against segment best-seller Hyundai Creta, Renault Duster and Nissan Terrano

Honda, the second largest Japanese car brand in India, on Thursday marked its debut in the compact sports utility vehicle space with the launch of the BR-V priced at Rs 8.75 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).

Launch of the new model begins Honda Cars journey into the entry-level SUV segment in India, which grew 43 per cent during 2015-16, said Yoichiro Uneo, president & chief executive, Honda Cars India.

The BR-V has been launched with five petrol variants priced between Rs 8.75 and Rs 11.99 lakh, and four diesel variants priced between Rs 9.90 and Rs 12.90 lakh, all prices ex-showroom Delhi.

Though not as small as the Maruti Suzuki’s Vitara Brezza, Mahindra’s TUV300 or the Ford’s EcoSport the BR-V (short for Bold Runabout Vehicle) will compete against the segment best-seller Hyundai Creta, Renault Duster and Nissan Terrano.

BR-V's petrol variant is equipped with the 4-Cylinder, 1.5-litre i-VTEC engine with new and exclusively developed 6-speed manual transmission and a continuously variable transmission (CVT). The diesel variant is equipped with the 1.5 litre i-DTEC diesel engine in 6 speed manual transmission.

The BR-V’s length is more than 4,000mm unlike the Brezza, TUV300 and Ecosport all of which fall within the prescribed limit that allows them to qualify for the tax bracket that is similar for compact cars.

While it is an all-new model from Honda the BRV uses the same platform seen on the Brio (hatchback), Mobilio (multi-utility vehicle) and Amaze (compact sedan). Styling is very much similar to the Mobilio but more modern and aggressive.

To maximise distribution Honda will be expanding its reach to 340 distribution points by March from 298 currently, Uneo said.

Besides the platform the BR-V also borrows a lot of other details from its siblings. For instance the dash board on the BR-V is the same as the one seen on the Amaze which itself is borrowed from Jazz.

The vehicle comes in six color choices and is equipped with dual SRS air bags as standard offering across all variants.

Honda BR-V has three tier seating with the second and third tiers foldable. While, the second tier is separated in a 60:40 ratio with 60 per cent percent of the seat tumble foldable. The third is divides in a 50:50 fashion and can be tumble folded as well.

The SUV will have infotainment system that features Bluetooth for telephony and audio streaming. Steering mounted audio controls, electrically foldable outside rear-view mirror, air-conditioning at the rear, automatic climate control are some of the features on the BR-V.

This will be a tough challenge for Honda Cars India, the local subsidiary of Honda Motor Company, Japan, as the SUV market is increasingly becoming a hotly contested segment. The company’s recent launches have not been able to keep up with the expectations.

For instance the three year old Brio generates less than 500 units in sales per month compared to Maruti Suzuki Swift which sells nearly 15,000 units every month. Similarly the Mobilio has suffered due to a sharp decline in demand for such MUVs and MPVs. Further the Jazz too has seen a sharp decline even as Maruti has maintained a strong performance with the Baleno and Hyundai with the i20.