India-bound Honda BR-V SUV unveiled

Honda has unveiled the new BR-V at the GAIKINDO Indonesia International Auto Show (GIIAS) 2015. The new SUV will first go on sale in Indonesia, and then will head to India sometime next year. The new Honda BR-V comes in a seven-seat configuration and will take on the likes of the Hyundai Creta, Renault Duster and the Ford EcoSport.  

 

Sporting a squarish look up front, the SUV gets a chrome-laden grille and new headlamps that have projector beams and chrome inserts. The front bumper is new and gets a wider air dam and two chrome-ringed fog lamps as well. A matte silver faux skid plate is also seen at the lower end of the bumper. 

 

From the side, the BR-V bears resemblance to the Mobilio MPV thanks to similar-looking doors and window-line, but comes with additional ground clearance along with 16-inch alloy wheels. The BR-V also gets roof-rails and additional body cladding on the doors, to give it a proper SUV look. The rear styling of the BR-V is a clean departure from the Mobilio’s rear. The tailgate does not get a mounted spare wheel; it features large LED tail-lamps which are connected via a thin strip.

 

As predicted by us earlier, the Honda BR-V does get a completely unique dashboard design. This new dashboard is more in line with the upmarket Honda City sedan and the Jazz rather than the Brio, Amaze and Mobilio. It gets a dual-tone layout where the top half gets a darker shade with a silver border separating it from the lighter bottom half. In addition to the AC vents that are similar to the City, the BR-V also gets the City's infotainment system and touchscreen HVAC controls. The instrument binnacle is also identical to the Honda City with three circular units. However, the BR-V is likely to use the same steering wheel with mounted controls as seen on the Mobilio and Amaze. It also gets separate AC vents for the second row passengers. 

 

The Honda BR-V for Indonesia comes with a 120bhp 1.5-litre petrol motor mated to either a six-speed manual or a CVT gearbox. For India, the diesel engine is likely to get a bump in power. On the safety front, the BR-V gets dual front airbags, ABS and EBD along with the Vehicle Stability Assist system. We expect Honda to unveil the India-spec BR-V at the Auto Expo 2016 to be held in Delhi early next year.