A few days ago, we had reported that Honda was working on a major overhaul of its Mobilio MPV. The carmaker has now revealed the 2017 Mobilio in Indonesia.
A mid-cycle refresh, the Mobilio has received major sheet-metal changes at the front. The headlamps are now slimmer as opposed to the balloon-shaped ones on the earlier car. It gets LED daytime-running lamps as well. A thick band of chrome runs across the grille, as seen on the City, with a prominent 'H' at the centre. The front bumper has also been redesigned and now gets more angular inserts for the fog lamps, and chrome accents at the bottom.
The Indonesian-spec car is likely to continue with the same petrol motor. However, it does get additional safety features like hill start assist and vehicle stability control.
This is the second update for the MPV since its launch in 2014. Honda earlier launched a mildly updated Mobilio in select international markets, and the changes included a refreshed interior and a new dashboard, just like in the Amaze and Brio. The Mobilio for India, however, has been unchanged since its launch.
There is no news of the updated Mobilio making it to India as of now. However, if launched here, the update will surely be a shot in the arm to the almost negligible Mobilio sales in our market.
Honda sold 3,396 units of the Mobilio in the year ending November 2016, down from 16,380 units sold in the previous year. Discounts of up to Rs 2 lakh are currently being offered on the unsold 2015 and 2016 models in a bid to push sales.
The Mobilio rivals the likes of the popular Maruti Ertiga and the Renault Lodgy. For India, Honda is currently preparing to bring in two new models. The first is said to be a facelift of the popular Honda City, which will be followed by the WR-V crosshatch.
Viraaj Bhatnagar
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