2014 Honda Mobilio India review, test drive

 

Behind the wheel, the Mobilio feels very car-like and is, in fact, enjoyable to drive. It uses the City’s 117bhp, 1.5-litre petrol engine, which has healthy pulling power, and because this Indian version has wider-spread gear ratios, you tend to rev the engine harder than usual. The flexibility of this engine also really feels amazing. A mere tap on the throttle after 2,000rpm gets the car leaping forward, and if you keep your foot down, the Mobilio gathers pace really quickly. In fact, performance from the petrol is so strong all the way up to 7,000rpm, this very sporty motor feels a bit out of character on a practical car like this. Honda could have tuned it to have a bit more grunt in the bottom end. 

 

 

The 1.5 diesel is also taken from the Amaze and City, but in the Mobilio it comes with a better sound insulation package. It’s more silent than before, both at idle and at high revs. No, this all-aluminium diesel still doesn’t set a benchmark for refinement, but noise levels are not as obtrusive as in other diesel Hondas, and are quite tolerable. 

 

 

It’s the pulling power and responsiveness of the 1.5 diesel that makes it perfectly suited to this seven-seater MPV. The engine pulls cleanly from under 2,000rpm, unlike the Ertiga diesel, which suffers from a lot of turbo lag, This gives the Mobilio punchy performance, even with a full load. Unlike the dizzy petrol motor, this one doesn’t like to be revved, even by diesel standards. Hence, it's best to amble in this engine's broad torque spread, which makes driving in the city and on the highway equally effortless. 

 

With 189mm of ground clearance and a long wheelbase, the Mobilio rides pretty well. There is a hint of stiffness, but otherwise the Mobilio absorbs the bumps well, especially once you get the speed up. It’s remarkably stable on virtually any surface, and the rear end feels nice and tied down. In fact, the rock-stable rear suspension makes the front end feel a touch light, and this is exacerbated by the steering, which has a slightly numb feel around the straight ahead position. There’s very little body roll for an MPV, but yet this is not a car that likes to eagerly dart into corners.