Honda BRV

Performance

The BR-V gets a heart transplant from the popular Honda City. It sports the same 1.5-litre i-VTEC and i-DTEC motors in a similar state of tune. The petrol motor now gets a new six-speed manual transmission, instead of the old five-speed unit and an optional CVT automatic as well. Unlike the Duster or the Creta, there's no diesel automatic BR-V — just a six-speed manual. 

1.5-litre i-VTEC

The petrol motor is amongst the most refined petrol engines in its class. The BR-V petrol picks up pace swiftly and can be a good city runabout. The clutch is light and the six-speed gearbox is a gem to use as well. The optional CVT makes light of city traffic, and is heavily recommended in case you spend most of your commute time stuck in bumper to bumper traffic. 

1.5-litre i-DTEC

Noise levels are thankfully at acceptable levels here. It isn't as noisy as the Honda Amaze. There is considerable turbo-lag upto 1700rpm, post which the BR-V pulls clean. The lag can be an irritant in traffic and requires frequent downshifts to keep the engine in the powerband. Out on the highway, the BR-V is a relaxed cruiser that can clock triple digit speeds all day long. That said, how we wish there was a diesel automatic variant!

Ride and Handling 

Ground Clearance is rated at 210mm, that is on par with the segment best (Duster AWD). You can take the BR-V over broken roads and undulations and it does take it in its stride rather well. The suspension is well-tuned for our roads and ride quality is appreciable at city speeds. For the highway runs, it is stiff enough to not induce vertical movements. 

Show the BR-V a set of twisties and it will surprise you. We have to say the steering is amongst the most neutral, well-behaved units out there. The weight, feel and feeback is just right that lets you know what the front wheels are upto! Of course, there is considerable amount of body roll thanks to the height of the car — but nothing that is off-putting. 

Variants

Dual front airbags come as standard across the range which is a welcome addition and while ABS with EBD is offered as standard with the base diesel, the petrol only gets it in the S-variant. Our favourite is the mid spec S variant that gets the 2DIN entertainment system with multi-media support and steering mounted audio controls.

You also get automatic climate control and chauffeur driven owners get a sliding 2nd row seat and rear AC vents. A height-adjustable seat for the driver, along with the rear defogger, wiper and washer are also offered, making this the most value for money variant in the range.