Honda Mobilio Preview

First came the Honda Brio, then the Amaze and now we have an MPV based on this platform and it is the Mobilio. This is the first MPV we will see from Honda for the Indian car market and this will be positioned somewhere between the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga and the Toyota Innova and will come in petrol and diesel options. The Honda Mobilio is a seven-seater that is based on the Brio platform.

The MPV will first be launched in Indonesia, as it has been designed for developing markets like theirs and our. We check out the Honda Mobilio and share our first hand experience with the MPV.

Design:

The Mobilio is based on the Brio platform any there is no hiding. The Honda Mobilio is similar to the front end like the Amaze, as it gets the thick horizontal slat chrome grille and round fog lamps. The front of the Mobilio thus look a lot more muscular than the Brio and the Amaze. The fog lamp comes fixed in a matte black casing. The hood of the Mobilio looks more macho and the headlamps are similar to that of the Amaze.

The side profile is where the differentiation begins. The belt line of the second row sees a dip and then it carries on till the D-pillar. The wheelbase on the Mobilio is longer than the Amaze too. The swage line becomes prominent progressively as you move to the rear and curves down below the tail lamp. The greenhouse area on the Mobilio is good when compared to the metal area. The door handles are also picked from the Honda Amaze.

Interiors:

The Mobilio being based on the Honda Amaze platform, it shares most of the interior bits with its sibling sedan. The same three-spoke steering wheel, twin dials and the same in-dash music system along with three knobs to adjust the air-conditioner. The interiors are dual-tone and the fit and finish of the materials is first rate. The look and feel of the Mobilio is good too.

The second row is as spacious as the Amaze and can comfortably seat three people. The thigh support could have been a bit better, especially for tall people. The large window ensures that the interiors do feel roomy and even the beige colour further makes the interior feel more spacious. The second row can slide back and forth up to a certain extent to increase and reduce the knee room for the second row.

The third row can seat only two people. Honda continues with its Man Maximum, Machine Minimum on the Mobilio too.The third row has good enough knee room, though again the thigh support could have been tad better and is sufficient for not so tall people. Even the boot has decent space as it can accommodate two suitcases with the rear seats upright. The Mobilio we saw was a prototype and there can be several changes on this MPV until it hits the production line.

Performance:

The Mobilio will be available with two engine options- a 1.5-litre petrol i-VTEC and a 1.5-litre i-DTEC. The petrol engine will produce power somewhere close to 120bhp, while the diesel might get bump up from Amaze. We didn't get the opportunity to drive the car as it was just a preview. The underpinnings of the Mobilio will be similar to that of the Amaze, however the suspension will be a bit softer as it has a longer wheelbase.

Verdict:

Next year it when the Honda Mobilio and other cheaper MPV like the Datsun Go+ will come. The Mobilio will help Honda capture a greater market share and also help them to diversify to a wider audience and Honda has been extremely aggressive with its pricing. Expect it cost between Rs 9-14lakhs and this can attract several Innova buyers too. Honda now wants to storm the MPV segment and it seems they might have another winner in hand.