The MotorOctane team has been growing. With a growing family you need a bigger size vehicle to ferry everyone together in comfort, particularly when on a special assignment far away from home. We recently had an opportunity to experience a Honda BR-V as a long termer. It was there with us for a period of around three months, which not only helped us understand the vehicle better but also allowed us to put the vehicle to some real tests and gauge its utility in a regular ownership cycle.

We drove it extensively in Mumbai city conditions as well as on long highway trips. The most important one being a 3500 km travel to & fro, between Delhi & Mumbai to cover Auto Expo 2018. So, if you are looking for a comfortable seven-seater for family and not sure if Honda BR-V fits the bill, do read on & write to us in the comments section if you still need more information on the vehicle.

 

Honda BR-V Exterior

Honda BRV long term 2

From the outside Honda BRV appears fairly balanced in terms of its proportions. In spite of its dimensions it doesn’t feel too bulky or boxy, thanks to a more car like design. The front bonnet with a chunky chrome bar and rear extended faux tail lamps add to its appeal. The roof rail makes it look sportier.

Honda BR-V Interior

This is the area where BRV truly scores big. A large cabin with a very good all round visibility makes it a nice place to be in. Our test car was an older version and hence lacked a touch screen with reverse parking sensor making it difficult to slot it in tight parking places while reversing. Even the Bluetooth pairing was a bit cumbersome when compared to similar feature in other modern cars, but thankfully Honda has addressed both these issues in the newer versions.

Honda BRV long term 3

The highlight of the car is the space available for the fellow passengers, be it the second row seat with features like front & back seat slider and backrest recline adjustments, or the third row seat which can actually accommodate full size adults, unlike the other seven seaters available in the market. For the comfort of the third row passenger, Honda has also provided the seat recline feature here and small storage spaces are provided for improved convenience on long hauls.

Honda BR-V space

The single touch tumble feature for the second row seats, ensure easy access to the last row seats. Also, the split seat folding for both rows provide the user with multiple options for storing tricky luggage in the car. This is particularly useful when you don’t trust a courier guy on safe transit of fragile lightweight stuff, over short distances e.g., delicate and voluminous articles like large canvas paintings, glass artefacts or any other simple household item needing careful handling.

Honda BR-V Engine & Performance

Honda BRV comes with both petrol as well as the diesel powertrain options. We had the diesel variant equipped with a 1.5-litre i-DTEC engine, producing 98bhp of power and 200Nm of torque. We feel is adequate enough for a family vehicle focusing on passenger comfort. However, the engine noise is a bit irritating and is quite pronounced across the rev band.

Honda BRV long term 1

Honda BR-V Mileage

The biggest surprise in store however was a 17-18 km/l of fuel efficiency even in city traffic driving conditions. For a vehicle this size and the Mumbai traffic conditions this really is a respectable figure. On highway driving again it was easy to achieve the company claimed ARAI mileage of 21.9 km/l.

Honda BR-V long term 5

Summing it up

In the last three months Honda BRV travelled with us for a total distance of over 5000 kms. During this period we did not come across any technical glitch barring a minor failure of internal air circulation switch, which got rectified promptly by the local dealership. The BR-V worked with us like a loyal horse without the regular whine and complaints. It returned a very good city mileage and could carry seven occupants with ease offering reasonable comfort even for the third row passenger. Overall we found Honda BR-V to be a sensible and trouble free buy for someone looking for a large family car offering comfort, reliability and a bit of status for the owner. While its not exactly ideal for long distance travel, it fit in well for daily usage and also your weekend getaways.

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  • SHould i buy the BR-V V CVT or DIesel ENgine top model? Please Reply ASAP.