Honda BR-V, Renault Duster and Hyundai Creta: Specifications comparison

Honda has shaken things up in the popular small SUV segment with the launch of its all-new BR-V seven-seater SUV. Offered in four variants, the petrol variant of the BR-V is priced at Rs 8.75 lakh for the base trim going right up to Rs 11.84 lakh for the top-spec variant. The base diesel is priced at Rs 9.90 lakh going upto Rs 12.90 lakh and the petrol automatic is priced at Rs 11.99 lakh (all prices, ex-showroom, Delhi). The BR-V will not only be Honda’s maiden entry into the segment but will also be the only seven-seater amongst its rivals.

The BR-V is based on the same platform as the Brio and Mobilio, and the sides do bear resemblance to that of the Mobilio. The interior is all-new, while the dashboard is similar to the unit in the facelifted Amaze. With a wheelbase longer than the Mobilio's, we can expect the cabin to be spacious. The all-new BR-V rivals the recently launched facelifted Renault Duster and the Hyundai Creta.

Renault made considerable changes to the Duster to boost demand of its once most popular model and to take on the newer and better products from rivals. The facelift also saw the Duster gain a new six-speed AMT gearbox to rival the diesel automatic Creta.

Ever since its launch in July last year, the Creta has climbed to the top of the ladder. With bookings crossing the one lakh mark, near half-year waiting periods and continuous boost to production numbers, the Creta has been a runaway success. Hyundai went a step further to establish its Creta as the segment bestseller with the launch of a petrol automatic variant, alongside its current diesel automatic on its top SX+ trim. A second lower-spec diesel auto is also in the works.

Here is how the BR-V matches up to its rivals on paper:

Dimensions

In terms of the dimensions, the Duster sits the widest at 1,822 mm and is also the tallest at 1,695mm. The Duster also leads in terms of wheelbase (2,673mm), albeit by a narrow margin of 13mm, when compared to the BR-V.

Length-wise, however, it is the Honda BR-V that is the longest in the segment at 4,453mm. A big draw among the car buyers could be the fact that Honda is the only carmaker to offer a seven-seater in the small SUV/crossover segment.

Underlining the Duster’s capability as an off-roader is the 205mm ground clearance; it falls short of the BR-V’s ground clearance by just 5mm. Although the Duster seems to have the upper hand, dimension-wise, both the BR-V and the Creta also boast spacious cabins.

Under the hood

The Duster is powered by the same petrol and diesel engines as the outgoing model. The engine options include a 104hp 1.6-litre petrol motor and a 1.5-litre diesel powerplant making 85hp and 110hp.

The BR-V uses the tried and tested 1.5-litre petrol and diesel engines from the Mobilio and City. The Creta on the other hand has a choice of three engines – a 1.6 petrol, a 1.4 diesel and a more powerful 1.6 diesel unit.

In this comparison, we take a look at the petrol engines and the more powerful diesel engines from the Duster and Creta.

Among the petrol variants, the Creta is the most powerful with an output of 123hp followed by the BR-V at 119hp. The BR-V and the Duster have similar torque figures, while the Creta leads here as well, albeit by a slim margin.

Honda was said to have been improving the performance of its 1.5-litre diesel engine for the BR-V. However, the automaker has now decided to stick with the unit’s current output – as that of the Mobilio and City – of 100hp.

The Creta is again the most powerful of the trio in terms of diesel engines. The 1.6-litre diesel in the Creta develops 128hp; 18hp more than the Duster and 28hp more than the BR-V.

Furthermore, the Duster is the only SUV here to get AWD as an option.

Talking about clutchless comfort, the Duster gets a six-speed automated manual transmission (AMT) as an option with the more powerful 110hp diesel. The Creta offers the option of a six-speed automatic gearbox on both its petrol and 1.6-litre diesel engines, while the BR-V gets a CVT gearbox as an option on its petrol engine. Interestingly, the petrol automatic variant is equipped with a first-in-class steering-mounted paddle shifters.

Here is how the BR-V stacks up against its rivals in terms of prices:

Honda BR-V India review