New Honda Mobilio MPV unveiled

Honda has just revealed its new mini-MPV called Mobilio (Codename: 2NH) in Indonesia.

 At first the Honda Mobilio might look like the Honda Brio or Honda Amaze from the front, but it has been completely redesigned to suit its role as an MPV.

 

The Honda Mobilio’s 2650mm wheelbase is 245mm longer than the Amaze and overall length is 4390mm.  The roof line has also been changed to create a more spacious cabin with overall height 105mm greater than the Amaze. This is also partly because of the 20mm increase in ground clearance to a solid 185mm.

 

 The styling, once you look past the nose, is far more aggressive. There is a sporty looking bumper while the designers have used a kink in the window line to visually reduce the length of the car and big wheel arches have also been used to further accentuate this. The heavily flared wheel arch at the rear, has a kinked line, is in fact likely to be the talking point of this car. The Honda Mobilio also features a very interesting ‘floating D pillar’ that hovers above the shoulder line.

Known as Asia’s MPV haven, Indonesia is the home to many MPVs. Toyota’s Innova is produced there, our own Maruti Ertiga is sold in that market and there are a raft of other MPVs on sale there too. Honda’s Mobilio will also be produced there first, Indonesia likely to be the launch market. India however will be next.  Continued..

 

 

Details of the interior are sketchy, but the Brio’s dashboard is likely to be carried over. Insiders say there will be plenty of luggage space present even with all three rows being used by passengers.

 

Where Honda’s mini-MPV is likely to score well too is in the engine department. Unlike Maruti’s Ertiga, that suffers from a bit of turbo lag owing to the small displacement 1248cc diesel engine used, this car will come powered by Honda’s 1498cc 96.6bhp i-Dtec diesel motor that delivers instant throttle responses and plenty of torque. The 2NH will be introduced in Indonesia with a lightly tuned version of the City’s current 1.5-litre i-VTEC petrol motor that develops 116bhp and 14.6kgm of torque.

 

With three rows of seats, Honda’s excellent packaging skills, aggressive styling and a strong diesel engine under the hood, Honda’s mini-MPV will surely give the Ertiga a run for its money. Expect to see the car in India first at the Auto Expo in 2014, with the production version hitting our shores towards the middle of next year.