The Mobilio comes with smart styling, a spacious cabin and strong engines. It strives to be a family car, not just a people mover. Does it succeed?
WHAT’S IT LIKE INSIDE?
MPVs are all about space, and Honda has always been good at scooping the most space out of a limited area. To that end, the Mobilio’s dash is pushed as close to the windscreen as possible, and the seats have been made very slim. As a result, there’s plenty of room up front for even extra-large-sized adults, and legroom in the rear is surplus as well. This is especially true if the second-row seats are slid all the way back on their rails. The flat floor is a bonus and the seats provide good support, but perhaps a tad less than the long and soft seats of the Ertiga.
Stepping into the third row is easy enough too, due to the big rear doors and the way the second row seats tumble forward. Legroom for third-row passengers isn’t great, but if you slide the middle row forward you get some respite. Our beef is that the third-row seats are placed too low, forcing you to sit with your knees pointed to the roof, which is not very comfortable.
Also, the leather seats are a bit hard (the cloth seats are a bit more comfortable) and the fact that the dash has been carried over from the Brio doesn't sit too well either. Yes, the new two-tone dashboard looks a bit better and you get an aftermarket-looking double-DIN touchscreen audio system with Bluetooth on some versions, but the mock wood treatment looks a bit tacky and frankly not in keeping with the premium position the Mobilio aspires to.
The Mobilio’s trump card is the amount of useable luggage space it has on offer, even with all three rows of seats in place. Also, the low loading height is a big help when loading heavy bags.