Honda BR-V India review, test drive

At long last, Honda is ready with its small SUV, the new BR-V. Can it take the fight to the established competition?

Published on Apr 28, 2016 02:30:00 PM

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What’s it like on the inside?

If there’s a positive to the BR-V’s medium height, it’s that it’s a very easy vehicle to get in and out of. Once inside, you get a feeling of familiarity. That’s because the BR-V uses the same dash as the one you’d find in the updated Honda Amaze which itself looks like a derivative of the Honda Jazz’s dash. The BR-V’s cabin looks quite smart and the all-black theme only helps the impression. Plastic quality is decent though not quite at the Hyundai Creta’s benchmark levels.

What might be a deal-breaker for many buyers, however, is the absence of a touchscreen infotainment system, something that is almost de rigueur for vehicles in this class. The car’s infotainment system does feature Bluetooth for telephony and audio streaming. Automatic climate control, steering-mounted audio buttons, push-button start, electrically foldable outside rear-view mirrors and rear air-con vents are some of the features that will be part of the kit on the top-spec versions. Still, reverse parking sensors should have been offered too. Honda has not revealed the exact variant break-up as yet, but has confirmed dual airbags will be standard across the range. Also what's worth noting is anti-lock brakes will be standard on the diesel BR-V, but will be available only on mid-range and higher versions of the BR-V petrol.

The feel from behind the BR-V’s smartly finished steering wheel is that of sitting in a jacked-up Jazz. The seating position isn’t all that high but visibility is still good, as is comfort. The front seats are well cushioned, and the middle-row seats with adjustable backrests are quite nice as well, notwithstanding the somewhat lack of thigh support. Middle-row legroom is good (the seats can be moved back to create more space) and headroom is aplenty. However, the SUV's cabin simply isn’t wide enough to seat three abreast in comfort and that’s when the last row comes handy. Access to the back is decent and space is not bad either; the large windows help this section of the cabin feel reasonably airy. However, the knees-up seating position means even those who will fit here won’t be happy for too long.