Honda BR-V Price - Where Should it Start?

Honda's first compact SUV, the BR-V, is all set to debut on 05 May 2016. Pre-bookings are already underway across dealerships, for a token amount of Rs. 21,000. Moreover, the automaker is leaving no stone unturned to create a buzz on social media with the 'Where Next with BR-V' campaign. It enters a segment where the Hyundai Creta and the Renault Duster have already been battling to come out on top. For Honda to topple these established players, the price has to be nothing short of spot on. Let's figure out where the prices for the BR-V should start! 

For starters, it is based on the same platform as the Amaze and the Mobilio and shares its engines with the City. The sharing will play a significant role in keeping costs in check for Honda. The BR-V is likely to be slotted above the Mobilio in the line-up, and be considerably more expensive compared to the MPV. 

Its rivals such as the Hyundai Creta and the Renault Duster start at prices that hover around the Rs. 9.5 lakh mark for the base petrol trims. We expect Honda to match this, adopting a similar price for the base petrol variant of the BR-V. The diesel will probably command a premium of a lakh over its petrol counterpart. We expect prices to start at around 10.5 lakh for the base diesel variant. Honda's usual strategy of premium pricing might not work in this segment. In fact, the BR-V would have to try and equal, if not undercut, the prices of its rivals to get the cash registers ringing. 

We've already driven the BR-V in Japan. Click here to read initial impressions. We will be driving the SUV in India soon. Stay tuned for an in-depth report. Meanwhile, take a look at how the BR-V fares against its rivals, in this spec comparison here.