Honda BR-V To Make Way For HR-V In India In 2019

The HR-V will be a 5-seater SUV, unlike the Mobilio-based (Mobilio is discontinued) BR-V that can seat seven

• BR-V is the only Honda car based on last-gen Amaze platform that’s still on sale in India.

• BR-V facelift revealed overseas is not being considered for India.

• HR-V shouldn’t be considered a BR-V successor; it’s a more premium 5-seat compact SUV.

• HR-V won’t be bigger than BR-V, but will be longer than Creta.

• Will be launched with BS 6 engines.

• Launch expected in Q4 2019 (Oct - Dec).

Sources in the know have informed CarDekho that Honda is set to replace the Mobilio-based BR-V, priced squarely against compact SUVs like the Hyundai Creta and Renault Duster, with the HR-V. The second-gen HR-V, which is already available overseas, is a 5-seater compact SUV and was first introduced in Japan in 2013 as Honda Vezel. It received a facelift in 2018 and like the Civic, Honda will introduce the HR-V facelift in India.

The Honda BR-V was launched in India in 2016. It is a more rugged-looking and better equipped version of the now discontinued Mobilio MPV. Both the Mobilio and BR-V are based on the first-gen Amaze sedan, which was replaced in 2018 with a new model. The BR-V has received a facelift in 2019, but Honda is unlikely to update the model in India.

Honda has developed a new platform for the second-gen Amaze and since BR-V is currently the only model that is based on the old Amaze’s platform (and is not too popular too, with average monthly sales of sub-500 units for the last six months), its exit is not surprising.

Despite the advantage of extra pair of seats over rivals like the Hyundai Creta and Renault Duster, the BR-V is not as popular in India. The reason for that could be its MPV-like exterior design, something that the HR-V can address. In terms of dimensions, the BR-V is bigger than the HR-V. When compared against its primary rivals in India, the HR-V turns out to be longer than both the Creta and Duster, but at the same time, it’s also narrower than both its rivals.

The current Honda HR-V is based on the same platform as the City and Jazz, but it should not be confused with the WR-V, which is also based on the same platform. While the WR-V is essentially a rugged-looking Jazz, the HR-V is a standalone model on this platform.

Since it shares its platform with the City, the HR-V’s powertrains should be shared in India. We expect Honda to introduce only BS 6 engines on the HR-V when it is launched later in 2019. The carmaker had earlier told CarDekho that all of its existing engines will be upgraded to meet BS 6 norms, so expect both 1.5-litre petrol and diesel engines to power the HR-V. It is important to note that the HR-V also comes with a hybrid powertrain and 1.8-litre petrol engine overseas.

The HR-V is amongst Honda’s global nameplates and is also known as the Honda Vezel in some markets. More importantly, it is generously equipped in foreign markets and we expect its India version to be equipped well enough to take on its rivals. In the UK, for example, the HR-V can be had with automatic Civic-like LED headlamps, LED fog lamps, cruise control, paddle shifters with automatic transmission, automatic air conditioner, leather upholstery, 8-way powered driver seat, 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, multiple (front, side and curtain) airbags and Honda LaneWatch camera as well as a panoramic sunroof.

In terms of product development, reliable sources have informed CarDekho that the company had begun shortlisting vendors for the HR-V in 2018 itself, and the launch will happen in the last quarter of 2019. Expect prices to start from around Rs 10 lakh and top out at around Rs 16 lakh.

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