Honda Mobilio V i DTEC

Mobilio V i DTEC Review

One of the largest car makers, HCIL has finally launched its much awaited MPV Mobilio in the automobile market with both petrol and diesel engine options. Among its variants, Honda Mobilio V i DTEC is the top end diesel trim. It is powered by a 1.5-litre engine, which comes with a displacement capacity of 1498cc. It has the ability to produce 98.6bhp in combination with 200Nm of peak torque output. This engine is mated with a five speed manual transmission gear box. Its internal cabin is blessed with a number of features like an air conditioning unit, a 2-DIN music system, ECO indicator and many other such aspects. It is designed with a large wheelbase of 2650mm along with an overall length is 4386mm, decent height of 1603mm and a total width of 1683mm. Its also has a decent ground clearance of 189mm, which enables it to deal with terrains. At the same time, it has a 42 litre fuel tank, which helps in planning for longer journeys.

Exteriors:

Its frontage has a slanting bonnet with visible character lines. It bold radiator grille is fitted with a thick chrome slat, which is embedded with a prominent company logo. This grille is flanked by a neatly carved headlight cluster, which is incorporated with halogen lamps and turn indicator. The bumper is painted in body color and it houses a large air dam for cooling the engine. It is surrounded by a pair of bright fog lamps. The large windscreen has a pair of intermittent wipers as well. The side profile is dominated by stylish aspects like expressive lines and body colored door handles. Its external rear view mirrors are in body color, which are electrically adjustable. The flared up wheel arches are fitted with a classy set of 15 inch alloy wheels, which further enhances the look of its side profile. These rims are further covered with 185/65 R15 sized tubeless radial tyres, which offers a superior grip on any road condition. The company has also equipped a full size spare wheel, which is a standard feature across all the variants in this model series. On the other hand, its rear is designed with a large windscreen, which is integrated with a defogger and LED high mounted stop lamp . Apart from these, it also has a body colored bumper with a pair of reflectors, a masculine boot lid with variant badging and a radiant tail light cluster.

Interiors:

The internal cabin of this Honda Mobilio V i DTEC trim is done up with a dual tone beige color scheme. It comes fitted with comfortable seats, which are covered with fabric upholstery. Its row seats have are 60:40 split folding and sliding function, while the third row seats have 50:50 folding function. The smooth dashboard is equipped with a features like AC vents, a large glove box, a three spoke steering wheel with a company logo and an illuminated instrument panel . It is bestowed with a number of utility based aspects including cup and bottle holders, power steering with tilt adjustable function, assist grips, all four power windows with driver side auto down function and many other such aspects. The illuminated instrument panel houses functions like a low fuel warning light, a tachometer, an electronic tripmeter, speedometer, fuel gauge, seat belt warning and door ajar warning notifications. It comes with a spacious 232 litres boot compartment, which can be increased by folding third row seats.

Engine and Performance:

This variant is fitted with a 1.5-litre diesel engine, which comes with a displacement capacity of 1498cc. It is integrated with 4-cylinders and 16-valves , using a DOHC (double overhead camshaft) based valve configuration. This engine has the ability to churn out a maximum power of 98.6bhp at 3600rpm in combination with 200Nm of peak torque output at 1750rpm. It is cleverly mated with a five speed manual transmission gear box, which allows the MPV to achieve a top speed in the range of 150 to 160 Kmph. At the same time, it can cross the speed barrier of 100 Kmph in about 13 to 15 seconds. This diesel engine is incorporated with a direct injection fuel supply system and generate about 24.3 Kmpl on the highways and about 20 Kmpl in the city traffic conditions.

Braking and Handling:

The front wheels are equipped with a set of disc brakes, while its rear wheels get conventional drum brakes . On the other hand, the front axle is assembled with a McPherson strut, whereas the rear axle is fitted with torsion beam type of mechanism, which keeps the vehicle well balanced at all times. It is blessed with an electronic power steering system, which is tilt adjustable. This steering wheel supports a minimum turning radius of 5.2 meters, which makes it convenient for handling.

Comfort Features:

The list of features include sun visors with vanity mirror, electrically adjustable ORVMs, steering mounted audio controls , all four power windows, green tinted glass for windscreen and several other aspects. It also has an efficient air conditioning system, which also has roof mounted AC vents in second row. There is an advanced 2-DIN music system along with four speakers. It supports radio with AM/FM tuner, MP3 player, AUX-In port and USB interface.

Safety Features:

This Honda Mobilio V i DTEC trim is equipped with a lot of protective features, which gives the occupants a stress free driving experience. It comes with ACE (advanced compatibility engineering) body structure with impact beams that protect the passengers sitting inside in case of any collision. It has 3-point ELR (emergency locking retractor) seat belts with pretensioner and load limiter for all occupants and dual front airbags for enhancing the safety aspects. Apart from these, it is bestowed with keyless entry, security alarm system, pedestrian protection and a few other aspects. All these put together makes this trim one of the safest to drive.

Pros:

1. Spacious cabin with good seating.

2. Fuel economy is quite satisfying.

Cons:

1. Maintenance cost is high.

2. Exterior appearance can be made better.