What’s new on the BR-V?

The Honda BR-V was previously imported from India and, in a previous incarnation, it did duty as the Honda Mobilio. Many remember that as a pure rival to the now discontinued Toyota Avanza, as well as the Suzuki Ertiga. The Mobilio moniker was dropped in favour of the BR-V nameplate in 2015 before being introduced locally in 2016 as a pseudo-SUV; despite that, however, it was just a slightly raised MPV that still competed with the competitors mentioned above.

For 2022, the BR-V has made a bold move towards being an outright family SUV with its fresh design and broader suite of features. It’s a bigger car in every measurable direction, but still retains its 7-seater status.

Improvements have been made to the chassis, NVH levels have been lowered and a host of safety systems have been added (as standard) in order to push it upmarket – from the “ride-sharing” vehicle segment into the family-SUV category.

Is the BR-V still practical?

The new Honda BR-V has grown considerably compared with its predecessor. It’s 35 mm longer and 43 mm wider, most of which is evidenced by the increased interior space. The 3rd row of seats has more legroom and the load bay offers more luggage space behind the 3rd row. The second row of seats folds in a 60/40 split, while the rear row folds 50/50. All of the seats can be individually folded to have a somewhat flat load bay if you want to use it as a “quasi panel van”.

We drove the top-spec Elegance, which commands a R25 000 premium over the mid-spec Comfort derivative. However, the extra spec and features make it well worth the extra outlay, considering you get high-end additions such as lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control, lane-watch camera (it’s mounted on the left side of the vehicle and displays its feed when you indicate left), as well as the collision mitigation braking system, which will apply the brakes automatically if needed.

The only reason to choose the Comfort derivative would be if you really don’t want an automatic (it’s a CVT), because the Elegance is only available with a CVT, whereas the Comfort and Trend versions are equipped with a 6-speed manual.

In terms of the interior look and feel, the new BR-V is not bad at all. The dash mostly comprises hard plastics with a few leather-like inserts here and there, such as on the inside of the doors and above the glove box. The infotainment screen is basic, but still features Apple Carplay and Android Auto compatibility, but perhaps the 7-inch touchscreen is a bit dinky? You get 2 USB ports in the front and, if you do opt for the Elegance version, you’re afforded power outlets in every row.

Would the BR-V make a good family car?

There aren’t many direct rivals that you can easily point to in the price range that the BR-V now inhabits. It’s become more upmarket than the Toyota Rumion, Suzuki Ertiga and Renault Triber and is priced below the Hyundai Grand Creta, which was the first real 7-seater crossover/SUV you might want to use purely as a family vehicle…

The engine employed is the same unit as in the HR-V and Fit and whereas the HR-V could probably do with a feistier engine to match its price tag and looks, the 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol motor seems more appropriate in the BR-V.

It produces the same outputs as in the other Honda models – 89 kW and 145 Nm of torque – while its stated average fuel economy figure is 6.4 L/100 km. We achieved 6.5 L/100 km during our (mostly open-road) launch route so an efficiency-minded driver should be able to easily beat the claimed consumption. When the BR-V is loaded with 7 people, its engine is bound to struggle a bit and for those living in Gauteng or anywhere on the Reef, the effect is compounded by the thinner air, which saps about 17% of a non-turbocharged motor’s power. The engine is on par with the Rumion/Ertiga rivals, but if you are looking for a bit more pulling power, the bigger engine in the Grand Creta might be what you need.

The Elegance’s extra safety features make it a safe choice for shuttling around the family and improvements to the vehicle’s shell have further improved the rigidity of its crash structure. What’s more, noise levels inside the cabin have been improved thanks to the application of extra sound-deadening spray, which reduces road- and wind noise intrusion. I was specifically impressed with the latter when the test unit was traversing the rougher tarmac sections of our launch route.

What’s the BR-V like to drive?

Part of moving the BR-V into the family-SUV segment has meant ramping up the quality of the interior surfaces, as well as improving the model’s road-holding capability. It’s definitely a step ahead of the old BR-V in both those key areas. It feels more planted on its, um, wheels and the steering is more engaging. Many of the Honda’s “Uber-mobile” rivals (as mentioned above) offer very little in the way of “feel” between the steering wheel and what’s happening with the front tyres on the road, which makes for a less than confidence-inspiring driving experience. What’s more, most compact 7-seaters seem to have a top-heavy nature that seems to exacerbate body roll under quicker-than-usual cornering.

The new BR-V, by contrast, has moved on nicely from those old sparring partners and feels more like a modern SUV to drive, although it’s a bit baffling as to why there is no reach adjustment on the steering column. It may seem trivial, but a buyer’s decision can come down to the smallest of factors and the Honda’s somewhat awkward driving position might be to its detriment.