Honda BR-V For Family Vacation

Over more than 2,100 orders and 700 units already in owner hands, the BR-V is quickly becoming one of Honda Cars Philippines' best-selling models. Already making a name for itself by being the most affordable 7-seat SUV in the country (or a crossover if you prefer).
BR-V has heralded a youthful and sporty design, family-oriented features, and unmatched utility. Recently, we went through the steps, taking the 495 km overland journey from Isabela to Baler to Manila. With a route that combines dense mountain roads, winding coastal highways, and of course, the inevitable extreme traffic, here are 7 reasons we think the Honda BR-V should be your next vacation travel vehicle.

Comfortable for drive

You would think Honda engineers just jacked up the Mobilio MPV and called it a day, right? Apparently, that's not the case. The BR-V features extensive tweaking of its undercarriage. It starts off with a geometric suspension but so far has a unique body mounting point. These changes not only provide additional ground clearance (up to 201 mm in total), but also give it more stable and more stable cornering characteristics along with a smoother ride. Under steer is visible, but that's expected because of the BR-V's requirements to carry 7 people. If there is one thing Honda needs to improve on is controlling excessive tire noise.
 

Great seats

Often overlooked in the BR-V are the chairs: they are actually supportive and comfortable. You would mistake Honda for just inserting a Mobilio seat into the BR-V and be done with it. No sir. The BR-V not only offers adjustable headrests on all three rows (yes, including the one at the front), but keeping in touch with the SUV's more premium positioning, they are also better supported. The skins on the V variant are also worth mentioning as they either don't look or don't fit on the Civic. The rest of the pack remains the same with the second row sliding, lying down, and falling and the third row folding. Unfortunately, there is no adjustable height for the driver's seat and that the third row is still locked and locked with rudimentary hooks.

Large space

Unlike other "small" 7-seaters out there, even with the third row upwards, the BR-V can swallow a sizable amount of cargo, probably good for 4-5 backpacks. The 223 liters space then grew to an enormous 691 liters with the third row folded - that's bigger than Honda's own CR-V (589 liters), Kia Sorento (660 liters), Mitsubishi Pajero (663 liters), and Toyota Land Cruiser Prado ( 621 liters). Not only a winner in terms of space, Honda engineers have also designed the BR-V with a low unloading height which makes loading and unloading cargo much easier than other 7-seat SUVs on the market.

Just the right size to go anywhere

Compared to other 7-seater SUVs on the market that are, in other words, ginormous, the BR-V is perfectly proportioned to handle the two-lane or maze provincial highway called Megaworld condo parking. The light steering and airy greenhouse make it easy to get in and out of crowded spaces, but the compact body size allows these 7 seats to turn in just 5.3 meters. This means getting to downtown Binondo will never be a problem. Interestingly, the parking sensors are non-standard (disappointing), but they are part of the Modulo package that adds a cool daytime LED light and some aero kits.

Built with safety

With Honda marketing the BR-V to families, safety was a top priority. As the recipient of the perfect ASEAN 5-Star NCAP score, the BR-V comes with dual SRS airbags, anti-lock brakes with electronic brake power distribution, brake assist and ISOFIX child seat anchors. A big plus is placing Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) as standard equipment (more on VSA). Usually reserved for more expensive vehicles, VSA helps keep the car under control during emergency handling situations. All of this security technology gives you the confidence to travel whenever you have the most valuable thing: your family. Advice for Honda: give us four wheel disc brakes next time. This will greatly improve the BR-V stopping performance.

Enough power and fuel economy

While it is ingrained in our mind that diesel power makes a good travel vehicle, the BR-V petrol engine is no slouch either. The 1.5 liter i-VTEC engine under the hood delivers 120 horsepower and 145 Nm of torque, easily beating its segment opponents. And get this: BR-V has a better power-to-weight ratio than the Toyota Fortuner and Chevrolet Trailblazer! Sure, the Earth Dreams CVT will start the engine to get that power (it's a continuous drone at 4,000-5,000 rpm), but there's no questioning its capabilities here (the V does have a paddle shifter, so you can control the droning rate). On the flip side, the CVT helps in getting the BR-V to reach almost 10 km / L in the city and about 15 km / L on the highway. With a 42 liter tank, road trips of more than 600 kilometers without refueling are possible.

There is a magic button

This last reason is a bit superficial, but given the warm summer months coming, you'll thank Honda engineers for it: the cool BR-V air conditioner. Both the S and V variants get the Manila-approved dual blowers, but V enhances them with automatic climate control. Whether it's an automatic or manual system, there is a magic button labeled "Max Cool". Squeezing that overrides all existing A / C settings and delivers maximum cooling effort from the BR-V air conditioning system. After 15 minutes, it returned to its previous setting. It might also be labeled as "reverse mute button" to soothe rear passengers who constantly complain about Manila heat and you can do it with minimal driving distraction.