HOME OF THE BR-V
The latest buzz about the new 7-seater crossover has these owners excited
The all-new Honda BR-V is yet to be officially unveiled five days from now, and a few of the current BR-V owners I’ve gotten in touch with are genuinely excited to see the 7-seater subcompact SUV’s newest iteration. I don’t want to spoil the excitement for everyone, so the only teasing I’ll do here is what Honda Cars Philippines Inc. has allowed to be revealed so far, which are the results of the recent fuel economy run on the model’s variants, in coordination with the Automobile Association Philippines (AAP).
That run showed the new BR-V yielding 24.70 km per liter for the 1.5 V CVT variant, followed by the top-of-the-line 1.5 VX CVT Honda Sensing registering 23.48 km per liter, while the 1.5 S CVT achieved 22.61 km per liter.
Needless to say, these numbers whetted the current BR-V owners’ appetites some more.
This is definitely what Marwan S. Patanao, 38, an IT professional, felt when he learned of the new BR-V’s remarkable fuel mileage. Marwan is one of the administrators of the Honda BR-V Club Pilipinas, and a proud owner of a 2017 S variant in Taffeta White. In his fiveyear run with his BR-V, Marwan has racked up a healthy 73,600 kms in its odometer.
And in that time, his best fuel mileages of around 23 kms/liter were mostly accomplished on traffic-free expressways.
Though he says he’s satisfied with his 5-year-old BR-V, Marwan says, “I am quite excited to know more about the upgraded features, and I am definitely open to upgrades, and to taking on the challenge of topping that 24.70km/liter fuel economy.”
Memories over mileage
Another five-year BR-V owner is Allan C. Tatierra, 42, a civil engineer, and also a member of the club. His wife Cecille is one of the club’s administrators. Allan’s 2017 V variant, however, has markedly run longer, at 98,000 km. Allan says his BR-V routinely breaks 20 kms/liter during the family’s long-distance travels.
For Allan, however, frugal as the BR-V might be, it’s the memories made with the family that’s more precious than the mileage. “Our BR-V is the perfect companion for our road trips, which are often filled with fun and excitement as we create wonderful moments with my family.”
Still, you can’t take the little giddy boy out of the man. Tatiera says he definitely looks forward to seeing how the new BR-V looks.
Marlyn Jean Dichoso, 38, and a transaction manager, named her Premium Amber Metallic BR-V she bought early in 2018 as “Pam,” the acronym of the car’s color. She says Pam has yielded satisfying fuel mileage so far—in the city at around 11.5 to 12.5 km/liter, on the highways from 16 to 21 km/ liter.
Seeing the results of the fuel economy run on the new BR-V has made her consider buying one, especially now since she says she plans to buy a new car next year. She says, “I’m definitely up for the challenge of doing better than 21km/liter on a BR-V.”
2nd-gen BR-V
Here’s what we can reveal of the all-new BR-V, so far: All variants of the second-generation Honda BR-V are powered by the improved 1.5L DOHC i-VTEC engine, mated to a new Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) resulting in better power delivery and improved fuel efficiency. HCPI claims that this pairing manages to deliver a smooth and refined performance while achieving excellent fuel mileage.
“The second-generation BR-V aims to strengthen Honda’s model lineup to the next level. This all-new 7-seater ticks the right boxes in a family vehicle, it’s got the tough character of an SUV, advanced technology and safety features, power, and efficiency to deliver great satisfaction for both the driver and its passengers,” said Masahiko Nakamura, HCPI president.
HCPI revealed that the allnew BR-V is available in four variants with the following prices: all-1.5 S MT – P1,100,000; 1.5 S CVT – P1,190,000; 1.5 V CVT – P1,300,000; 1.5 VX CVT Honda Sensing – P1,390,000.
Further, HCPI said: “This direction is in line with Honda’s global strategy of reducing the carbon footprint by providing a range of fuel-efficient models. The brand shall continuously strive to realize carbon neutrality along with achieving a collision-free society by 2050 through the standard reinforcement of Honda Sensing across its model lineup.”