Mobilio ticks all the right boxes
No compromise on practicality
THE compact people mover segment‚ currently occupied by the likes of the Toyota Avanza and the Suzuki Ertiga‚ now has yet another advocate in its midst in the form of the Honda Mobilio.
Much like its arch-rival‚ the Ertiga‚ the model is built in India where the more favourable exchange rate with the Indian rupee has moved Japanese car conglomerates such as Honda‚ Suzuki and Toyota to source their respective manufacturing there. This also means manufacturers can produce more models from essentially the same platform‚ as is the case with the Mobilio.
While MPVs have to yield to crossovers and SUVs in the popularity stakes‚ there is no denying the versatility and value of an MPV. I will admit I had my preconceived ideas prior to testing the Mobilio.
I had conjured up images of a sea of beige interior with tacky finishes and little driver enjoyment and comfort. How wrong I was. While the styling is not exciting‚ it is not offensive, with interesting design elements such as the kink on the rear door window.
Moving inwards‚ one is greeted by an interior not dissimilar to the Ballade and Jazz variants‚ which means a fairly well laid-out cabin‚ comfortable seats for six‚ and enough headroom for even the rear-most seats. Granted‚ those rear seats are perhaps only conducive for short stints as the seats themselves are a tad on the hard side.
That said‚ entry to this row is easy, involving lifting a lever on the middle row and tumbling it forwards. While the manufacturer punts the model as carrying seven passengers‚ it is essentially a six-seater as the middle seat in the second row has only a lap strap. There are a fair amount of nooks and crannies for one’s bit and bobs‚ which should come in handy‚ with kids on board.
Luggage space with all the seats in place is a reasonable 233-litres‚ which can be increased to 521-litres with the rear seats forwards.
Motivation comes in the form of the zesty 1.5-litre iVtec engine that also does duty in the Jazz‚ which is mated to a sneaky five-speed manual transmission. You would be forgiven for thinking there was a bigger engine doing duty here.
Comfort and ride quality are other highlights. Stability is also worth a mention. Vehicles of this ilk usually have a propensity to being buffeted by cross-winds‚ but the Mobilio seemed an exception.
Manoeuvrability is also great. I was expecting the rear to be a little light around corners‚ but it never felt ungainly.
While the Avanza is more geared towards the commercial sector in my book‚ the Mobilio will appeal to families needing a spacious vehicle to cart kids to and from school‚ while not paying a premium in the process. Honda has brought a package to the segment that ticks all the right boxes of practicality and value for money.
As more people look towards buying down‚ while not wanting to compromise on practicality and the mod cons, there is indeed a market for vehicles such as the Mobilio. The Ertiga is perhaps the Mobilio’s direct competitor and while both offer excellent value for money, the Mobilio will have more appeal thanks to the more conventional interior materials and sprightly engine. Should you be in the market for a family vehicle in the sub-R200 000 price bracket‚ this one is worth a second glance.