KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 10 — Honda pulled another trick out of the hat by giving the Malaysian public a preview of the all new BR-V crossover at the Malaysia Autoshow which opened today at the Mines International Exhibition and Trade Centre (MIETC) in Seri Kembangan. If you wish to catch a glimpse of it, do drop by at the Honda booth — the Malaysia Autoshow opened today and will be on through this Sunday.

The BR-V is powered by a 120 PS, 1.5L i-VTEC engine, making it the most powerful in its segment. Aesthetically, the BR-V looks great, carrying the latest Honda design DNA featuring Honda’s signature Solid Wing Face design and a sleek Roof Rail. The trendy exterior is further enhanced with Daytime Running Light (DRL) and 16” Dual Tone Alloy wheels.  Practical features such as a reverse camera and park sensors are also available.  

Seats in the All-New BR-V are designed for multi-configuration, enabling the space to be easily manipulated for the users’ convenience. The All-New BR-V boasts a spacious 223 litres boot space with all seats up, the largest in its segment. The space increases to 539 litres when the third row seats are folded. The second row seats adjusts with an easy One Touch Tilt & Tumble in a 60:40 configuration while the third row seats comes in a 50:50 split configuration and full tumble.

Leather seats and rear air-conditioning are also welcome features in the BR-V, for better comfort in the car.

In terms of size, the BR-V is smaller than the HR-V, which in turn is smaller than the CR-V. — Picture by YS Khong

In terms of size, the BR-V is smaller than the HR-V, which in turn is smaller than the CR-V, and considering the current economic situation, which is expected to get worse before it gets better, the BR-V might be the next game changer in the Malaysian automotive market, offering an even better value for money package than the HR-V which is already a runaway success story all by itself.

It’s anybody’s guess as to what the final retail price will be — from where I stand, based on Honda’s recent launch practices, I foresee at least three variants, all with the same power train, but with different level of trim, and I am guessing the lowest variant would be priced a little higher than the lowest priced Jazz, and the highest variant would be priced around the mid-range HR-V. All this is just guesswork, and anything can happen — let’s wait for the launch then, which is supposed to be early 2017.