5 Reasons why the Honda BR-V should be your next 7-seater

When Honda Philippines first showcased the new BR-V, it drew a lot of attention. Many were won over by its all-new design, enough for quite a number of reservations to fall on Honda’s lap. However, if you’re still on the fence about the BR-V, or if you just need that one more reason for you to pull the trigger, we’re here to help with five reasons why it should be your next vehicle. 

Whether you’re totally new to the BR-V, coming from another brand, or upgrading from your old BR-V, here are some of the reasons why it’ll be worth the plunge. 

Definitely an inescapable aspect of the new model, the Honda BR-V now features a design that is more in line with the rest of the Honda lineup. The lights of the BR-V are all slimmed down and look more mature. You may even say that it is a rather elegant car to an extent. We understand that looks can be a subjective thing and that there are many other rivals in the category that’ll appeal to certain types of people. However, if you prefer your car to be more sedate, and have an air of elegance without too much robotic styling, then the BR-V could be perfect for you. 

Have you seen Honda interiors lately? Have you played with any of the buttons? The BR-V’s interior looks fantastic and as an added bonus, it also feels fantastic. Just like the Honda City and the Honda Civic, the touchpoints in the BR-V are solid. From the steering wheel all the way to the buttons on the air control panel. Honda quality has rarely disappointed us, and you can expect a very professional and modern look while sitting inside the seven-seater. 

On that note, you definitely will get seven seats with this model, and space in the rear is quite generous considering that you can fold the rear and the middle-row seats down to fit more luggage. If you find yourself hauling people, the side-to-side space is more than enough to seat three in the third row, which will be useful if you have an outing planned or if you really want to kick back and relax in the middle row. 

On top of having a very well-laid-out interior, the features are not too shabby themselves. The infotainment unit is a pleasure to use with its Android Auto and Apple CarPlay functionality which lets you charge and sync your phone to your car. On top of that, there is also a reverse camera as standard for this model, so you won’t need to upgrade to a higher trim anymore if you want to see what’s behind you when backing up. 

Then you have exterior features like the full suite of LED headlights that are extremely capable at night and will give you extra style points and visibility with the LED DRLs baked into the headlight array. On top of that, keyless entry is something that you will find hard to let go of once you get to try it. Inserting a key into an ignition barrel is a hassle, but you won’t have to worry about that should you go for the mid-tier variants in the lineup. Only the base trims will require you to insert a key into a hole so consider a mid-tier model if you’re sold on convenience. 

Among the Japanese and Korean seven-seaters out in the market today, the BR-V is the most powerful naturally-aspirated vehicle in the country. With 119 hp and 145 Nm of torque, it’s relatively fast in relation to its other main rivals. For context, the Xpander and the Ertiga both have about the same power figures, both are rated for about 100 horses each with torque figures in the 130 Nm range. Meanwhile, the Toyota Avanza has 108 hp and 138 Nm of torque, which is still over 10 horses shy of the BR-V. You’re getting a pretty strong engine in the BR-V, and even with a more powerful engine compared to the rest of its rivals, it’s still known to be reliable. 

On top of that, Honda Philippines states that the BR-V is at its most fuel-efficient yet, with the AAP testing and confirming a score of about 24 km/L (fuel efficiency ratings depend on the variant. No figures are available for the manual variant).

For the top-of-the-line variant, it gets Honda Sensing, which is a safety suite filled with nifty features that come in handy when you need it, and keep you safe when you least expect it. Think of it as an extra set of eyes for the road that’ll look after you and potentially your family. Expect a fully-loaded set of driving safety features in the BR-V should you get the top-spec VX trim. 

As for the specifics of what you get, the Honda Sensing suite includes adaptive cruise control, auto high beam, lead car departure notification, collision mitigation braking system, lane keeping assist system, and road departure mitigation with lane departure warning. We will admit, that during our time with the Honda Sensing suite of features, we did trigger a few of the systems like lane departure warning, lane keeping assist, and lead car departure notification, but the most “needed” feature of the bunch is the collision mitigation braking system, which could save you a nasty accident due to inattentiveness or wrong pedal input.