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#16
Engine, Ride and Transmission Performance of Honda BR-V
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfwBn0hBalw
Friends and Fellow Readers, the engines offered in this new BR-V are 1.5 L Diesel and Petrol with 2 transmission options i.e 6 Speed Manual and CVT with paddle shifters in Petrol. Since I drove the Diesel Manual Transmission model, I can say that, this engine did not please me much. Honda tried out this engine by introducing in it's sedan, Honda CITY but ever since the introduction, the I-dtec engine hasn't been much confidence inspiring. Unlike the I-Vtec engine of Honda which has been tried and tested and trusted by buyers, I cannot say the same for this I-dtec mill because its not 100% niggle free and needs further refinement in terms of NVH levels and performance too. BR-V felt under-powered in Diesel to me and that 200 Nm of Torque and 100 PS on papers did not actually translate in reality to an extent. The revving of the engine leads to noise that is harsh to the ears and the engine noise also is clearly audible inside the cabin. As a 2nd chance, Honda could have improved on this aspect but they did not. 1.5 I-dtec's NVH issue has been raised by many people and has been a point of discussion often. So, still, BR-V has same characteristics with regards to the 1.5 I-Dtec. When I cranked the engine, the idle NVH was clearly audible but as I drove it then gradually the NVH levels got modulated. This has been an inherent characteristic of the I-dtec even in Jazz Facelift. For the front passengers the NVH can be unpleasant but the rear seat passengers might not complain much on it. Also, another cause of high NVH was the missing under-hood cladding. The missing cladding not only is a cost cutting by Honda but a big mistake which hampers the overall in-cabin experience. With a fuel tank capacity of 42 Lts, the diesel on papers can provide 21.9 Km/L but in real world driving anything between 16-18 km/L can be achieved. A word about the I-vtec 1.5 L Petrol, BR-V continues with the I-vtec 1.5 L and I am sure this engine will never be disappointing since I do own a Honda CITY I-Vtec and it certainly is a fuss free engine with a good performance and rev-happy attitude. In the I-vtec the NVH as well as the driving manners both are poles apart from I-dtec. Talking about the Transmission, the 6 speed MT is not very smooth and has a notch feel but still the Clutch does its work nicely. Specially during downshift the slotting needs precision and it can not be compared with the transmission that Hyundai has been providing to CRETA. The transmission needs improvisation and please note, at present the CVT is coming in Petrol only and the Diesel BR-V does not have an AT/CVT option to offer. In my opinion honestly, in this 2nd opportunity, Honda could have given a bigger diesel engine like 1.6 L being offered in likes of Creta and S-Cross and with that provision it could have managed an edge over Ertiga and Lodgy to an extent. Overall, I could not feel the peppy-ness and refinement in 1.5 L I-dtec engine of BR-V and based on this I would say, for city traffic, the diesel engine lacks performance and so does it's transmission. In my view I-vtec with CVT is far better an option if you want a fun-to-drive experience.
The Ride, Braking, Steering and Suspension of BR-V: My TD car had 16in Alloys with 195 Section Tyres (195/60/R16). The ride quality was good and nothing as such was there to complaint about. It felt quite planted on roads and easily took over the bumps and rough patches. The jerks were not really harsh. The suspension is well-worked and provided added comfort to the handling of the car and it certainly complements our roads. As we were 2 persons on-board so I took the car at 80-90 km/h on a empty stretch as to check high speed braking. I was left surprised. Yes, I was surprise in an unpleasant way rather because upon braking at 80-85km/h range, there was quite a lot of body roll evident. Maybe the same may not happen with 6-7 pax on-board but honestly with lesser load, body roll is too much. About braking, yes, its good and precise and halting time from 80 km/h to 0 km/h is also quite good. The car did not sway left or right and the grip of the Tyre(s) kept it well balanced. So, in terms of high speed manners it is an above average performer. About the steering, at 75-80 Km/H, the steering actually did not feel dead. Though it is a power steering but at high speed it won't leave you sweating with fear and neither shall make you sweat in city's traffic. In my driving, I am impressed with the feedback of BR-V's steering. Also, If this car is driven on the highways, I can say that it won't be an extra-ordinary affair but yes you'll not be left utterly disappointed either. It is for me just another diesel with mediocre performance attributes and safety wise the BR-V comes with Dual Airbags as standard and ABS with EBD also is there.