Well they say there is a car for everyone, some like the
cars fast, some like them fuel efficient, some like them spacious and some like
them with lots of gadgets but actually I think when we got out buying a car we
want to mix of it all. This is exactly what Honda is understood, worked in this
mindset and come out with the Honda Mobilio. Honda’s first MPV offering in the
country there is lot of anticipation around this car, people have been waiting
like all of us look during the Auto Expo and since then this car has been in
NEWS for various reasons. Today we around to drive it, this is a 1.5 L diesel
and we will tell you how good it is on the road.
It is a Honda, from the front, from the side and from the
rear. Honda is rarely goes wrong with the design and the Mobilio is just
another example of that. There aren’t many rather any MPV’s that can look as
good as the Mobilio in the market. Front view reminds you of the Brio and the
Amaze but Honda has tweak the design in a little, the bumper design is sportier
and the grill design is chunkier, Mobilio comes with Halogen headlamps with not
LED’s, Fog Lamps are also on the “V” or the “Top” Grid only. Move to side and
the two lines on the top and the rear of the door add to the styling. The roof
of the Mobilio does not slant at the rear which allows a good head space for
third row passengers and Honda has left no stone and turn with the styling. The
rear is as smart and appealing as front, the tails and boot garnish given neat
look to the rear, there is also branding of grade and the engine at rear. Honda
has introduced this whole new golden color in this MPV, there are five other
colors to choose from.
Well this is a seven seater and of course everybody wants to
know how much space is there on the third row and how comfortable the seats are
and this is exactly I will go find out. Good thing Honda done is this one touch
seat fold, you don’t really have to put in to a lot of effort and the entry in
to third row is quite easy. Well now the third row in Mobilio is actually quite
comfortable it just feel a little low but you know the seats are recline able so
you can adjust your seats and make room for yourself, the knee room is good
enough which is going to be an advantage if there is a tall passenger sitting
in the third row. The seats of the Mobilio seem low and have quite thin infect
there is a clear lack of under thigh support though the seats are recline able.
The second row seats can be move forward and backward but this feature is
available only in the “TOP” or “V” grade. The second row seats are fixed in the
“E” and “S” variant. Large windows on the second and third row give the cabin a
more airy feel and now we come to the front seat. The front dash lay out is the
same as the Brio and Amaze. The color scheme, layout and feature and almost
same as any other Honda but as the cabin disappoint you the engine gives a peak
smile on the owner’s face.
Now the Mobilio diesel is also powered with a 1.5 L i-dtec
engine that Honda has got in the first with the Amaze and then with the City, so
obviously they all familiar with the engine here, it’s the same power output
100 PS of power and 200 NM of torque so the engine has been known for its fuel
efficiency for the record, in the Mobilio it promises the fuel efficiency of
24.2 Kmpl. The car is nimble and the spike, it’s 4386 MM of total length, it is
very easy to cut and corner in traffic. This is mainly because of very accurate
well behaved steering unit in the Mobilio. Another thing about this engine is
the drivability of this engine, it’s a wonderful engine to drive in, you just
put it in 3rd gear and you are going in the city and you have to
suddenly break and your speed drops then you don’t have to really shift the
gear, the engine picks up beautifully, that’s how the drivable this engine is
and when you are on the highway and you really feel like leaving the car you,
then also the engine let to support you, so this engine has both sides to it,
it is fuel efficient which is good for the city and at the same time its
wonderful on the highway. Mobilio handles like a pro 2. With diesel Mobilio
comes with ABS as standard and that adds to the stability factor. It is big in
size but confidence of the car would rise on the road is in traffic. Third row
passengers can also enjoy a good ride in the car without hitting their head to
the roof. Mobilio has a lot of buzz around in the market, curious on lookers in
the expo, many queries and long list of people waiting for it to be launched.
That’s the lime light but when you hit the real world is when you realize it is
in smooth sailing after all because.
Maruti
Ertiga
The Ertiga has been on the market for a while now and in
that time it gains a lot in its sale. First of all, it’s a Maruti, 2nd,
its spacious, 3rd, its comfortable and the 4th, its more
affordable than the Mobilio. But we are not talking about near Rs. 20000 or Rs.
30000 price gap but the sub stencils Rs. 1.37 lac difference between the top
end model of these cars and this is when we haven’t even factor in the
discounts been offered by Maruti Suzuki.
Honda Mobilio Vs Maruti
Ertiga
Well I agree with what Abhishek is saying that the ZDI
Ertiga is actually the 1.37 lac cheaper than the “V” Grade of the Mobilio and
that is lot money but Honda has his premium ness attached and has his
aspiration value attached and that is why a customer an Indian car buyer
doesn’t mind paying that extra sum just to own the brand.
Tested one 2 one the Mobilio has over the Ertiga.
Maruti
Ertiga
The Ertiga diesel is powered by the same 1.3 L Multi Jet
diesel engine, and this stay tuned, Ertiga gives a 90 PS of power @ 4000 RPM
and 200 NM of torque @ 1750 RPM.
Honda Mobilio Vs Maruti
Ertiga
Now agree that what Abhishek has in the Ertiga, a multijet
1.3 L diesel is the country’s make diesel engine, nice and punchy but let me
tell you my engine has more power, its got 100 PS of power, its more power than
the Ertiga. Torque is the same, but at the same time it is more fuel efficient
than the Ertiga, this promises a fuel economy of 24.2 KMPL.
While both the Ertiga and Mobilio offers similar equipments,
I tell you where the Ertiga is the real winner, it’s the seats, and they offer
better cushioning, better thigh support for both 2nd row and 3rd
row of seat occupants. Also the 2nd row can be slide forward to make
more leg room for 3rd row occupants, a feature that is only
available in top end “V” Grade of Honda Mobilio. Well the seats of the Ertiga
are better and more comfortable but what I had here is the boot that can fit
the luggage of the family when traveling. The Honda Mobilio has the boot space
of 223 Litres whereas the Ertiga has 135 Litres with third row up. Coming back
to Mobilio if you dropped the third row down, it becomes a flat bed and the
boot space capacity increases to 521 Litres which is again more than the
Ertiga.
I agree that the Mobilio has more boot space than the Ertiga
but the Ertiga is brand Maruti and whether you are living in Metro or in a
village far extra part of the country the accessibility is much more and let’s
not forget that the cost of maintaining Ertiga is going to be less than all of
its rivals.
Yes I agree with the final bit of Abhishek’s argument but I
still have the last cut which is the looks, park the cars together and the
design of the Ertiga does seem plain in front of the Mobilio. Mobilio, where
it’s sharp cuts and lines and dynamic profile is better looking than the
Ertiga. Mobilio is 121 MM longer than the Ertiga also but Ertiga at the same
times, 12 MM wider and 82 MM taller than the Mobilio. Not just this, Ertiga’s
88 MM longer in the wheelbase than the Mobilio too, Despite this, the Mobilio
looks just tall, comfortable and the roomy as the Ertiga. But before we move
further, here is a quick comparison of features too.
The Ertiga and Mobilio are so closely match that there it is
a tough call to make but the obstacles of the Mobilio do not end here, Obstacle
No. 2 is going to make this compare even more difficult.
Toyota Innova
Well I am not gonna been in the Innova comparison today just
because this vehicle has its own base in the segment, it is a best seller, it
sales like hot cakes. In fact there is a reason why Innova likes by both
commercial operators and private buyers. Yes it is an expensive vehicle but again
Honda has a Mobilio RS Diesel want to sell at almost 11 Lac rs. Ex showroom Delhi more or so in the
same bag is Innova and this is a reason we have this fun in the comparison
today.
Toyota Innova, It’s the MUV, that changed
the definitions of the MUV’s in the country. It was first launched in 2005 and
got facelifts in 2009, 2012 and 2013. Innova is such a popular vehicle that
never has the facelift major one. It’s only in 2013 that Toyota introduces this new design language
and play around with the look of it. Innova is very popular in its MUV segment
with both 7 and 8 seater options. The versatility of the Innova is what does
add to its popularity.
Toyota Innova Vs Honda Mobilio Vs Maruti
Ertiga
Now the Innova is far more senses in MPV compared to the
Ertiga and the Mobilio. In spite the price difference between Innova and the
other two MPV’s is massive. For example, while the base Ertiga is 1 lakh
cheaper than the base Mobilio after discount and the base Mobilio is 2 lakh
cheaper than the Innova .off course is paying is so much for money, this is far spacious, far bigger
MPV that is more comfortable for the family for the long journeys. Now another
strongest point in the Innova is the diesel motor, this 2.5 L D4D diesel engine
is known for its reliable nature, in fact it related to commercial peoples,
they will tell you how the Innova have done flawlessly lakhs of kilometers and
this could be a piece of mind starter for private buyers.
Well I know that bunny’s first argument for the Innova going
to be that the Innova offers a bigger engine but I am here to put things in a
little bit of prospective, Innova does have a bigger 2.5 L engine but the Honda
Mobilio with a 1.5 L engine offers as much power in fact the Innova only offers
102 PS Power which is 2 PS more what the Mobilio offers and because of the
bigger diesel engine that the Innova has, it has an AIRE tested economy of
12.99 KMPL where as the Mobilio promises 24.2 KMPL.
Now we are driving the top end ZX version which comes loaded
with gadget and features. Touch screen DVD system here, with a climate control
system, a comprehensive driver information display system, a rear camera and of
course ABS and EBD are standard as well.
Now this 1.5 i-dtec unit has been carried forward from the Amaze to the City and then to the Mobilio.
It’s the same unit but the good part is that Honda has given it some thought
before putting it in to the Mobilio. They have worked on the NBH Levels, cabin is
much quitter, if you sit inside in the Amaze you will first notice the amount
of engine noise that filters in to cabin, the Mobilio is far quitter in that
term, it’s refined, as long as you ran out driving the car really if you are
not pushing it to all the way to the red line, the engine seems to do a decent
job.
The Innova offers you a unique 2nd row as
compared to the Ertiga and the Mobilio, is the only one to offer you captains
seat as option in the 2nd row and that means these are completely
comfortable. Of course you get own arm rest and you can slide the seats and
recline them for your own comfort. So as far as the 3rd row is
concerned, I do not want to go there as this can be tight for person like me
but idle for children and shorter adults able find this seat comfortable for
shorter journeys and this comes in spite of biggest boot in the segment. Main
feature is these air vents are separate for last row as well something missing
in the Ertiga and Mobilio as well.
The most affordable of the lot is the Ertiga is a people
mover, not much in terms of styling and playing but Maruti has got the price
just right and its given customers everything they want, the only downside here
is that car feel under full load conditions.
The Innova is actually a Hero over here, It’s a car from
which other MPV’s inspired to be and market share Innova enjoys is the dream
thing for other MPV’s in the same segment. Now as far as the Ertiga is
concerned the price has been is so massive that think the competition over here
but with the Mobilio the “RS” Version is the one that can actually take the
slight below the Innova sales but because of its look. The RS Mobilio is
without features like no climate control system, no rear camera or sensors and
no high end infotainments systems. On the whole I say is Innova need not worry.
This brings us to the new kid on the block, the Honda
Mobilio, the new kid is obviously being more attractive one. Yes Honda has a
big game at many many levels but there are problems. At the price point at
which the Mobilio has been launched Honda has not offered as many features. ABS
and Airbag are available only in the Petrol Top Most Variants, the diesel has
gets ABS as standard. Yes Honda, the brand has a charm to itself which is going
to be the starring race and the phenomenal diesel engine and fuel economy. So
that’s the Mobilio comparison for you this week.
