As the Honda BR-V compact SUV’s Indian launch this year is inching forward, several reports are emerging about the probable launch time of new Honda model among which rumors are rife about the discontinuation of the Honda Mobilio MPV in India. Recent reports said that the Honda BR-V is going to launch in India with the same expected price range as that of the Mobilio, which is surely going to affect the sales of the MPV and as the Mobilio is already a poor seller, the rumors regarding its withdrawal from the market seems to be pretty practical. However, a new report contradicts the previous ones and says the Mobilio is going nowhere.

As per a latest report, the Japanese car major has no plans to discontinue the Mobilio in the Indian car market. According to the report, Honda Cars India is going to sell the Mobilio MPV in the country alongside the soon to launch BR-V compact SUV.

The report on a reputed auto portal of India also quoted Honda Cars India revealing that the company has no plans to discontinue the Mobilio in India. The company also said that the reports regarding the Mobilio’s discontinuation are mere speculations and not the truth. However, when another news journal tried to get in touch with the Japanese company to further confirm the report, the company remained unresponsive.

The Honda Mobilio MPV was only launched in July 2014 and is among the newer range of cars from the stable of Honda Cars India. However, the vehicle is a one of the slow selling models of the company. Honda Cars India which is the leading premium car maker of the country managed to sell only 226 units of the Mobilio last month, while sold only 441 units in the month of January, 2016. As per the data of ARAI (Automotive Research Association of India), Honda Car India did not manufacture the Mobilio MPV in October last year owing to poor market demand and adequate inventory. All these gave rise to the rumors about the Mobilio’s discontinuation in India.

When the words about the Mobilio’s departure is in the air, other reports also claim that the Japanese car maker is going to bring in the new refreshed 2016 Mobilio to India, which was launched in the car market of Indonesia in January. Most of the notable changes in the updated version of the Mobilio are on the inside, as the MPV’s cabin was criticized. The Mobilio facelift gets a new dashboard similar to the new BR-V SUV, while the overall interior also gets a more up-market feel.

On the outside, the 2016 updated Honda Mobilio gets subtle changes and flaunts new alloy wheels and some additional chrome treatment on the bumpers.

The 2016 Mobilio retains the same powertrains without any changes. It gets the same choice of a 1.5 liter i-DTEC diesel and a 1.5 liter i-VTEC petrol mill, which offers 99 bhp and 118 bhp of power respectively. Both the mills come fitted with a 5 speed manual transmission.

Japanese car major, Honda Motor has introduced a new refreshed model of the popular Mobilio MPV model in the car market of Indonesia. The new Honda Mobilio facelift model comes with slight changes on its exterior front, but on the inside the vehicle has become completely new.

The new updated Honda Mobilio MPV model comes with an entirely new interior design layout. The new dashboard design in the MPV has drawn inspiration from the new upcoming BR-V compact SUV and now seems to be more up-market in its look and feel. The previous dashboard design of the MPV was based on the entry level Brio hatchback and was likewise criticized for low quality.

The other changes in the cabin of the new refreshed Mobilio MPV include the replacement of the round shaped air conditioner vents with that of new rectangular shapes vents; the dashboard’s center is dominated by a touchscreen display integrated entertainment system along with integrated display for the reverse camera; the previous 3-pod dials have been also replaced with the conventional back-lit cluster. The vehicle has retained the same three-spoke steering wheel. Moreover, the 2016 model of the Honda Mobilio has also got endowed with the convenient creature comfort feature of automatic climate control. The new refreshed MPV model also gets a new cup holder in the space of the rotary button of the former manual air conditioning device of the vehicle.

In terms of its new exterior changes in the 2016 Honda Mobilio facelift, nothing much has really changed. The new updated model of the Mobilio MPV gets some minimal styling updates in the form of some additional chrome décor on its front as well as rear bumpers for an extra bling factor, while Honda has also endowed newly designed alloy wheels on the vehicle.

The new refreshed Honda Mobilio MPV is purely a cosmetic refresh that is primarily aimed at offering a better in-cabin experience to the customers with its new interior design and new updates. And thus, the MPV model does not come with any changes in terms of its mechanical specifications.

Under the hood, the new 2016 Honda Mobilio retains the same engines with no updates or changes whatsoever. The vehicle continues to get powered by a 1.5 liter i-DTEC diesel mill and a 1.5 liter i-VTEC petrol motor. The diesel motor of the Mobilio offers 99 bhp of top power at 3,600 rpm and 200 Nm max torque at 1,750 rpm while the petrol engine delivers a peak power of 118 bhp at 6,600 rpm and top torque of 145 Nm at 4,600 rpm. Both the motors are paired to a 5 speed manual transmission.

In India the Honda Mobilio tasted initial success, but soon failed to retain its popularity and its sales have dwindled considerably, and Honda Cars India managed to sell only 192 units of the MPV in December, 2015. The new refreshed Honda Mobilio is expected to soon launch in India soon, which should boost its sales.

Car recall exercises have been so common in the recent past that they are not considered to stain a car brand’s name and fame, anymore. Car recalls, due to their heavy frequency world-wide, are now considered to be the auto makers’ efforts to correct its mistakes and precautionary measures to safeguard the customers. However, the risk of owing a faulty car remains, and the recalled cars’ owners can’t stop feeling anxious about the safety of driving such cars with potential malfunctioning parts.

Like many global auto majors, especially the Japanese car majors, Honda Motors has been also struck with a massive phase of recalls that involves multiple issues in several of its popular car models across the world. Recently, Honda Motors has been detected with the more serious case of faulty parts in its global recall exercise, and now the company is again calling back number of its vehicles in India.

The Japanese auto major will be recalling 90,210 vehicles including its popular premium sedan, City and the compact multi-purpose vehicle, Mobilio in the Indian car market in order to inspect and replace a faulty part.

The recalled vehicles from the house of Honda Cars India that involves its bestselling City sedan and the Mobilio MPV have been manufactured in the time period between the month of December 2013 and July 2015. These vehicles have potentially defective fuel return pipes. However, it is also to be noted, that only the diesel variants of these two vehicles are involved in this recall exercise and not their petrol counterparts.

Honda Motors’ fully owned Indian subsidiary, Honda Cars India Ltd has said in a company statement that the company will recall 64,428 units of the Honda City Diesel version that have been manufactured from December 2013 till July 2015, and 25,782 units of the Honda Mobilio Diesel models that have been produced from June 2014 till July 2015 in order to replace the potentially defective fuel return pipe of these models.

A company statement said that there is a possibility that in some units of these mentioned models, the fuel return pipe could come out that would result in fuel leakage and the resultant engine stoppage.

The statement added that Honda Cars India will replace the fuel return pipe and the related parts in the involved vehicles free of charges at the authorized Honda dealerships across the country, starting from 19th of December, 2015 in a phased manner and the company will individually contact the owners of such vehicles.

Very recently, in September this year, Honda India had announced to recall about 2.24 lakh units of its CR-V premium SUV, Civic sedan, City sedan and the Jazz premium hatchback models that were manufactured between the years’ of 2003 and 2012 in order to replace the defective airbag inflators which can be potentially dangerous and life threatening, as they may explode with tremendous force shooting shrapnel at the occupants of the vehicles injuring them fatally.

The car makers operating in India use many strategies to make the most of the big fat festive season of India. Apart from brand new models, the car majors introduce a slew of refreshed models and special edition models prior and during the Indian festive season in order to cash in on the great buying sentiments during the festive season. Honda Cars India is also making its own preparations to make the most of the fast approaching Indian festive season this year. And the Japanese car major has launched the new ‘Celebration Edition’ special edition models of not one but two popular vehicles – the Amaze and the Mobilio.

The Celebration Edition models are the special edition models which are launched by Honda India to celebrate the two vehicles’ success in the Indian market while offering something special to the Indian car buyers who look forward to special edition models to flaunt better style and convenience. The Celebration Edition models of both the Honda Amaze compact sedan and Honda Mobilio compact MPV come with new body graphics as well as the Celebration emblem to mark them apart from their regular counterparts.

The Honda Amaze Celebration Edition and the Honda Mobilio Celebration Edition, both also offer updated interiors to offer greater style and comfort to the customers. The changes that are made to the interiors of these two special edition models of the Honda Amaze and Honda Mobilio include more stylish and plusher upholstery that means new more up-market seat covers along with added comfortable cushions. The special edition models also offer new steering wheel cover as well as new floor mats. To new Honda Amaze Celebration Edition and Honda Mobilio Celebration Edition models will be made available across all the trims of these two vehicles. The special Celebration Edition models will be made available for sale in only 2 body paint options, namely Taffeta White and Orchid White Pearl.

While speaking about the special edition model launches, Honda Cars India’s Senior Vice President of Marketing & Sales department, Mr. Jnaneswar Sen said that the company is delighted to have launched the new ‘Celebration Edition’ model of the Amaze and Mobilio for the company’s valued customers in order to celebrate the upcoming festivities in India. The company always endeavors to offer an element of freshness to the company’s products in order to excite its valued customers.

Both the Honda Amaze Celebration Edition and the Honda Mobilio Celebration Edition models are only special edition models of the vehicles that come with slight exterior styling updates as well as mild interior update. Both the models only have pure cosmetic updates, while their under the specifications remain untouched.

Thus, the Honda Amaze Celebration Edition model gets powered by the same 1.2 liter i-VTEC petrol and the 1.5 liter i-DTEC diesel motor, while the Mobilio Celebration Edition is equipped with the same 1.5 liter i-DTEC and the 1.5 liter i-VTEC petrol engines.

Renault has entered into the segment of MPV with its upcoming car, Lodgy. We will compare it with Honda Mobilio and Toyota Innova to get an understanding of which one is the best, on paper. The segment of multipurpose vehicles is progressively increasing in India, as never before, and with the introduction of Lodgy, Renault is looking for success it experienced at the time of its Duster. But this is not going to be an easy one for the France based car maker specifically when it has already lost prime mover’s advantage to Honda Mobilio and Toyota Innova recently. Let take a close look as to whether this car is going to occupy a place amongst its competitors in terms of specifications and features.

Honda Mobilio MPV 2014

Space and Size:

What is most noticeable in these cars is the size and capacity and in this discussion it is clearly evident that Renault has performed well. The length and height ranges between 4,498mm and 1,682mm which is approximately the same as that of Toyota Innova and Honda Mobilio. However, in the domain of wheelbase directly correlated to the inner space, the Renault Lodgy has a significant length and has outperformed its rivals. The wheelbase is 60 mm longer than Innova at 2,810 mm and longer than Mobilio at 150 mm. The width is considerably fine and is only about 9 mm narrower than Innova. As per the discussion, it seems that Innova has gained a nominal edge over Lodgy but a real world test is required to get an understanding on the space each of them have.

Both Renault Lodgy as well as Toyota Innova is backed by diesel power plants while the Honda Mobilio has both diesel and petrol. Both the cars, Renault and Honda are available with a 1.5 litre diesel mill however the former is known to generate more power and torque. Mobilio generates 100 PS of power with 200 Nm torque against Lodgy which churns out 110 PS of power and 245 Nm of torque. Alike Renault’s Duster Lodgy too will come in 85 PS engine. Toyota’s engine has the capacity to generate power of 102PS and torque of 200 Nm. Amongst the three, Renault Lodgy is generating maximum power and considering the fact that is based on the same Duster’s platform, it is expected to weigh around 1400 Kg which is lighter than Innova but heavier than Mobilio.

Price and Fuel Efficiency:

The segment of the car is not important as its fuel efficiency is. Honda tops the list in this domain, all because of the ARAI which has claimed efficiency of 24.2 kmpl for diesel. In spite of being lower in the domain of efficiency, Innova has managed to acquire a satisfactory place in the sales chart. Innova, as per Toyota, offers an overall efficiency of around 13.31 kmpl. Renualt Lodgy lies in between these two with the ARAI claimed efficiency of 19098 kmpl for 110 PS and efficiency of 24.04 kmpl for 85 PS.

Since Lodgy has not been unveiled officially in the market, there is no fixed price decided but Renault confirms that it is going to be competitively priced. It is expected to be around 8 Lakh for the base model of 85 PS while the top 110 PS RxZ model will be around 12 Lakhs. Innova was launched at Rs. 12.29 Lakhs with the top model at Rs. 15.81 Lakhs. Mobilio is considerably cheaper amongst the lot as far as it starting price is concerned as it is priced at Rs. 6.75 Lakhs.

Travelling inside a Honda Mobilio can be a wonderful experience. This car has all the attributes to make it a very high selling automobile across the whole of Philippines. Let us talk a little about the excellent features of this new 7-seater from Honda.

Honda Mobilio MPV 2014

Multipurpose vehicle

The new Mobilio from Honda has a low roofline. This vehicle has a height of just 1.603 meters. This height makes this automobile a lot more aerodynamic than its competitors. What this implies is that this vehicle is more fuel efficient than others on road without even taking into account other parameters such as weight and engine capacity.

Damn good looking

Honda Mobilio is a very attractive looking automobile that is hard to compare with other cars because of its different sculpture.  This new vehicle is not just aerodynamic but also very sporty. It is also quite zippy like all other cars from Honda. All these features make Mobilio a great driving experience for the user. It is also a very safe vehicle to drive. Even if one looks at Mobilio when it is sanding still, it is very leasing to the senses.

Spacious interiors

This is one of the outstanding features of all new Mobilio from Honda. Honda is one automobile company that is known for its better styling and precision engineering. It incorporates these features into its cars in such a manner that they easily fit into anyone’s budget. The design team behind the interiors of Mobilio was asked to work on the concept of a private jetliner. It has indeed worked hard to come up with very spacious interiors with the help of flexible seats to give a ride like a sedan, one feels like sitting inside a jetliner. This team has taken care to get rid of everything that consumes space without serving a purpose.

A better engine

Mobilio produces a power of 118 HP and a torque of 145 Nm with the help of 1.5 liter petrol engine. Honda R&D team has worked hard to match this engine with the other parameters of Mobilio to give a very smooth ride and seamless and very efficient gear shifting along with powerful acceleration.

A size that is best fit

Mobilio may be smaller than other SUVs made by Honda but its compact size also means that it is much more maneuverable and a lot more practical vehicle. It is also a size that causes least bit of pollution in contrast to large SUVs.

Families can easily travel in this MPV

It is no secret that families love to travel inside Innova and Crosswind made by Toyota and Isuzu respectively because f their third row of seats. Honda has drawn upon its experience to make available extra seating space to make Mobilio a great family vehicle.

Price

Mobilio is priced at Rs 6.7 lacs for its lowest model while the top model is selling at Rs. 11.9. This price makes Honda Mobilio the most affordable among the offerings from HCPI. In fact, most of the other vehicles from Honda having similar features are priced higher than this.

The auto companies are nowadays more interested in new models of MPVs. There are many companies who have recently launched their MPV models. Considering the competition and flow of MPVs, it has been very essential to compare the models of MPVs. The French auto giant Renault Lodgy has recently entered the MPV segment. There are other MPVs from other auto companies which have also entered the market recently. The Honda Mobilio and Maruti Ertiga are some new models in the MPV segment. With the help of Lodgy model, Renault is focusing to have good market share. In it’s another model Duster, which is a huge hit in the market, Renault has got a good share and the same is expected from the Lodgy model also. The style and design of the Lodgy model is expected to do well in the MPV segment of India.

Honda Mobilio MPV 2014

Another MPV Honda Mobilio was released on 23^rd July in India. It is available in three different models with the option of Petrol and Diesel fuel. Hence, the price of the model was also kept on a bit higher side. If we talk about engines of both the rivals the comparison will be more interesting. The Lodgy from Renault has a 1.5-litre K9K diesel engine. The engine provides two tunes and churn 85PS and 110PS. In total it is available in different seven variants. Out of these four variants are available with 85PS and three are available with 110PS. The Honda Mobilio has 1.5 litre i-DTEC diesel engine as well as 1.5 litre i-VTEC petrol engine. The model is provided with 100PS@3600rp, by this diesel engine. It provides maximum torque of 200Nm@1750rpm. The petrol engine of the car provides 119PS@6600rpm with the maximum, torque of 145Nm@4600rpm. This MPV has five speed manual transmission in both the variants.

On the other hand, Honda Mobilio packs 1.5 L i-DTEC diesel engine and 1.5 L i-VTEC petrol engine. The diesel engine of the Mobilio delivers 100PS @3,600rpm, maximum torque of 200Nm @1,750rpm and the petrol model promises to churn out a maximum power of 119PS @6,600rpm, maximum torque of 145Nm @4,600rpm. Both the engines come mated to a five-speed manual transmission.

If the size of the vehicle is checked, the Lodgy from Renault is 2810 mm wheelbase leads the competition. The length of Lodgy is 4498 mm and width is 1751 mm. The height of the vehicle is 1697 mm. The Mobilio from Honda is 4386 mm long and 1683 mm wide which is on the wheelbase of 2652mm. The height of Mobilio is 1603mm.

If the seating capacity is compared the Lodgy has two variants which have seven and eight seat capacity. While the Mobilio is available with seven seating capacity only.

So far as fuel efficiency is concerned, Mobilio is leading. It has mileage of 24 kmpl for diesel model and 16.5 kmpl for petrol version. The Renault Lodgy offers 19.98 kmpl in the category of 110PS and 21.04 kmpl with 85PS trim. Hence, both the MPVs have quite lucrative features which make them worth. It all depends on one’s requirement to decide which one will be suitable to him.

The French Auto giant Renault has come with its latest model in the MPV segment as Lodgy. The Company has many expectations from this model. Here is a comparison of Renault Lodgy, Toyota Innova, and Honda Mobilio.

Honda Mobilio MPV 2014

In the Indian auto market, the models in MPV segment are performing very well and hence, the market for these models is also increasing significantly. The French company Renault has launched its new model Lodgy in the same segment of MPV where one of its model Duster has got tremendous success. The company is much eager to repeat the history and capture more market share in this segment. But this time the game seems bit changes and the market is not that simple for the company. There is already fierce competition between the Japanese auto giants Toyota and Honda with their Innova, and Mobilio models are there in the market. Hence, comparison of features and specifications of all these models is very interesting.

The model is much known for its size and pace especially in the segment of an MPV. However, in size the Renault is leading as it has 4498 mm length, and 1682 mm height while with Toyota Innova the length is 4585 mm and height 1760 mm, the Honda Mobilio is with 4386 mm length and 1603 mm height. The Renault Lodgy has a width of 1751 mm which is 9 mm less than Toyota Innova and 68 mm more than Honda Mobilio.

While checking the design and exterior Mobilio is leading with a different look in the MPV market of India. It looks more of a personal than a commercial vehicle. However, as per its design it suits to every requirement and hence it is a perfect MPV.  On the other side, the Toyota Innova has some with a new design that also has attracted many customers. So far as the Lodgy is concerned the look of it has appealed to many MPV lovers as it seems a perfect MPV from its look.

Toyota Innova and Renault Lodgy are available with diesel variants while Honda Mobilio is available in petrol as well as diesel engines, and therefore it appeals to both types of engine lovers. From all the three vehicles, Renault Lodgy is known as with the most powerful engine. The overall Lodgy is comparatively lighter in weight than Innova with 1400 Kilogram, but it is heavier than the Mobilio from Honda.

However, in the current scenario the Toyota Innova is in the leading position in the Indian MPV segment as it has regular modifications  by the company and much known for its excellent service. The Toyota has an advantage of the trust of customers for its year’s long experience. So far as the design is concerned, this segment has nothing much to do with it. But, still Innova, Honda, and Renault are a bit stylish with their Mobilio and Lodgy. As the Indian market is not about liking the model by the customers, the new models can also do well and surprise auto experts and the industry also.

Honda Cars India has increased the prices of its vehicles in offer for sale in India, as it had announced towards late 2014. The Japanese car major has hiked the prices of its cars by up to Rs. 60,000 sighting the reasons of rising input costs as well as the discontinuation of excise duty concessions by the Indian government.

2014 honda city

Honda India has increased the price tags of its vehicles across the range. The company’s entry level car, the Honda Brio hatchback’s price range has been now increased by Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 18,000 making its new price range Rs. 4.21 lakh – Rs. 6.30 lakhs (prices ex-showroom, Delhi).

The Honda Amaze compact sedan’s prices have been increased by Rs. 19,000 – Rs. 26,000, making its new price range stand at Rs. 5.18 – Rs. 7.78 lakhs.

The petrol version of the Amaze has got price hike of Rs. 19,000 – Rs. 23,000 depending on the model, while its diesel variants have become dearer by Rs. 23,000 – Rs. 26,000.

Honda’s flagship model, the new City mid-sized sedan has become expensive by up to Rs. 48,000. The petrol trims of the City have become pricier by Rs. 33,000 – Rs. 46,000, while the City diesel models’ prices are up by Rs. 37,000 – Rs. 48,000. The City price range now stands at Rs. 7.53 – Rs. 11.53 lakhs.

Honda India has also increased the price range of its premium SUV offering, CR-V by up to Rs. 60,000. The CR-V premium SUV will now cost between Rs. 20.85 and Rs. 24.96 lakhs.

As Honda Cars India has hiked up the prices across its range, the new Mobilio MPV’s price range will also go up. However, as per a company official, Honda India has not yet decided on the quantum of price increase for the newly included vehicle in the range. However, the Honda Mobilio’s prices will also surely go up.

Honda Cars India made the decision of increasing the prices of its vehicles following the expiry of the slashed excise duty charges that the Indian government was offering as a gesture of helping the slowdown stricken auto industry. The government has decided not to extent the tax concessions, as the Indian car market has shown enough signs of revival.

Honda is not the only car maker to decide hiking the prices of its cars following the tax concessions expiry on 31^st December, 2014. Indian car market leader, Maruti Suzuki has already announced that it would hike the prices of its vehicles from this month. Indian car majors, Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra have also declared their decisions of price increase owing to higher input costs.

On the other hand, German luxury car major BMW had also made it clear that its products will become more expensive from the first week of January, 2015; while American car major General Motors has also announced its own price hike by up to Rs. 20,000 from this month to help it against rising production costs.

Honda Cars India few months ago launched its signature Mobilio multi-purpose vehicle brand. In no time it has become an instant blockbuster hit, generating enormous month after month profits, and months before launch itself, when the initial developments of the vehicle were revealed, it was a potential threat to Maruti Suzuki Ertiga its fiercest rival.

Honda Mobilio MPV 2014

It is a celebratory success to achieve esteemed profits within a short time frame post launch, and the glorious hit nature of the car is not just surrounded in India, but has also alerted software biggie Google Zeitgeist. The company has voted Mobilio to be the most appreciated car brand in the country and it is surely a proud moment for Honda.

In November 2014, Honda Cars India clocked impressive 64% gains and Mobilio was among the key profit players along with all new City, Amaze and Brio. It is a trendy multi-purpose vehicle and developed to offer a homely effect, contributed by the large windows. The company has created so much magic with Mobilio in a short span of time and it has driven the public insane. Let’s dwell into the amazing mysteries of the model that makes it in insanely desirable.

Exterior:

Mobilio is a fashionable multi-purpose vehicle and it is striking to the eye, particularly with the young effervescent demographic. It is a multi-purpose variant of Brio hatchback, and on the front is inventively sculpted projector headlights, and the other interesting features to look forward to are, chrome covered exterior door handles, retractable wing mirrors with turn indicators, side sill garnish, signature alloy wheels, tailgate spoiler and sparkling chrome grille.

Interior:

The interiors of Mobilio are exceptionally grand, engineered with the innovative ‘Man Maximum Machine Minimum’ philosophy. The nature of inner décor is parallel to Amaze and Brio. The inner room is spacious, sufficient to accommodate a happy large family of seven occupants. The second row seat is designed to offer split function capacity of 60:40, and it has the recline and slide option and the split functionality of the third row is 50:50. The company attributes the adequate interior room to increased roof lining sufficient to offer sufficient headroom space for third and second row occupants. The boot capacity space is 223 litres and it can be expanded to 521 litres and the standard features stuffed into the car are ABS, airbags, touch screen infotainment system with navigation, audio fitted steering wheel and electric mirrors.

Mileage:

The vehicle moves on a splendid average fuel-efficiency of 24.2kmpl.