Buoyed by the success of the City sedan and Amaze compact sedan, Honda Cars India is all set to launch its third highly anticipated diesel car, Mobilio MPV in the Indian market. According to our sources, the company will launch the much-awaited compact MPV in the third week of July, 2014.
Unveiled at the 2014 Delhi Motor Show, the MPV will compete against the likes of Maruti Suzuki Ertiga and Chevrolet Enjoy. This model will be priced around 50,000 more than its closest rival Ertiga, while the top spec model is likely to be pitched against Toyota Innova. The Honda Mobilio is expected to be priced in the range of Rs. 6-9 lakh. The company has already started trial production of the MPV at its Greater Noida production facility.
Our sources suggest that the company has specifically worked on the third row seats. Honda is aiming to offer spacious third row space which will give it a competitive edge over its competitors. Based on the extended version of the Brio platform, the Mobilio is 4,390mm long, 1,680m wide and 1,610mm high, and it has a large wheelbase of 2650mm. It is claimed to be more spacious than its closest competitor Ertiga, this MPV has a ground clearance of 185mm which makes it easier to drive through the Indian roads.
The new Honda Mobilio will be made available in both petrol and diesel guise. The petrol model will be powered by the 1.5-litre i-VTEC engine producing 116bhp, while the oil burner will get the 1.5-litre i-DTEC engine that produces 99bhp. Both the engines will be paired to a five-speed manual transmission gearbox, while the petrol model might also get the 5-speed auto gearbox.
