The Mobilio also benefits from flexi
seating arrangements, which help a ton when it comes to using the MUV for
cargo-lugging purposes. The last-row seat-backs fold down in a 50:50 split,
releasing some extra space and can be totally tumbled to extend the cargo bay.
The second-row seats too can be tumbled down completely at the twist of a lever
to create two independent cargo bays separated by the folded third-row seat.
The rest of the cabin remains familiar to
anyone who's been inside a Brio or an Amaze. The dash is identical and you'd be
hard pressed to notice any distinctions. To Honda's credit the quality of
plastics used in the Mobilio seemed marginally improved over what you get in
either the hatch or the sedan. The music system though continues to be the
fairly basic unit that is employed in the Amaze and the Brio, which means you
can use a USB drive or an auxiliary music player via the aux-in port to listen
to your favourite tracks on the go. As a result of this, the Honda continues to
trail some of the competition in a battle of pure creature comforts and nothing
else.
Second
row offers terrific levels of comfort with plenty of all round room on offer
We drove both the diesel and the petrol
variants of the MUV and were decently impressed by both. Both vehicles offered
good driving dynamics and inspired confidence on the narrow two-lane switchback
road we found ourselves on in a bid to find a good location for our photo
shoot. The steering isn't exactly a chatterbox, but feels positive and
well-weighted, be it while you're putting the car through quick direction
changes or in a straight line where the MPV feels quite planted. Under harsh
braking, too, the Mobilio doesn't lose its composure while the 185/65 R15
Bridgestone B250 tyres offer good grip.
Last
row not for tall adults but the average Indian heighted person will find it
decently comfortable to sit in
Ride quality on the Mobilio is also well
sorted with the MUV soaking in all the bumps, ruts and patchy surfaces quite
well. It's only in the last row that things get a little uncomfortable if
you're on a particularly rough road and are doing more than 6o-65 km/h on the
speedo. Drop the speed a bit (maybe to about 55 km/ h), and things become much
better. Undulations on the highway do not pose a problem at any point.
The
boot is sizeable and you can flip second and third row of seats forward to
boost practicality, no flat folding though
Thus, overall, it's a thumbs-up from us to
Honda for coming out with a good value package in the Mobilio. Should Honda
decide to kit out the Mobilio with some more gadgety equipment they will narrow
the feature gap with competitors considerably and give the Mobilio a further
edge. To boot, Honda are also offering an RS Grade, which sports a body kit,
different alloys and a slightly altered front end. All of these combine to make
the RS Grade look sportier than the regular Mobilio variants, thus expanding
the choice spectrum for bling-loving Indian consumers.
