Seventh heaven in the Honda Mobilio

MANILA, Philippines–Gazing at the newly launched all-new Mobilio of Honda Cars Philippines (HCPI) last week, this writer couldn’t help but wonder if this would be the next sales chart-topper the Japanese automaker has been waiting for.

After all, this latest seven-seater from HCPI has a number of interesting attributes that would endear it to the market.

1.) Price

With a price tag starting at P807,000 for the basic variant, and P987,000 for the top of the line, the all-new Mobilio is HCPI’s most affordable considering that the company’s other seven-seaters, the Odyssey and Honda Pilot, are priced above P2 million.
In fact, when the prices for the four variants were flashed during the launch, a number of people in the audience were heard cheering, perhaps surprised that they were way below what they have expected.

For this writer and a lot of growing families out there, this is a real deal breaker.

2.) Streamlined

The all-new Mobilio’s appealing blend of curves, a low roofline and a squat stance (it’s just 1.603 meters tall) makes this multipurpose vehicle—or multipurpose utility vehicle as Honda would like to term it—a lot more aerodynamic than most of its competitors.

This means even without the influence of the engine and drivetrain, this vehicle will still help in reducing fuel costs.

3.) Better looking

Highlighted by a broad metallic grille centerpiece, lightning bolt beltline and sculpted character lines, the all-new Mobilio is so unlike its competitors.

“Racing is ingrained in the corporate culture of Honda and even its most affordable multipurpose utility vehicle benefits from this fact. By giving the all-new Mobilio a design that is both sporty and aerodynamic, we offer car buyers an exhilarating yet safe driving experience,” explained Atsushi Arisaka, Honda’s large project development leader for the all-new Mobilio.

4.) Better interior accommodation

The all-new Mobilio aspires to take the game to the next level by bringing in Honda’s globally renowned styling, packaging and engineering values into one neat and frugal package.

With Arisaka at the helm, the design team employed “Progressive Private Jetliner” concept, an idea that emphasizes modern styling, advanced technology, a spacious cabin, flexible seats and a sedan-like ride that make one feel like sitting in a private jet (interestingly, the jet cabin concept may not be too far off considering that Honda just recently debuted its first production small jet aircraft called HondaJet.

Sitting inside the all-new Mobilio, Arisaka explained that the experience should be that of being inside a private jet plane as reflected in the color scheme, silky-touch seat fabric, convenient storage and the largest possible space.

By eliminating everything that takes up space and has no purpose, Honda has given the interior of the all-new Honda Mobilio considerable “openness” (in terms of storage spaces, the all-new Mobilio boasts as many as 11 cup/bottle holders across the cabin).
The lower portion of the instrument panel has been reduced to create extra legroom for front seat occupants.

Moreover, the backs of the front-row and second-row seats are slightly concave to offer additional knee room in the second row and third row.

The second-row seats have a unique “One Motion” mechanism that allows them to fold and tumble in a 60:40 split with just one lever (allowing for easy access to the third row seating). In addition, the second row slides forward and back to accommodate larger passengers in the third row.

The third row on the other hand is designed to be extra comfortable with adjustable headrests.

The cargo compartment has up to 223 liters of luggage space. When the third-row seats are not needed, they can be flipped and folded flat in a 50:50 split, thus increasing cargo space to 521 liters.

“In addition to focusing on the second row, Honda put considerable effort into providing a comfortable and relaxed atmosphere in the limited space available for third-row passengers. We raised the roofline to provide generous headroom for second-row and third-row passengers while at the same time, created enough space to accommodate a rear air-conditioner panel.

5.) Better engine match

Powered by a City/Jazz-derived 1.5-liter i-VTEC gasoline engine, the all-new Mobilio generates 118 horsepower and 145 Newton-meters of torque. Honda paired this engine to either a continuously variable transmission (available on RS and V variants) equipped with Earth Dreams Technology (that is able to match engine RPMs to wheel speed and produces lower energy losses) or a five-speed manual transmission (available on E variant).

Even motoring magazine editor Dino Directo appreciated the all-new Mobilio’s CVT. “The lightweight and compact CVT offers seamless shifting for smooth and powerful acceleration that enhances driving performance.”

6.) Size that fits

According to Arisaka, the all-new Mobilio’s smaller profile allows the vehicle to easily negotiate narrow streets and tight parking spaces of the Philippines (and in other markets where the Mobilio is sold). Bigger MPVs and SUVs would prove less practical for many people, and additionally, a little politically incorrect as well for the more environmentally conscious.

But while compact and squat in stance, the all-new Mobilio possesses a high 189-millimeter ground clearance (in comparison, the top-selling Toyota Innova has 176-mm ground clearance) that should enable this vehicle to safely negotiate most potholes and occasional rough sections of the road.

Moreover, the all-new Mobilio has a large 42-liter tank that should enable families to cover long distances between fuel fill-ups.

7.) It’s not hard to love an MPV

It’s easy to understand why a lot of Filipinos prefer to own a multipurpose vehicle. Most of us love to travel with the whole family and the availability of a third row of seats is most welcome (a reason why Toyota’s Innova and Avanza, and Isuzu’s Crosswind are among the top sellers here).

Drawing from Honda’s vast experience in offering a variety of premium MPVs to customers globally, the company’s engineers have used the same technological know-how and design philosophy to develop the all-new Mobilio.

“With a clear grasp of the local culture, we believe that the all-new Mobilio fits the needs and expectations of the Filipino family in a vehicle and we are thrilled to be able to finally introduce it locally and see more smiles on the road in the all-new Mobilio,” said HCPI president and GM Toshio Kuwahara who also informed that the model is only available in Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia and India.