Honda treats its seven-seat BR-V to a makeover

Honda’s seven-seat family carrier, the BR-V, has been tweaked for 2020 with design, equipment and refinement upgrades.

A number of new features have been added including LED daytime running lights, rear parking sensors on the Comfort and Elegance models, as well as a touchscreen audio display system with a reverse parking camera for the flagship derivatives.

The addition of extra soundproofing insulation material reduces the amount of road and engine noise entering the cabin, making for a quieter and more refined drive.

“The BR-V remains one of our core models in the local line-up, and is currently the only seven-seater sport utility vehicle [SUV] in its price class,” says Dinesh Govender, GM of Automobiles at Honda Motor Southern Africa.

All models in the range continue to be powered by a 1.5l i-VTEC four-cylinder engine with outputs of 88kW and 145Nm.

The entry-level BR-V Trend is offered with a six-speed manual gearbox only, while Comfort and Elegance models are available with a six-speed manual or a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT).

All versions come standard with the LED daytime running lights, along with features like ABS brakes, dual front airbags, aircon, electric windows, and an audio system with Bluetooth and USB connectivity.

The Comfort model in addition offers 16-inch alloy wheels, rear parking sensors, and automatic climate control.

The range-topping Elegance comes with the new full-colour display audio system, a smart-entry system with convenient keyless unlocking, and leather seats. It’s visually distinguished by the silver-hued front and rear bumper garnishes, chrome finishes for the door handles and side door protectors, along with front fog lights.

Prices:

BR-V 1.5 Trend Manual: R258,800

BR-V 1.5 Comfort Manual: R291,500

BR-V 1.5 Comfort CVT: R310,300

BR-V 1.5 Elegance Manual: R314,400

BR-V 1.5 Elegance CVT: R333,000

All models come standard with a five-year/200,000km warranty. A four-year/60,000km service plan is included in the Comfort and Elegance models, and is available as an option on the Trend.