Our thoughts on Honda’s upcoming compact seven-seater after a three-minute test drive in Motegi

Spurred by the success of its HR-V compact crossover, Honda has applied its packaging magic on its Brio platform and developed the BR-V compact seven-seater aimed at the Asean market, particularly Indonesia. Production has yet to begin, but we were among a lucky few given the chance to test the prototype in Motegi, Japan.

The test was far from the track, and only lasted for about three minutes. But first impressions are positive, thanks in part to its good looks that clearly set a distinction between its similarly sized best-sellers, the Jazz and HR-V. We can’t say much about interior design as the cabin is far from finished, although overall use of space is great, as expected given the spaciousness of its B-segment siblings – fitting ambassadors of the brand’s ‘Man Maximum, Machine Minimum’ philosophy.

Second row seats fold easily – flat too – allowing easy ingress into the rear seats which can comfortably accommodate the 175cm writer. The Honda BR-V prototype fares well where comfort and stability from a passenger’s point of view are concerned, although the driver could be happier with a tad more power.

Speaking of which, the BR-V’s front wheels are spun by a 1.5-litre i-VTEC-CVT combo which produces 120PS at 6,600rpm and 145Nm of twist at 4,800rpm. The figures aren’t as mind-boggling as the NSX’s but it gets the basic job of mobilising the 4.4m people carrier done relatively well. These numbers could change according to market once the BR-V hits production, during which we’ll be able to better dissect Honda’s latest offering to the masses for you.

In the meantime, don’t you think the Honda BR-V will fit nicely in the niche between the Jazz and HR-V in terms of price and size? Tell us what you think on our Facebook page (where you'll find more pictures) or drop us a note at editor@topgear-malaysia.com for a chance to have your name published in a coming issue.