Johannesburg - There was a time when you had to spend big money on an MPV or kombi if you needed to schlep more than five people, but recently a number of roomy seven-seaters priced at around 200 grand have popped up on the market.
Honda’s new Mobilio is built on the same chassis that underpins the soon-to-be-launched new Jazz and current Ballade, but with a lengthened wheelbase to accommodate three rows of passengers, it competes against seven-seaters like Suzuki’s recently-launched Ertiga and the Toyota Avanza.
Rather than the third row being suitable only for amputees, the Honda offers real space for seven. The front two rows are very spacious and the back row, though more cramped, will still take a pair of adults without too much complaint.
VERSATILE SEATING
The transformable interior can be rejigged with numerous seat-folding possibilities. The Mobilio’s second seating row gets a 60:40 split and can slide and recline to cater for varying loads of passengers or cargo. It also tips forward to allow easy access to the rearmost seats. The third seat row is split 50:50 with a reclining function. Both seat rows can be folded flat and tumbled forward to maximise cargo space.
The luggage compartment gulps between 223 to 521 litres, and with all the seats flopped down there’s space for bulky objects like mountain bikes. To cope with the real-world of potholes and punctures there’s a full-sized spare wheel mounted under the chassis.
The need to keep the price down sees the Mobilio wearing steel wheels instead of alloys, but other than that the spec levels are good and this Comfort version selling for R198 990 comes standard with aircon for the front and rear, remote central locking, electric windows all around, onboard computer, and a radio with USB/aux input and audio controls on the steering wheel.
The cheaper Mobilio Trend model, priced at R179 990, comes with aircon only for the front passengers, key-operated central locking, and has no audio system, rear wiper, or electric mirrors.
The Comfort model’s 2-year/30 000km service plan is also absent from the Trend’s spec sheet, so the Mobilio Comfort seems the better deal if your budget can stretch an extra 19 grand.
Both versions get the same safety features in the form of dual airbags and ABS brakes.
STRUGGLES FOR PACE
Mobilio is available with a single engine choice, the same 1.5-litre i-Vtec used in the Honda Jazz, paired with a five-speed manual transmission and front-wheel drive. A CVT automatic version is planned for early next year.
In Gauteng’s power-draining altitude the car struggles for pace when there’s a few people aboard and the aircon’s running. The engine’s energetic enough to coax the car around town, but on the open road it takes an effort to get this one cruising at the speed limit with a load of passengers.
However, the 88kW/145Nm outputs still trump the 70kW/130Nm offered by the 1.4-litre Suzuki Ertiga and the 76kW/136N of the 1.5-litre Toyota Avanza.
Consumption’s relatively frugal and the Mobilio generally manages around 7.2 litres per 100km, though the figure crept up to 8 litres when there were a few more bums in the seats.
It’s a pleasantly driveable car, with a fairly comfortable ride and the ability to nip through corners without feeling top-heavy.
Gearshifts are a smooth effort, but the Mobilio’s a noisier car than the Jazz. The engine’s quite raucous when the revs begin to rise and it seems Honda has skimped on sound-deadening in this car.
The interior of this Indian-built car, while neatly packaged, also doesn’t conform to the standards set by a Jazz or a Civic in the way some of the plasticky panels don’t fit quite perfectly.
VERDICT
The criticisms of a noisy engine and not-quite-plush interior aren’t major concerns for a car in this price range. It’s the space and versatility of this seven-seater that will win over soccer moms with large broods, along with its decent list of bells and whistles. The Honda Mobilio has a small power advantage over the competition, although the 2-year/30 000km service plan trails behind the 4-years/60 000km plans offered by both the Ertiga and Avanza.
MOBILIO VS ITS RIVALS
Honda Mobilio Comfor t, 88kW/145Nm - R198 990, 3-year/100 000km warranty and 2-year/30 000km service plan
Suzuki Ertiga 1.4 GLX, 70kW/130Nm - R192 900, 3-year/100 000km warranty, a four-year/60 000km service plan and 1-year roadside assistance.
Toyota Avanza 1.5 TX, 76kW/136Nm - R226 900, 3-year/100 000km warranty, 4-year/60 000km service plan.