Honda’s BR-V crosses 10,000 bookings

The recently launched Honda BR-V has registered over 10,000 bookings since its launch last month, the Japanese carmaker disclosed today.

Honda marked its entry into the popular small SUV and premium crossover segment in India with the BR-V, which was launched on May 5 at a starting price of Rs 8.75 lakh for the base variant. Available in both petrol and diesel variants and being the only SUV in the segment to come with 7 seats, Honda is betting big on the product to provide a fillip to its dwindling sales.

Speaking of the performance of BR-V, Yoichiro Ueno, president & CEO, Honda Cars India said, “BR-V has amassed strong interest from both young and middle-aged customers. We are confident that it will attract more customers with its strong desirable values.”

“As per current demand, BR-V has witnessed equal consumer preference in petrol and diesel variants. The new warranty policy of 3-year unlimited km warranty for BR-V has been positively accepted and is one of the driving forces for good acceptance of BR-V in the market," he added. 

First unveiled at the Indonesia International Auto Show last year, the BR-V or Bold Runabout Vehicle is based on the same platform as the Brio, Mobilio and Amaze to better manage costs. It goes up against established rivals such as the Renault Duster as well as the Maruti S-cross and the hugely popular Hyundai Creta.

It may be early days still, but when compared to its biggest rival Creta, the response to the BR-V seems to be slightly underwhelming. In the first month since launch, Honda managed to sell 2,911 units of the BR-V. Meanwhile, the Creta had sold over 8,400 units in the first month since its launch in July last year.

Another interesting trend observed in the segment is the strong demand for diesel variants. Out of the total BR-Vs sold in May, 673 units were petrol variants while a majority 2,238 units were diesel variants, which clearly shows the customer preference in the SUV segment. 

Meanwhile in Indonesia, Honda has sold 27,085 units of the BR-V. Starting its first delivery in January this year, BR-V contributed 30% of Honda sales until May 2016.

Recommended: Interview with Yoichiro Ueno, Honda Cars India's president and CEO