Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. gives the Honda Mobilio a facelift. The vehicle's fresh look poses a significant challenge to its rivals in the Philippines. The front end of the Honda Mobilio now features a new grille, an LED guide type position lights. The side profile sports aluminum wheels measuring 15 inches. Top-spec RS variants come with 15-inch aluminum-alloy wheels with RD design and a gloss black grille. The Honda Mobilio is an MPV that can accommodate seven passengers loosely based on the platform of the Honda Brio. Stepping inside this Japanese MPV, you will be welcomed by an instrument cluster in blue illumination for Honda Mobilio E MT and V CVT variants. The RS variants, however, gets a control panel with orange back-lit. The RS and V variants also come with silver trim, black fabric seats, and a touchscreen head unit that measures seven inches with Bluetooth connectivity. The refreshed Honda Mobilio is offered in two standard color options – Crystal Black Pearl and Lunar Silver Metallic. But this Japanese MPV also comes with exclusive colors including White Orchid Pearl and Phoenix Orange Pearl for RS Navi variant, Brilliant Sporty Blue Metallic for V CVT and RS Navi variants, and Taffeta White for E and V trims.
Launch
Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. introduced the Honda Mobilio in the local market in May 2015. The model is the entry of the Japanese carmaker into the small MPV segment. At present, HCPI offers the Honda Mobilio in three variants, namely Honda Mobilio 1.5 E MT, Honda Mobilio 1.5 V CVT, and Honda Mobilio 1.5 RS Navi CVT.
Honda Mobilio shares the same power source with Honda City. The vehicle also has the same design language as the Brio and Brio Amaze – its smaller counterparts. This small MPV from Honda was facelifted in 2016 and now features a redesigned front grille, headlamps, and hood.
The Honda Mobilio is a small and light MPV fit for a growing family (Thai model shown)
Exterior
The exterior of the Honda Mobilio features side turn signal lights mounted at the fender, multi-reflector halogen headlights, LED high-mount stop lamp, and tail lamps in bulb type. The door handles and the color of the door mirror of the Honda Mobilio will either be black or the same color of the vehicle's body, depending on the variant.
The MPV also features a front grille in black or chrome, which depends on the variant. Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. offers the Honda Mobilio in the following colors: Crystal Black Pearl, Phoenix Orange Pearl, Brilliant Sporty Blue Metallic, Lunar Silver Metallic, Taffeta White, and White Orchid Pearl.
Interior
The interior of the Honda Mobilio features an ergonomically-designed cabin that offers a more relaxing drive. The steering wheel, instrument panel, and the whole dashboard are all in black. As a matter of fact, the entire cabin is painted mostly in black for a sportier and more masculine feel. The presence of chrome accents on the steering wheel and dashboard, as well as the grey headliner, breaks the cabin's monotonous color.
All the variants have a black-themed cabin except the RS trims that have black and red-themed seat designs. Fabric is the only seating material available in the Honda Mobilio because leather seats are not offered.
Technology & Safety Features
Honda Mobilio can either be equipped with a 1DIN head unit or a 7-inch touchscreen display. The touchscreen infotainment system comes with Aux connection, USB, and Bluetooth connectivity. Select variants are equipped with a reverse camera along with a Navigation system.
The sound is transmitted to the whole cabin via a two-speaker system for lower variants and a four-speaker system for RS trim. It also features climate controls with manual dials and digital display.
In terms of safety, the Honda Mobilio is equipped with a pair of airbags for both the passenger and driver, seatbelt reminder for the front passenger and driver, ABS with EBD, child safety locks, G-force control body structure, immobilizer system, and ISOFIX child seat anchors.
Platform & Chassis
Honda Mobilio is a seven-seater, five-door MPV that is loosely based on the platform of the Honda Brio. This small Japanese MPV has a length of 4398 mm, a width of 1683 mm, a wheelbase of 2652 mm, and a ground clearance of 189 mm.
Honda Mobilio is equipped with ventilated discs for the front and drum brakes for the rear that is responsible for the MPV's stopping power. In terms of suspension, MacPherson struts handle the front while the rear setup comes in the form of torsion beam suspension. The Honda MPV also comes in a front-engine front-wheel-drive layout.
Engine & Drivetrain
The vehicle's power comes from the 1.5L naturally aspirated gasoline engine capable of producing 118 horsepower and 145 Newton-meter of torque. It can be paired with either a five-speed manual transmission or Honda patent Continuously Variable Transmission developed with Earth Dreams Technology.
The Chain Drive SOHC i-VTEC four-cylinder, 16-valve power source employed in the Honda Mobilio is Euro-4 compliant. This engine utilizes a PGM-FI or Programmed Fuel Injection supply system with a tank capacity of 42 liters.
In terms of fuel economy, you can expect the Honda Mobilio to run up to 10.8 kilometers per liter when driving in the city, while highway drives have a fuel efficiency of 14.1 kmpl.