2023 Honda BR-V VX Review | Philkotse Philippines

The compact seven-seater MPV segment in the Philippines is filled with many contenders. This is not surprising since most Filipinos are fond to travel in groups–more seats, more fun. Aside from having a seven-seater capacity, compact MPVs are one of the most popular vehicles due to their overall value for money.

Budget-wise, MPVs are relatively the sweet spot for many Filipino car buyers who are looking for a vehicle with seven seats and decent cargo space.

Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. (HCPI) is among the car brands that want to take a slice of the seven-seater MPV pie with the all-new BR-V. The question is, does it have what it takes to challenge its rivals? Here’s Philkotse’s 2023 Honda BR-V VX full review.

The 2023 Honda BR-V now comes with a more mature exterior design. Its all-new streamlined look is night and day compared to the old model. It may have a more toned-down demeanor but I find the all-new BR-V to have a bolder design.  

2023 BR-V VX with Honda Genuine Accessories 

The BR-V’s bolder aura is emphasized on its front end. The detail that caught my attention the most is the large grille as well as the sharp-looking LED headlights and daytime running lights (DRLs). It’s simple yet it gives the vehicle a commanding demeanor. It even reminds me of the 10th-generation Honda Accord’s headlights and grille design execution.   

Of note, all 2023 Honda BR-V variants come standard with LED headlights and LED DRLs. They also have LED fog lights except for the entry-lever S MT variant. 

More streamlined design

The toned-down poise continues to be seen when you look at the all-new BR-V’s side profile. A straight character line that runs from front to back can easily be spotted. It seems that Honda doesn’t want to complicate its design approach with the new BR-V, and it works–at least for my taste. 

It’s important to note that the BR-V is relatively the simplest-looking vehicle when compared to its segment rivals such as the Mitsubishi Xpander, Toyota Avanza, Suzuki Ertiga Hybrid, Hyundai Stargazer, and Nissan Livina.

The BR-V test unit handed to us is fitted with Honda Genuine Accessories, which are the following: door handle protector, door/window visor, door mirror garnish, and front fender garnish. This comes as an additional option in case you want to spruce up the all-new BR-V.

The all-new Honda BR-V's rear

The more mature and streamlined design approach is still evident in the BR-V’s rear. But, I find it to be a bit too plain and flat. Yes, the seamless LED taillights look good but the overall rear design is quite lacking in style points. Good thing it comes with a chrome trim on the tailgate, which breaks the rather plain rear finish. Although, the said chrome trim is not a standard design. It is part of the Honda Genuine Accessories for the all-new BR-V. 

The 2023 Honda BR-V’s interior has a more straightforward layout. It looks more organized as compared to the previous generation model. The revamped dashboard layout gives an upscale feel, which I find to be a step in the right direction. 

The interior is now more upscale-looking than the old model

To put things in perspective, the old BR-V’s dashboard layout features a lot of lines and patterns. Honda ditched that design approach in the all-new BR-V. The lines seen on the dashboard are now more fluid and more symmetrical. That said, it’s more pleasing to the eye as it creates a well-organized finish. 

The aircon controls are neatly stacked in the middle while the physical buttons for the audio are integrated into the glossy black touchscreen’s housing. This allows you to get easily familiar with the all-new BR-V’s new layout.

Even the steering wheel design now looks better

Another thing I appreciate in the new BR-V is the restyled steering wheel. It now has a more upscale finish as compared to the old version. The three-spoke leather-wrapped steering wheel is integrated with audio and phone controls. The materials used for the integrated controls feel plasticky but that’s expected considering the BR-V’s segment.
 
Aside from the steering wheel, the new gear lever design is a welcome sight as it looks way better than the old one. The same goes for the redesigned gear lever housing, which complements the whole cabin layout.
 
The 2023 Honda BR-V VX variant has leather seats for all seven occupants. And yes, it now has a center armrest with soft padded material, which is absent on the previous generation BR-V.

While the front interior layout looks nice, I find that the storage spaces are a bit lacking. This is a missed opportunity for Honda since the BR-V’s segment rivals such as the Xpander and the Stargazer come with a lot of storage compartments.    

The BR-V's second row

Three average-sized Filipino adults can comfortably seat on the BR-V’s second-row seats with decent leg- and head-room. The second-row seat also has a 60:40 split for easy ingress and egress on the third-row. 

Third-row seats

The third-row seats offer enough space even for adults. The legroom is good since the second-row seats can slide forward in case there’s a need for extra space in the third row. However, I do wish the BR-V’s rear aircon comes with an extra vent. It only has three vents instead of the usual four. The additional vent could have distributed airflow better throughout the second- and third-row.

The all-new BR-V's cargo area

With the third-row seats up, you can load four to five overnight bags in the BR-V’s cargo area. Take note that the cargo tray and the back seat protector are not standard features of the 2023 BR-V. It is among the, yes you got it right, optional Honda Genuine Accessories.

The Honda BR-V is equipped with a seven-inch infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. This is a nice feature, especially in today’s smartphone era where most motorists rely on Waze for directions and Spotify for onboard entertainment. 

The 7-inch infotainment system comes with Apple CarPlay

But, the BR-V’s Apple CarPlay integration is not that smooth as I encountered glitches from time to time. One of which is that the Waze app hangs or freezes at times. Another thing is that it gives you wrong directions as the vehicle’s exact location can’t be pinned right. This only happened when my phone was connected to the infotainment touchscreen. But when my phone is disconnected, Waze works just fine. Weird, right?

Rear camera with guidelines

Meanwhile, the BR-V’s touchscreen also serves as the reverse camera monitor when you shift the gear to reverse. The resolution is decent but I was a bit expecting more from it. Good thing though it has guidelines that can further assist you when reversing.

The instrument cluster, on the other hand, has analog gauges for the rpms and km/h while a digital trip display is stacked in the middle. The design execution looks neat, and it sort of reminds me of the Honda City’s instrument cluster design. Interestingly, the Hyundai Stargazer, which comes with a lower price tag than the Honda BR-V already comes with a digital gauge cluster.   

The Honda BR-V VX also comes with paddle shifters, exclusively available in the said variant. Aside from that, it is only the BR-V VX that’s equipped with Honda Sensing, the car brand’s driver-assistive suite of technologies.

The Honda BR-V VX has adaptive cruise control

It includes the following: adaptive cruise control, collision mitigation braking system, lane keeping assist, road departure mitigation, lane departure warning, auto high beam, and lead car departure notification. And oh, the BR-V VX also has six airbags, speed-sensing door locks, and a Honda Lane Watch camera. The Honda Sensing does make drives safer and relatively more comfortable especially when you’re cruising on the highway.

The Honda Sensing is equipped on the BR-V VX on top of the standard safety features such as dual SRS airbags, an anti-lock brake system, electronic brake-force distribution, vehicle stability assist, hill start assist, and Isofix, among others.

The all-new Honda BR-V VX is powered by a 1.5-liter gasoline engine that puts out 119 horsepower and 145 Nm of torque. It has the same power output as the old BR-V but it now has a dual overhead cam (DOHC), which is said to yield better fuel economy. The engine is then connected to a continuously variable transmission (CVT), same as before.

Powered by a 1.5-liter gasoline engine

The first thing I noticed with the all-new BR-V is its steering feel, which is not that featherlight nor too firm. It gave enough road feedback, allowing me to have better control over the vehicle. This is something you’ll appreciate especially when you plan on using the BR-V as your daily driver. 

I also find the suspension tuning to be in the middle, it is not too stiff and soft. The BR-V absorbed road imperfections within reason, which gave a pleasant ride. It has a hint of body roll when taking wide or sharp turns but it’s not that bothersome. You have to remember that the BR-V is an MPV. 

The all-new Honda BR-V has a more subtle yet distinctive design

Another thing I appreciate about the Honda BR-V is the Lane Watch camera, which helped me make a right turn on tight streets more surefooted. See, this camera activates whenever you flick the right turn signal, giving you extra vision by eliminating blind spots. It can also be activated by a push of a button. The Lane Watch camera has good resolution in the daytime but I noticed that it gets a bit grainy at night but it gets worse when it is raining.   

The power delivery from the 1.5-liter gasoline engine is decent and fairly adequate. However, I find it to have a bit of a delay in giving you your desired power. This is noticeable even when you floor the accelerator pedal where the engine revs are high but doesn’t really translate to power delivery. 

But, it is arguably the simplest-looking MPV in the market today

In short, you have to wait for a bit for the power to kick in. Good thing though, the top-spec Honda BR-V VX comes with paddle shifters, allowing you to dictate the CVT’s simulated gears.  

On the open highway, the Honda BR-V is stable and planted. The lane-keeping assist system also helps you to keep the vehicle centered within the lane. I also consider it a plus that the BR-V lane-keeping tech is not that intrusive when applying steering torque.

The Honda BR-V VX registered 11.1 km/l while driving at an average speed of 18 km/h. Meanwhile, it posted 20.4 km/l while driving at the expressway at 80 km/h. 

In comparison to one of its segment rivals, the Hyundai Stargazer, the BR-V yielded relatively similar fuel economy numbers. When I tested the Stargazer it delivered 9.5 km/l at 16 km/h while it posted 20 km/l on the open highway while cruising at 90 km/h.
 

The Honda BR-V’s all-new look is clearly a step in the right direction. I may have found the rear exterior design to be a bit too conservative but the overall package makes up for it. There’s also no denying that Honda put a lot of effort into making the 2023 BR-V more premium-looking and more complete as compared to the old model. 

2023 Honda BR-V VX

That said, and with all the advanced safety features integrated into it, the 2023 Honda BR-V VX’s pricing is on the higher end of the spectrum. As of this writing, the BR-V VX with Honda Sensing retails at Php 1,390,000, which is significantly higher compared to its segment rivals. To put things in perspective, the BR-V VX is Php 102,000 more expensive than the Hyundai Stargazer and Php 192,000 more compared to the Mitsubishi Xpander’s price tag.