2020 Honda BR-V finally gets its official launch

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2020 Honda BR-V finally gets its official launch

With the resumption of business after a long ‘break’ during the Movement Control Order (MCO), the car companies are trying to make up for the lost time, especially when they had new models planned for the first quarter which could not be launched, let alone delivered to customers.

For Honda Malaysia, the facelifted BR-V (did you know it means ‘Bold Runabout Vehicle?) was to have been in showrooms in April but that was obviously not possible since all showrooms had to be closed. Finally, the company can launch the new 2020 7-seater crossover MPV which is available in two variants. The E variant is priced at RM89,900 while the V variant is priced at RM96,900, both prices excluding insurance premiums.

Campaigns to help COVID-19 relief programmes
In conjunction with the launch, Honda Malaysia also announces a COVID-19 relief program as one of the two campaigns related to the BR-V. Called the ‘Be Kind With BR-V’ campaign, for every unit of the model sold from today until August 31, 2020, the company will donate a portion of the proceeds to COVID-19 relief programmes.

At the same time, the company has also organised a joint effort among its dealers to support affected communities in their neighbourhood through a second campaign. This is the ‘Honda Dealer Donation Drive’ and it will run until August 31, 2020 as well. Honda customers can visit their nearest dealership to donate basic necessities such as dried foods or household items (cash will not be accepted). The donations will be compiled and delivered to affected communities in the areas around the respective dealers.

The latest BR-V has the usual cosmetic changes that come with a facelift like a new front grille, restyled front and rear bumpers, front foglight garnish as well as a new Dual-Tone finish for the 16-inch alloy wheels. A Shark Fin Antenna is also installed on the roof.

It’s never easy for the marketing people to get the factory to offer new exterior colours. However, this time, they managed to get a brand-new colour which is a first in Honda Malaysia’s model line-up – Marine Purple Pearl. This joins another four colour choices – White Orchid Pearl, Modern Steel Metallic, Lunar Silver Metallic and Passion Red Pearl.

Proven powertrain, now with paddle shifters
Performance-wise, the BR-V continues to use a 120 ps 1.5-litre SOHC i-VTEC engine coupled with Continuous Variable Transmission (CVT). The more expensive variant comes with paddle shifters which allow selection of gears without taking the hands off the steering wheel.

The BR-V offers a lot of versatility in its spacious cabin, with multiple configurations enabled by the 60:40 One-Touch Tilt & Tumble mechanism in the second row and 50:50 Tilt & Full Tumble in the third row. It has the biggest boot volume in its size class: 223 litres even when all the seats are in use, and up to 539 litres when the third-row is folded down.

New value-added features include tweeter speakers, a cargo bay light and cabin filter. The V variant gets a new 7-inch Display for the infotainment system, as well as new leather seats with Red Finishing matching the gear knob’s red stitching. Automatic Air Conditioning, Keyless Entry and a Push-Start Button are now standard features in the E variant.