If the 1,400 bookings for the Honda BR-V that Honda Malaysia has collected within a month of its launch are any indication, Malaysians are not entirely turned off buying new cars. The exemption of sales tax (till the end of 2020) must also be acting as an incentive as there are savings too. For Peninsular Malaysia, prices without insurance range from RM86,726 to RM93,696, depending on the variant and colour choice.
According to Honda Malaysia, over 32,600 units of the BR-V, a 7-seater, have been sold since it entered the Malaysian market in 2017. It was an entirely new model which fit into the slot left by the Freed as a family-carrier.
Of the 1,400 bookings, 42% are from the Central region and over 85% are for the V variant, one of the two variants available. More than 24% of the buyers have specified Modern Steel Metallic, one of the 5 colour choices available. So if you want your BR-V a bit faster, pick another colour or better still, just tell the sales representative you will take any colour although you do have to pay extra for the White Orchid Pearl finish.
The latest BR-V has received cosmetic updates, typical for a model that is halfway through its cycle. New items include 16-inch dual-tone alloy wheels and a Shark Fin antenna.
It maintains the 1.5-litre SOHC i-VTEC 120 ps/145 Nm engine coupled with a Continuous Variable Transmission (CVT). For the V variant, there are also paddle shifters on the steering wheel to allow manual selection of gears when desired.
In spite of having space for 7 persons, the BR-V also has a lot of cargo space – up to 223 litres, which can be expanded to 539 litres when the third-row seats are folded down. The seating can be folded to create various configurations to suit different needs so it can be used to send the kids to school and then transport plants back from the nursery or furniture from IKEA.
For more information on the BR-V or other Honda models, visit www.honda.com.my. Test-drives are also available at all authorised Honda showrooms nationwide.
Revised Price List for Honda Models, effective from today till December 31, 2020
