Friday, April 01, 2016

ASEAN NCAP results for the newly launched (in India, Indonesia & Thailand) Honda BR-V


The Honda BR-V is something new. It is a small sized Honda SUV that is priced below the HR-V and was developed specially for Asian markets, namely India, Indonesia and Thailand. It is powered by a 1.5liter engine and shares its base platform with the tiny city car called the Honda Brio which is sold mainly in Thailand, Indonesia and India. We do not get the Brio or the Amaze sedan version. So we most probably may never get this mini SUV. Unless Honda Malaysia can make a case out of it. 




The BR-V moniker stands for Bold Runabout Vehicle and the BR-V is Honda's answer to customer demands and needs for an inexpensive SUV that rides higher, sleek design and capable to load 7 passengers at one trip. I won't compare it to the Toyota Avanza as that, may ride as high as the BR-V but that does not have a sleek design. It has a design that should be destroyed actually. So technically, Honda Malaysia could try compete with small SUVs or MPVs like the Toyota Avanza and even the Perodua Alza by offering this BR-V as an affordable alternative.

Anyway, since the ASEAN NCAP testing is done in Malaysia, ASEAN NCAP via MIROS has release their findings on the safety rating of this new small SUV that we may never get to buy in Malaysia. Not bad ratings for something designed to a certain price point.


PRESS RELEASE

ASEAN NCAP – SAFER CARS FOR ASEAN REGION

ASEAN NCAP Releases Quarter II 2016 Result for Honda BR-V

Johor Bahru, 1 April 2016 – In 2016 Honda unveiled its latest model, the Honda BR-V, into the ASEAN

market. The New Car Assessment Program for Southeast Asian Countries (ASEAN NCAP) tested the

BR-V model, making it the fifth Honda model to be tested by ASEAN NCAP. In the Adult Occupant

Protection (AOP), the BR-V scored 14.79 points. Based on ASEAN NCAP prerequisites, only

BR-V’s variants that are equipped with Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and Seatbelt Reminder System

(SBR) for both frontal occupants are eligible for 5-Star rating, while variants that are not fitted with

these technologies can only receive AOP 4-Star. As for the Child Occupant Protection (COP), the model

met 72% compliance of the test, hence achieved a 4-Star rating.

The result was released in conjunction with ASEAN NCAP Safety Assist Workshop held in Johor Bahru

on 31 March to 1 April 2016. The workshop consists of a technical dialogue on the first day between

ASEAN NCAP and its stakeholders to improve its new Safety Assist protocols. This is based on the new

ASEAN NCAP Rating Road Map 2017-2020. On the second day, a vehicle demonstration was organized

at Padang Kawad in Universiti Teknologi Malaysia with the aim to promote safety assist technologies

that can help to avoid accidents from occurring.

ASEAN NCAP Chairman, Prof. Dr. Wong Shaw Voon commented that, “It is notable that a number of

cars entering the ASEAN market are now equipped with more safety features. Honda BR-V is one of

them. We at ASEAN NCAP hope our work has made significant impact to raise consumer awareness

to demand safer cars for the ASEAN market.”

ASEAN NCAP Secretary-General, Mr. Khairil Anwar Abu Kassim said that Honda BR-V is the third SUV

model under the Honda brand. The test of Honda BR-V means that Honda has crash tested all its SUV

lines under ASEAN NCAP rating system. Khairil added that, “It should be noted that only BR-V’s higher

variants are equipped with ESC and SBR for dual frontal occupants. Nevertheless, we are aiming for

the lowest variant to be equipped with similar technologies in order for everyone to benefit these

safety features.”

The following are the gist of the Honda BR-V results.

 Honda BR-V scored 14.79 points for AOP. Due to ASEAN NCAP 5-Star prerequisite, this

crossover hatchback is eligible for dual rating; 4-Star AOP for variants without ESC and SBR for

both frontal occupants, whilst BR-V variants equipped with such technologies received 5-Star

AOP rating. As for the COP category, BR-V achieved 4-Star rating with 72% compliance.

 Honda BR-V is the eighth SUV model by Honda crash tested by ASEAN NCAP after Subaru XV

(May 2013), Mitsubishi Pajero Sport (July 2013), CR-V (February 2014), Suzuki S-Cross

(February 2013), HR-V (May 2015), Toyota Rush (May 2015) and GWM Haval M4 (June 2015).

 Honda BR-V AOP scores higher than many competitors, Subaru XV with AOP score 14.31

points (5-Star), Mitsubishi Pajero Sport with AOP 12. 08 (4-Star), Toyota Rush with AOP score

at 12.47 points (4-Star) and GWM Haval M4 at 9.64 points (3-Star). Nevertheless, for the COP

category, Toyota Rush and Haval M4 performed better than BR-V with 82% and 79%

respectively, with all three SUVs compliancy score within the 4-Star rating.

 ESC and SBR for both frontal occupants are available in higher variants while ISOFIX and top

tether are standard across variants.

No comments: