Honda Atlas launched the BR-V 7 seater in April 2017 and since then the MPV is doing fairly well in a segment which has not been much popular in our market.
7 seaters never gained true success in our market particularly because they were either overpriced or never looked impressive. However the newly launched BR-V is becoming a regular sight on roads within just a few months.
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Looking at the sales statistics the BR-V has done reasonably well compared to its rivals in the market. Since its launch, Honda Atlas has managed to sell 2849 units of BR-V averaging 713 units a month which is quite impressive. Let’s put it this way, in the same period (April 2017- July 2017) sales of Suzuki Swift were 1252 units averaging just 313 units a month.
Although the BR-V can never be directly compared to the Swift since the two are entirely different products belonging to different segments but it does shows that customers are showing confidence in something which was never considered successful in our market before.
| Month | BR-V Sales |
| April 2017 | 527 |
| May 2017 | 876 |
| June 2017 | 756 |
| July 2017 | 690 |
The other three 7 seat MPVs have been around in our market for quite some time now. Suzuki APV being the first of them introduced back in 2005-06, although it did well in its initial years but sales were never impressive later on. The major drawback is its typical van-like appearance and the 1.5 liter engine which produces the least number of horses compared to the rivals, plus the presence of engine underneath the front passenger seats.
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Toyota Avanza was the second 7-seater to be introduced in our market back in 2011 but has always been considered as an expensive option. The 2nd generation Avanza is available for PKR 29.9 lac and is the priciest option available in the market.
FAW Sirius, the third 7 seater was launched back in 2013 with a 1.3 liter engine, however later on a 1.5 liter version called as the Sirius Grand was introduced. Although available in our market for nearly 4 years the Sirius has been unable to make an impact despite being the cheapest option in the market. Albeit the fact that the Sirius is visually appealing and has better road presence, it is quite reasonably priced and is well equipped too, it is the alleged below par interior quality that has been keeping the buyers away.
Honda BR-V also has the advantage of being the only locally assembled option since the other three are being imported as CBU. The BR-V is powered by the same 1.5 liter iVTEC engine that comes with the Honda City. It develops an impressive 118hp which is also the highest among its competitors. Available in 2 variants (standard, S grade), the Honda BR-V comes with CVT as standard transmission.
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Both the variants come with 2 tone plastic and soft padded interiors. Climate control is standard across both variants and so is steering audio control. BR-V comes equipped with a driver side airbag as well as ABS with EBD.
The launch of BR-V was a bold step by Honda Atlas but so far the decision seems to be paying off well. With the prices of most sedans in our market exceeding PKR 2.0 million, the BR-V seems an impressive option with its decent features and impressive appearance. With a price tag of PKR 22.29 lac for base version & PKR 23.29 for the S variant, the BR-V serves well if you have to carry 7 people around in a prestigious manner.
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A computer animation professional with over 23 years of industry experience having served in leading organizations, TV channels & production facilities in Pakistan. An avid car enthusiast and petrolhead with an affection to deliver quality content to help shape opinions. Formerly written for PakWheels as well as major publications including Dawn. Founder of CarSpiritPK.com
