Honda Mobilio

Inside the Honda Mobilio is an ergonomically designed cabin for a more relaxing drive. The length of the dashboard and instrument panel plus the steering wheel are all in black. In fact, most of the interior space is painted black for a more masculine, sporty feel. Chrome accent trims on the dashboard and the steering wheel breaks the monotonous color. There’s a 7-inch infotainment screen at the center with navigation and audio streaming but does not have phone mirroring capabilities. And though the Mobilio has rear AC vents with independent controls, some users complain that it still could need a bit of a boost in power.

Another thing that the Mobilio got going is the interior space which was maximized for hauling people and organizing clutter. There’s a lot of cubbies to stow away stuff. From the seatback pockets to inner door panels, to the center console and sides of the third-row seats, there are enough storage space and cup holders to hold drinks, gadgets, and small items. And although this Honda MPV does not have any leather seat options, the seats can be reconfigured easily to fit both cargo and passenger needs. 

Some might say that the Mobilio exterior is classic or mature looking, but mostly, it’s a bit bland and too sedan-looking. The front façade has the curvy bonnet you’ expect of a car with a muted black matte front grille flanked by angled LED headlights without daytime running lights (DRLs) though it tries to make up for it with guide lights. On the lower bumper is a matching air dam with round fog lights on either side for better visibility when driving in the dark, fog, or dusty roads. On the sides are turn signal lights on the door mirrors for added safety. At the rear, the Mobilio manages to look like an SUV with its dominant rear spoiler with stop lamp. All in all, however, the Mobilio lacks the same ruggedness and robust built that you’d expect on a five-seater crossover or a mid-size 7-seater SUV.

When it comes to driving performance, the Honda Mobilio can easily pick up a decent speed. Since it is meant to be a family hauler and not built for the race tracks, going from zero to 100 kmph takes approximately 13 seconds. On higher speed, the driver could feel the steering a bit heavier for stability. For riding comfort, the Mobilio is cozy enough to fit a small family with small children preferably seated in the third row since they need smaller legroom and for added safety since the nearest exit doors are located on the second row.

All variants of the Mobilio is powered by a Chain Drive SOHC i-VTEC 4 cylinders, 16-valve gasoline engine that produces 120 PS of power at 6,600 rpm and 145 Nm of peak torque at 4,600 rpm. The Euro 4 compliant engine is mated to either a 5-speed manual transmission or a Honda patent highly advanced Earth Dreams Technology Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT). The engine uses a Programmed Fuel Injection (PGM-FI) supply system with 42 L tank capacity. In terms of fuel efficiency, the Mobilio can run 12.4 km per liter in standard conditions.

For safety, the Mobilio—just like in any other vehicle on the Honda portfolio, safety is a priority for the automaker. This Honda MPV gets a ventilated disc and drum brakes for the front and rear respectively. It also gets loaded with Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Anti-lock Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA), Multi-view Reverse Camera, and speed-sensing locks. 

The Honda Mobilio is a great family car to drive around the city and maybe on a short weekend adventure. The maneuverability and performance of this vehicle make it easy to drive either on tight urban traffic or when cruising on a highway. The safety features, cabin layout, and stability of the car only add to its advantage.