Shooting for the stars: Can the 2023 Honda BR-V take on the Hyundai Stargazer?

The all-new Honda BR-V has been officially launched. And here are the prices of each variant:

• 1.5 S MT      -  ₱ 1,090,000
• 1.5 S CVT    -  ₱1,150,000
• 1.5 V CVT    -  ₱1,295,000
• 1.5 VX CVT  -  ₱1,390,000

It is a particularly important model for Honda Cars Philippines Inc. because it is the Japanese carmaker’s entry in the hotly-contested subcompact, seven-seater multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) segment.

The BR-V also enters the fray weeks after the official launch of Hyundai’s four-wheel spaceship, the Stargazer MPV.

The Honda may not be as dramatic to look at as its Korean rival, but are there other things that make it stand out in its class? Let’s check out the numbers.

Good width and ground clearance

The BR-V may not be as enormous as the Mitsubishi Xpander or the Nissan Livina, but it holds its own for being one of the widest subcompact MPVs in its class.

Like the Stargazer, the Honda’s class-leading horizontal dimensions will make things more comfortable for passengers. This is a vital selling point in a segment with notoriously narrow cabins.

For those particular with ground clearance, the all-new BRV, the Xpander, and the Livina are the only ones that go past the 200 mm mark.

Plush interior

AutoFun Philippines has gotten the chance to sit in the all-new BR-V, and we were impressed by the quality of the materials and construction.

The Honda is available with supple leather in higher variants, making it feel very comfortable. 

The 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system isn’t quite as big as the others, but it does make up for this by having competitive cargo capacity.

However, the Xpander-Livina duo takes the cake in the hauling stakes with 495 liters with third-row seats up and 781 liters with the third row folded.

Most powerful MPV

There’s no getting around it – the Honda BR-V is the most powerful subcompact MPV around.

It just about pips the Stargazer by using the same 1.5-liter, twin-cam, 16-valve inline-4 gasoline engine found in the City, City Hatchback, and the entry-level HR-V. 

As the figures show, most of the power and torque from the BR-V comes in the mid-to-high RPM band. In our initial tests, you had to wind up the engine to enjoy strong acceleration. 

The BR-V is available with either a 6-speed manual or a continuously variable transmission, with the older Suzuki Ertiga, Xpander, and Livina still offering outdated 4-speed automatic gearboxes.

Class-leading safety tech

Safety-wise, Honda went to town by offering its excellent Honda SENSING active safety suite on the top-of-the-line VX.

This includes adaptive cruise control, collision-mitigation braking, lane-keep assist, and lane-departure warning. These are things that the Stargazer also offers.

All BR-Vs come with dual front airbags, with the top-spec VX getting front-side and curtain airbags. Again, these features are available in the Hyundai.

The Hyundai and the Honda also get standard traction control and ISOFIX child restraints. As the chart shows, the rest of the MPV class is trailing in the safety department.

A matter of taste

The all-new Honda BR-V is a well-made, well-equipped subcompact MPV that will attract buyers who want the latest in refinement and safety tech.

Price-wise, the all-new Honda BR-V competes well with other subcompact MPVs. But its closest rival, the Hyundai Stargazer, just about undercuts its price.

Overall, the Honda BR-V represents a new generation of subcompact MPVs that take refinement and safety to new levels.

It also caters to people who want a more traditional-looking MPV than the Hyundai Stargazer. A complete comparison test between the two will tell us more.

Are you excited to try out the 2023 Honda BR-V in person?