Honda BR-V
Honda BR-VIBTimes India

If the emerging reports are anything to go by, Japanese auto-maker Honda is gearing up to launch the BR-V SUV in India May 1. Although it was reported earlier that the BR-V could make its market debut in India in May this year, the exact launch date was not known.

Now a report of MotorOctane claims that Honda BR-V would be launched May 1. If this rings true, Honda BR-V would be the second offering of the company in the domestic market this year after the Amaze facelift. Honda had showcased the BR-V at the Auto Expo 2016.

Honda BR-V, the SUV based on the Brio platform will be pitted against Hyundai Creta and Renault Duster once it hits the Indian market. Previous reports had said that Honda is planning to pull the plug on the Mobilio MPV to make way for the UV BR-V in India. Honda Mobilio, which made its entry in 2014, has not really been able to impress the buyers and managed to sell only 226 units in February 2016.

Under the hood, the BR-V gets a 1.5-litre four-cylinder 16-valve i-VTEC petrol engine that delivers 117bhp at 6,000 rpm and maximum torque of 145Nm at 4,700 rpm, mated to a six-speed manual transmission. The SUV in India is also likely to get a 1.5-litre i-DTEC diesel engine that does duty in most of the diesel cars offered by Honda in the country.

The compact SUV will come equipped with safety features such as dual SRS airbag, Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD), Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) and Hill Start Assist (HAS).