Honda BR-V
The compact SUV of Honda Cars India is due for launch on May 5. Pictured: Honda BR-Vhondacarindia.com/mediazone

Honda Car India has received over 9,000 bookings for the BR-V, the Japanese carmaker's first compact SUV that was launched on May 5. The waiting period can extend up to nine weeks, reports ET Auto.

The Japanese carmaker sold 2,344 units of the BR-V in the month of its launch. This is not a promising figure, since the other MPV of Honda, the Mobilio, had clocked 5,539 units in its launch month of August 2014. The BR-V is pitted against the Hyundai Creta, which was the best selling SUV in April with monthly average sales close to 6,000 units.

The BR-V, which is the acronym of Bold Runabout Vehicle, is the only compact SUV in India that offers three rows of seats at present. Priced in the range of Rs. 8.75 to 12.9 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), the BR-V is offered in both petrol and diesel engine options. The 1.5-litre i-VTEC petrol engine develops 118bhp at 6,600rpm and 145Nm of torque at 4,600 rpm mated to six-speed manual or CVT transmission. The 1.5-litre i-DTEC diesel unit which is employed in most of the Honda diesel cars in India develops 100bhp at 3,600rpm and 200Nm torque at 1750rpm in BR-V. The diesel unit is sold only with six-speed manual transmission.

As for fuel efficiency, the petrol version is claimed to return 15.4 kmpl in manual transmission and 16 kmpl in CVT, while the diesel offering will deliver 21.9kmpl. Honda BR-V measures 4,456mm in length, 1,735mm in width, 1,666mm in height and comes with a wheelbase of 2,662mm. Honda offers BR-V in four grades — E, S, V and VX and in six exterior colours.