Ride and handling
There is a marked difference between how the petrol and diesel variants of the Mobilio feel from behind the steering wheel. The steering on the petrol version is extremely light, making it incredibly easy to maneuver in the tightest of spots. A turning radius of 5.2 meters is class leading, and the Mobilio is indeed as easy as it gets to pilot in cramped spaces. On the downside, however, the light steering on the petrol variant is devoid of feel or weight, especially at the dead center. During our drive on the Nashik-Mumbai highway, we found the steering wanting for some more mass and communication. The speed sensitive unit stiffens up with speed, but we would have wanted the extent of firmness to be higher.
On the other hand, the steering wheel on the diesel variant feels well weighted and offers plausibly better feel as well. The underpinnings on the two cars are similar. However, the diesel variant, thanks to its better steering feel inspires more confidence around corners.
Steering feels aside, the underpinnings of the Mobilio have been sorted beautifully well by the boffins at Honda. The Mobilio is a sure-footed campaigner and takes to corners with great confidence and very well contained body roll. While the cars in this segment are not meant to be chucked around corners disdainfully, the Mobilio showed impressive poise when we hurled it around the bends of the inviting Kasara Ghat.
A special mention needs to be made of the 185/55 R 15 Bridgestone B250 rubber here, which has been built to order for the Mobilio. The level of grip offered by the tyres was impressive and we managed good corner speeds without any wailing noises emanating from underneath the running board. Sure, the Mobilio is not apex hunting tool – but for the purpose it’s been built for – it may well be the new benchmark in the sub-10 lakh rupee MPV segment.
As regards ride quality the Mobilio is sprung on the firmer side – and that’s one of the reasons why it handles so well for an MPV. Having said that, the car takes broken roads in its stride quite well, with only the slightest hint of the dampers’ willingness to expand into position at slow speeds. It may not be the plushest ride that we have experienced in the sub-10 lakh category, but it’s mighty good with the composure and absorbance improving further as your load the car up with more people.
At 189mm, the Mobilio also boasts segment leading ground clearance. Honda have taken due note of the problems reported with the earlier generation City, where the car scraped its belly with every speed breaker. The Mobilio impresses on that count, dispatching even bigger than average speed-breakers with disdain. We even took the car off the road to find a shooting spot, and while the terrain wasn’t suited for an MPV at all, the Mobilio managed just fine.
Next page for verdict and tech specs>>>
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