2023 Honda BR-V arrives in Thailand, coming to PH next?

If there’s one Honda the public is eagerly awaiting, it’s the all-new BR-V. First revealed in Indonesia last year, the 7-seater crossover now looks more like an SUV rather than an MPV. It also gets a redesigned cabin, an upgraded 1.5-liter i-VTEC engine, and for the first time, Honda Sensing for extra peace of mind while on the road.

Fast forward to August 2022, and Honda has officially unveiled the all-new BR-V in The Land of Smiles. It makes Thailand the second market in Southeast Asia to get Honda’s latest 7-seater crossover.

Just like the one revealed for the Indonesian market, the Thai-spec BR-V gets the same stylish makeover. Borrowing inspiration from the Civic and Accord, it gets new LED headlights and LED daytime running lights (DRLs), a larger grille, and new foglight bezels finished in matte black.

But perhaps getting the most drastic change is the rear. It now comes with a more minimalist design that’s dominated by a new tailgate, slim LED taillights, and a faux skid plate complete with black body cladding. Depending on the variant, the 2023 BR-V can come with 16-inch or 17-inch alloy wheels.

In terms of size, the BR-V for Thailand measures 4490mm long, 1780mm wide, and 1685mm tall. It also has a 2695mm wheelbase and a generous ground clearance of 209mm. Compared to the BR-V we currently have, the all-new model is longer by 34mm, wider by 45mm, and 8mm taller. The extra length and additional height also allowed Honda to stretch its wheelbase by 33mm and jack up the ground clearance by 8mm.

Like the BR-V for Indonesia, the Thai-spec model gets a brand new dashboard along with plenty of amenities. These include updated instrument gauges, black leather seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, automatic climate control, and an engine start/stop button with remote start.

Infotainment comes in the form of a 7-inch touchscreen media display that comes with Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. Depending on the model, the BR-V can have either a 4-speaker or 6-speaker sound system.

Powering the 2023 BR-V is a 1.5-liter DOHC 16-valve four-cylinder i-VTEC engine that replaces the previous SOHC version from before. It makes 121 PS at 6600 rpm along with 145 Nm of torque at 4300 rpm. If those figures look familiar, that’s because it’s the same engine that powers the City, City Hatchback, and the HR-V S here in PH. In Thailand, the BR-V is only mated to a CVT driving the front wheels.

All variants of the BR-V in Thailand come with the Honda Sensing safety suite. This gives the crossover intelligent driver aids that include; a collision mitigation braking system, lane-keeping assist, road departure mitigation system, lane departure warning, auto high-beam, adaptive cruise control, and lead car departure notification system.

Since the all-new BR-V is now in Thailand, will it be arriving in PH soon? Based on our previous reports, Honda Cars Philippines Inc (HCPI) already has a unit in the country, albeit just one. Moreover, there could be a total of 4 variants of the PH-spec BR-V once it’s officially launched.

HCPI has yet to say when they will be launching the all-new BR-V. But with the 2022 Philippine International Motor Show (PIMS) just around the corner, it could hold its official debut next month. We’ll also be curious as to where they will source the 7-seater for the PH market. While Indonesia will most likely be where HCPI could source it, do remember that the automaker currently sources the BR-V from Thailand.