Bucket Seat: Honda BR-V

In September this year I attended the official launch of the new Honda BR-V in the Western Cape, it was a fun day out with the team from Honda SA as we got to sample the second generation of this much loved model in the country. The model had grown in statue compared to its previous model but also came loaded with a lot tech and safety features normally reserved for higher end models. At the launch I gravitated to a particular model and drove that for the day, little did I know what an attachment the car would have to me, as after the launch I decided to spend a few extra days in the Cape and Honda SA allowed me to keep a car with me for the duration of my stay, low and behold when I went to the parking lot, I noticed it was the same car I drove that day on the launch. After flying back to Durban and spending a few weeks at home, I get a message that I'd be getting a BR-V to test for the week. Having just driven one a few weeks ago, I thought it would be nice to refresh my memory with one for the review. When the car got delivered, it seemed awfully familiar, low and behold it was the exact same car I drove at the launch, the same car I spent the weekend in whilst in Cape Town and now its followed me to Durban. As funny as that was, its time for the actual review of the car. 

DESIGN

Being a 7-seater MPV, the BR-V has quite an attractive design, with modern lines and sharp features keeping in line with the Honda design language. The overall body shape is indicative to that of most MPVs but has a wider stance than most and also an increased ride height making it seem more of a crossover come SUV rather than an MPV. The lines are clean with a modern twist and the headlights have clear covers exposing the details in the headlamps with the straight styled rear lights similar to the Ballade and new Civic. The additions of the brushed aluminum finish scuff plates in the front, rear and side add to the SUV rugged look on the BR-V, making it look more menacing than it actually is. The new straight grille is pretty eye catching and the way the headlamps expand from it gives the car that classy European look. The car comes with 16-inch bicolour rims which really do make the car stand out. The interior received and overhaul with it getting some nice tech updates include a large touch screen radio which I will touch on later as well as some improved material selections. The design of the interior is roomy and spacious making it a great cabin for large groups, which is why it would be popular with the Uber and Taxi industry. 

PERFORMANCE

The BR-V is powered by that same Honda 1.5-litre naturally aspirated DOHC i-Vtec engine, yes that one. While many have gripes with this motor, claiming its under powered as it produces only 89kW and 145Nm of torque, one would agree that a car which can seat 7-adults would need more oomph but I actually don't have an issue, my issue comes with the gearbox, the automatic CVT transmission does the car no favours and I can't for the life of me figure out why manufacturers are sticking to this technology. It doesn't help with the average fuel consumption because people are ending up dropping gears to get more power which in-turn uses more fuel. I didn't get to sample the manual option at the launch but I'm sure that fairs much better in performance and in average fuel consumption. It does however give a smooth ride but there is no escaping that engine groan in the cabin when you trying to accelerate. 

COMFORT

The BR-V as mentioned, is a 7-seater MPV with the it having a nice spacious cabin comfortable for 5 adults in the front two rows and squeezing in two more in the third row seats. The seats, while not covered in genuine leather are very comfortable and the material feels premium and durable, so no nasty stains will left on these seats. The car has single zone climate control which the controls are located in the center of the console, with button controls. The BR-V comes with a large TFT touch screen infotainment unit which has an easy to interface and has preloaded mobile apps which can be connected via USB cable. The car is packed with safety features which include Honda SENSING Driver Assist technology, this is a broad range of driver assistance features and driver aids to help protect the driver and its occupants. Honda SENSING includes collision mitigation braking system, road departure mitigation, adaptive cruise control, auto high-beam and lane keeping assist. These features are normally found on high-end models from Europe, so to be getting these in a lower end MPV is just brilliant, not forgetting a reverse camera to check your rear while reversing into any spots. 

VERDICT

Overall, while the BR-V might have some quips, it is genuinely a great package put together from the Japanese manufacturer. The car delivers in most aspects and over exceeds in others. The drive was great when in urban areas and given the what the general use of a car like this would be for locals, it does the job without any hassle. While it does feel a bit more premium than most of it's competitors, it does force them to be more proactive in including more safety offerings in their cars. The car looks great and drives well, for the target market this could be the benchmark for the segment and given Honda's great reliability and service, it has the potential to be one of their best selling models in the coming years. 

SPECIFICATIONS

Engine	1.5-litre DOHC i-VTEC
Gear Box	CVT
Torque	145Nm
Power	89kW
Fuel economy	6.3L/ 100km/h
Price	R434,900*

*Comfort CVT model

 

Uber i8

After Uber gave rides in Cape Town and Johannesburg for a select lucky Uber users in a Mclaren 650S, the guys at Uber SA didn't want to leave Durban out on the action, hence they teamed up with the guys at BMW Supertech to bring Durbanites a once in a lifetime chance to request an i8 as your Uber car!

Yes, on Friday the 6th of November, users of Uber in Durban can request to be picked up in the future of mobility, the futuristic i8 between 10am and 4pm. Having driven one, I can say even if you are a passenger in this phenominal car, it is an experience of note. 

How does it work? If you have the Uber app and your are registered, simply open the app at, toggle over BMW Supertech logo and request the i8 like you would a normal Uber, if you're fast enough, the i8 could be on it's way to pick you up! There is only one car on the road tomorrow so demand will be high, so remember to be quick on the draw!

Don't have Uber? Not a problem, simply download thea app, register using the promo code available and you're good to go.

Lucky users who request the car mustt note that rides are limited to 5km, only one trip is allowed per person and the BMW i8 only seats one person. For more info, read their blog.

UberX lands in Durban!

I'm sure you already heard about it by now but uber, the guys that changed the way of travelling around town have done it again with the launch of uberX in Durban. Uber has already been such a hit with South Africans, with it being safe, easy and a technologically advanced method of getting to places without needing cash. I mean, getting a cab is as simple as taking out your phone, opening the uber application and requesting a car. Within a minute you will already be allocated a car with the details of the driver and vehicle sent to you via sms, that's a whole lot easier than calling a cab company or waiting for a bus on the side of the road. What made it even better, apart from the rates being competitive is that the transaction is totally cashless, when you register your app, your credit card details are used and you will get debited for your travels. 

Since it's launch last year, South Africans only had access to uberBLACK, which is the luxury line of cars offered in the fleet, consisting of Mercedes Benz, BMW and Audi's. Also according to them, for this they charged a "premium rate"...seemed pretty reasonable to me! Well now with the launch of uberX, it offers a whole new clientele enjoy the same benefits of uberBLACK riders but at an extremely affordable price in clean, comfortable cars. Cars in the uberX fleet consist of Toyota Corolla's or similar type vehicles.

To celebrate the launch of uberX in Durban, they are offering existing users the chance to experience it at no charge! Yes, you read, right from today (Thursday, 21 August 2014) till 11pm on Sunday (24 August 2014), you can request an uberX cab and travel for FREE! They're also offering spot prizes for riders who tweet @Uber_Durban pictures of them using uberX during the launch weekend. So if I were you, I'd leave my car parked away for the rest of the weekend and getting using this great service!

Along with this, uber also announced that it has partnered up with Discovery Insure, what this means is that people who are insured with Discovery instantly get a 25% discount on their travels and if they registered their Discovery Card for payment via the uber app, they could get up to 20% additional cash back from the trip! On top of that, should a Discovery Insure member be injured in an accident and is not able to drive, they will have the right to waiver the care hire option in favour of riding with uber to the value of R5000. uber is really changing the way we look at getting to place, with such convenience and control, it really is the future of stress free traveling. 

The Uber Experience

I blogged a few weeks back about this new taxi service that just launched in Durban called Uber, having lived in this city all my life I never found it necessary to use a taxi before. Why? Well besides the fact our mini bus taxi's are coffins on wheels, I always was privileged to have access to a car. However last week I was faced with a dilemma, I was invited as a guest speaker for Durban Digital Day and wasn't to sure on the parking conditions at the venue so I thought this was an ideal opportunity to test the Uber Service. 

Having opted for a Blackberry I didn't have access to an app as it is only available to download on iTunes and Android but using the mobi site was quick and easy. Immediately after logging on, the site picked up my location and notified me where the nearest Uber car was and how long it would take to get to me. I then did a quote on the average cost of my journey to my destination. Once I was happy with the estimated price I requested a pick up, the website displayed info on the car that was coming, the name of the driver along with his cell phone number and car registration as well as how long it would take to get to my location.

The car arrived in the time stated (give or take a few minutes because of traffic) and I was notified by sms, the driver was waiting to greet me and opened the door for me to jump in, it was pretty cool and made me feel important as I never had that done for me before! After telling him where I'd like to go, he input the address in his GPS and we were off. The car I was travelling in was a Toyota Fortuner, so there was ample space for me to stretch out and relax, it felt like I was being chauffeur driven. Cold bottle water was provided for me and I was asked if the aircon temperature was to my liking, heck he even asked what radio station I'd like to listen to!

Not having to drive gave me the time to do other things like catch up on emails, reading the news, checking twitter and chatting on the various messenger services on my phone. The driver was very professional in everything that was done, he even checked if all was okay at various parts of the journey. What I also liked is that he asked if he could take routes that avoided traffic congested areas so I could get to the destination on time, no it wasn't a ploy to take a longer route as here in Durban places aren't too far and you do get charged per minute you spend the vehicle. 

Once we arrived, again my driver got out to open the door for me and with the large queues waiting to enter Durban Digital Day I felt like a rockstar being dropped off at the entrance. The driver asked if I enjoyed my experience and thanked me for using Uber, before he could even drive off an sms came through stating the cost for the trip and an email was sent with the full invoice. I was really impressed with the overall service and to see the cost of the ride being so cheap it was definitely a service I would recommend to others, a major plus was the cashless transaction and me not having to do anything apart from jump in and out.

Costs

Base price: R17

Rate per KM: R6.80

Rate per min: R2.10

Minimum: R35

Now since Uber is new to Durban, ,they're offering people who sign up using my promotional code "BucketUber" a 2 x R200 credit voucher for your first two trips! The code is available to the first 2000 people and expires at the end of December so download the app or visit the website to sign up now!

Uber Durban!

The secret is out! Durban has just got a whole lot cooler with the launch of the multi national luxury taxi service Uber! After taking Joburg and Cape Town by storm, the brand decided to spread its wings to the East Coast, good move to seeing that we are South Africa's play ground.

The service revolves around an app which is downloadable from the app store for iPhones and Adroid phones. With this app you are able to request a cab for the route you are wanting to travel, a quote will be given and also additional info such as the name of your driver. With the app you can also track the drivers location by means of your GPS so you will know exactly where is so you can be on time when he arrives. How cool is that?

All of Uber's vehicles are state of the art luxury cars, so whatever the occasion or venue you are always going to arrive in style. Today's launch in Durban was a highlight as their first customer was none other than the legendary DJ Tira who needed a ride home from the airport. Those who have already registered with the service could track the car via the app.

Now being Durban, we're generally more laid back than the other cities and more importantly things aren't that expensive as it is in the sister cities hence you will be glad to know that the Uber pricing for Durban is lower than Jhb and Cpt with the prices being rather competitive relative to the market. This is excellent news for us Durban folk seeing that places here aren't that far off.

Now many must be asking, why should I use the service? Well with December round the corner, thousands will descend to the the city to enjoy the warm waters of the Indian Ocean during the summer holidays. With tourists comes the parties and with the parties comes the drinking, like many other provinces, KZN also has adapted a zero tolerance on drinking and driving so why risk it? You have an awesome service like Uber at your disposal, use it! its simple, its easy to use and it worth it. It's not only to prevent  sober driver, in some instances places you go, there is a headache to find parking, if you take a cab, that pain is alleviated and you don't have to worry about tipping the pesky car guard!

For more info on Uber Durban, you can visit the website, otherwise follow them on twitter and instagram.

Stay tuned as we at the Bucket will be bringing you some specials from Uber Durban