I have a manual BRV purchased in October 2020
It is not underpowered at all.
The engine is noisy and especially in first gear at 30 km plus speed
good fuel efficiency can be obtained in 6th gear only and not in 5th
the cheap plastic problem starts at the back basically specially at the sides at last row
if you don't have a large family 5 plus people then you can buy yaris.
but BRV is something different. It nearly gives all that it shows. Only problem I faced in it was during climb to PC Bhurban. At one point with 7 people sitting , my tires slipped on the incline, I reversed and then raced and again my tires slipped. on the third try i reversed even more and then raced and it was okay. The next time i came up on that incline i used the wide turn (from where the other cars were coming). But this is basically wrong. The engine power was available but the original stock tires were slipping. At this point i was quite dismayed because I had been pressurized by the Honda sales man not to change the original tires.
I will allah willing visit Hunza in the summer and i will let you all know how it was while climbing from Chillas to Babusar top. Because this is the main road which tests the power of the car. I haven't encountered any other such long and steep climb anywhere.
however while going to Kalam via swat expressway there is a sudden incline where even good cars bog down. My old car corolla old shape 2007-8 did slip a bit but still climbed it while honda city cars were being pushed or people were getting out of their cars.
This incline point is that place from where you can see the tunnel on the hill side. This is basically the only incline while going to Swat (or thats what I felt, because this is the point where you have problem.
I don't understand why people mention that we went to kaghan , Naran and Babusar top because from this side there isn't much of an incline. Incline is from Chillas to Babusar top and there is also lack of oxygen (not for us but for the cars engine)
This lack of oxygen and low car pick you will face while going toward Naran from Balakot.
This lack of oxygen can also be felt in Nathia gali. No such problem surprisingly while going to Patriata or pc bhurban