Honda cars typically have firmer suspension setups compared to its Toyota counterparts. Bear in mind, there is a trade off between grip/sportiness and softness/bump-proofing. Some people prefer the softer ride of the Toyotas, while for some it takes away from the driving experience; lack of road feedback at the steering and lack of agility being compromised in favour of a smoother reaction to bumps.
I too felt the ride was unnecessarily harder, given its status as a family car; not exactly cut from a sportier cloth. So the typical Honda suspension setup didn't make as much sense for the BR-V. However, it does make sense if you consider the following.
The BR-V is a 7-seater crossover, and it is designed to be an urban cruiser at the same time.
The car is designed to carry 7 people and as per my observation the suspension doesn't depress/compress drastically even when fully loaded. This is important to the BR-V's design. The gap between tire and body is not as great on a crossover like BR-V as compared to larger SUVs...as in the suspension is not as raised in a crossover. So a typical load of 7 (expect Pakistanis to fit in 8-9 as per requirement) would lower the suspension and one could expect the car to struggle over speed breakers, and in extreme circumstances the tires may even rub against the body.
For bigger 7-seaters, the suspension is raised higher and when fully loaded the typical SUV's suspension can be seen to be compressed/depressed, closing the gap between tire and body. Since a crossover does not have the luxury of such a big gap between tire and body, it either does not permit such a load or in case it does (7 seats in the BR-V as opposed to 5 in the VEZEL) it must keep the suspension from being depressed....and a stiffer suspension would be the way to go.
The car compromises on many fronts, as Honda has tried to fit it in a price bracket previously considered impossible in Pakistan for a brand new crossover + 7 seater.
One piece of advice though.
The default pressure for the BR-V as recommended is 32-32 front and back for carrying 5 people...and 32 front with 43 back for carrying 7 people. The General tires don't make the experience any softer, so I would suggest keeping the tire pressure to 28 if you prefer a softer ride. It won't drastically change the ride characteristics, but might make that next pot hole just a little more bearable.
