Honda Cars India will launch its first compact SUV in India, the WR-V on 16th March, 2017The compact SUV segment in India not only benefits from the excise benefits, but is also tailor-made for our country. A reasonably compact size with better road presence than a hatchback has been a few of the reasons for this category’s popularity. While this segment is already spawned with a number of manufacturers selling their models, Honda is not present in this space till now. However, on 16th March, the Japanese carmaker will introduce their first compact SUV in India, the WR-V. The company has officially revealed the details of the car and here is all you need to know about the specifications, features and expected price.
Engine and Transmission
The Honda WR-V is powered by the 1.2 litre i-VTEC petrol engine and the 1.5 litre i-DTEC diesel engine. These are the same set of engines that are doing duty in the Honda Jazz and the Honda Amaze. Power generated by the petrol engine is 89 hp of power at 6,000 rpm and 110 Nm of torque at 4,800 rpm while the diesel generates 99 hp of power at 3,600 rpm and 200 Nm of torque at 1,750 rpm. Both engines will be available only with manual transmissions wherein the petrol engine gets a 5-speed unit and the diesel engine gets a 6-speed gearbox. The CVT for the petrol engine options which is available in the Honda Jazz is absent in the WR-V. The rated fuel efficiency of the Honda WR-V is 17.5 kmpl for the petrol variants and 25.5 kmpl for the diesel. Compared to the Jazz, these numbers are slightly lower due to the tall stance and a higher coefficient of drag.
Exterior Features and Dimensions
The Honda WR-V measures 3,999 mm in length, 1,734 mm in width, 1,601 mm in height and has a wheelbase of 2,555 mm. Since it is less than four metres, the compact SUV avails the excise benefits which are available for this segment. In addition, the higher wheelbase increases cabin space. The exterior features a new front fascia design with Daytime Running Lamps or DRLs, a thick silver slat that houses the Honda logo. The headlamps and fog lamps are also visibly larger than the Jazz. The lower portion of the WR-V gets a silver skid plate as well.
The side profile of the compact SUV resembles quite an extent to the Jazz with a strong shoulder line, but the lower portion gets a black cladding and there are roof rails as well. The alloy wheel design is new and the WR-V sits on 16-inch alloy wheels and a wider tyre profile (190/60 section) as opposed to the Jazz’s 15-inch alloys and 175/55 section tyre. The ORVMs (Outside Rear View Mirrors) have been carried over from the Honda Jazz. Move to the rear and the tail lamp design is completely different compared to the Jazz and resembles the BR-V. The lower portion at the rear also gets a silver skid plate.
Interior features
Inside the Honda WR-V, there is an all-black dashboard with silver inserts and the layout is similar to that of the Jazz. The air conditioning controls are different and a touchpanel will not be available similar to the higher variants of the Honda Jazz. However, the WR-V will get a 7-inch DIGIPAD infotainment system which will support Mirrorlink, Bluetooth, USB and other functions available in most compact SUVs.
The higher versions will also be available with steering mounted audio and phone controls. Diesel trims will also get cruise control and push button start/stop with keyless entry. The second row of the WR-V gets a 60:40 split folding seat but the Jazz’s ‘Magic Seats’ are given a miss. Magic seats allow the rear bench to be folded upwards apart from the split folding recline. This gives more flexibility in ferrying luggage which has complexity in transportation such as plants. Boot space is marginally higher and is 363 litre which is nine litre more than the Jazz.
Safety Features
All variants of the Honda WR-V will be offered with dual front airbags, ISOFIX mounts for child seats at the rear bench and ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) with EBD (Electronic Brakeforce Distribution). Higher variants will also get rear wipers with defogger.
Variants
The Honda WR-V will be available in two variants, S and VX for the petrol and diesel engine options. Unlike the Jazz which is also available in E, V and SV trim as well. This means that there would be not much of a difference in terms of the level of equipment available in both versions of the Honda WR-V
Expected price
The Honda WR-V is expected to be priced from Rs 7 lakh to Rs 10.5 lakh, ex-showroom Delhi. With this price tag, the new compact SUV with being priced close to the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza and Mahindra Nuvosport, while the Ford EcoSport is available only in the ‘Platinum Edition’ and has a price tag of Rs 10.39 lakh for the petrol variant and Rs 10.69 lakh for the diesel variant. These versions of the American model are fully loaded and should be a healthy competition to the Honda WR-V.
Also Read:Â Honda launches new Activa 4G at a price of Rs 50,730
With the launch of the Honda WR-V, the company is all set to take on a major stake in the four-wheeler industry as compact SUVs are becoming increasingly popular and buyers opting for the same. The new compact SUV will be launched on 13th March, 2017 so stay tuned for all the updates from the launch.
