India Bound: Honda WR-V What to Expect
Honda is preparing its sub-4m compact SUV to tackle the recently launched Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, along with existing vehicles in the segment, such as the Ford EcoSport and the Mahindra TUV300. The sub-compact SUV is said to be based on the Jazz, but is expected to receive a redesigned front and rear profile. It is likely to be called the WR-V and as per the reports of the Brazilian media, the vehicle will make its global debut at the São Paulo International Motor Show, in November 2016.
Design
The camouflaged test mules managed to conceal all the character lines, though some were faintly visible. We noticed how the doors appeared to be a straight lift from the hatchback. The car even has that prominent side character line which runs in the Jazz and the City. It is not necessarily a fault, since the doors of the Honda Jazz have a wide opening at nearly 90 degrees, thus resulting in easy ingress and egress. Also, sharing parts helps manufacturers keep the overall cost competitive. Considering the competition, the vehicle is expected to ride on 16-inch tyres and the test mule sports 5-spoke alloys. Besides this, the front and the rear profile will be fairly different from the Jazz, but will have the familiar Honda stance.
Features – Magic Seats and more!
Don’t be surprised if you see magic seats in the WR-V, as it will be pretty much identical to the Jazz in terms of size (being a sub-4m). Placement of the fuel tank below the front seats and additional magic seats will definitely give the WR-V an edge over its rivals, in terms of luggage carrying capacity. The Jazz offers a boot space of 354 litres and the WR-V will offer the same, if not more. So, it is slightly more spacious than the EcoSport and the Vitara Brezza, but comes short of the TUV300. However, the added practicality of the magic seats is sure to be a USP. We expect the WR-V to carry over features such as a touchscreen climate control interface and a 6.2-inch touchscreen infotainment system with navigation, among others, from the Jazz hatchback.
Engines
The powertrains will be identical to the Jazz as well: the sub 4-m–friendly 1.2-litre i-VTEC and the 1.5-litre i-DTEC. The WR-V will have a relatively free run in the market since two out of its three rivals – the Vitara Brezza and the TUV300 – do not have petrol engines in their line-up. On the other hand, Ford has not one but two different petrol motors for the EcoSport. However, the WR-V’s engine comes short of power when compared with the EcoSport’s two petrol motors, which offers way over 100 horses. Though the Honda's unit is a rev-happy motor. The diesel, on the other hand, is on a par with the EcoSport and excels over the other two with its 100 PS of max power. Like the Jazz, it will be mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox which will be a segment-first feature, while the petrol is expected to get a CVT from the hatch, with paddle shifters along with a standard 5-speed MT.
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Honda WR-V: First Drive Review
Image Source: Carplace.uol.com.br