Honda WR V static

New Honda WR-V India Review, Price, Specs, Mileage, Image Gallery, Interior and Features

Winsome Roundabout Vehicle. If we tell you that’s the name of Honda’s new car for India, you’d say that’s not a name, it’s a sentence. But if we tell you that they’ve cut it short to call it the Honda WR-V, and it has been conceived and designed to help you take on our everyday road conditions which mostly resemble stages from the WRC, your ear wax will shift. Although whether you wish to hear or listen, we’ll leave that for you to decide.

Honda WR-V Video Review:

 

The Honda WR-V is a compact crossover that joins a flock of cars which never really flew. A largely neglected pack which counts in products like the Fiat Avventura, the Hyundai i20 Active, the Vokswagen Cross Polo and the Toyota Etios Cross. However, Honda’s been clever and rather than shopping for some stilettos and body cladding for their new car, they’ve actually made changes which are skin deep. Changes which go further than just merely extending the ride height and are more meaningful. For instance, they’ve toughened the suspension, altered the gearing, increased the wheelbase, have added some first-in-segment features. And most importantly, they’ve put an honest effort to make the product look different than the Jazz.

 

The WR-V sends out a mating call to attract those who follow an urban, but active lifestyle and need a travel partner which is comfortable, efficient, will walk over everyday bumps and ruts without any fuss, and looks outdoorsy. The car will be offered in ‘S’ and  ‘VX’ trim levels with 2 engine options – a 1.2 petrol and a 1.5 diesel. Both connected to manual gearboxes only.

Honda WR-V Engine And Performance

 Powering the new Honda WR-V Petrol is a 1.2-liter, i-VTEC engine that develops 90PS of power at 6000 rpm and 110 Nm of torque at 3600 rotations. Paired to a 5-speed manual gearbox, it has been rated for a fuel efficiency figure of 17.5 kpl. On the other hand, the diesel is powered by Honda’s 1.5-liter i-DTEC motor that delivers 100 PS at 3600 rpm and 200 Nm of enjoyable twist at a rather low 1750 clicks. The dirty fueled engine gets a 6-speed box and promises to return 25.5 kpl for every liter of diesel.

We started our stint driving the petrol model and straight away, the duality of this i-VTEC motor shone through. For a small capacity engine, although it makes its power high in the rev range, it took off from standstill without any clutch trickery. Even when you’re trundling around in town, driveability is decent and things feel satisfyingly peppy when you feed it some gas in the right gear. However, it likes being revved and rewards with a fruity tone in return when you step on it. In order to really enjoy what the motor has to offer, though, one has to keep things on the edge. Which means you’d be downshifting and revving the engine towards its redline pretty often. Fun when you’re in the mood, but not comforting when you wish for something that dishes out the goodies effortlessly. Just the point where the punchy diesel comes into the picture and instantly makes you a convert. It presents that strong a case for itself.

Honda says it has worked on the NVH front to make their only diesel engine for India smoother and less noisy. To hand it over to them, the engine feels more refined and less clattery now. But then, that’s only in comparison to its application in other Honda machines. Compared to the Multijets of the world, it still has to play catch up in terms of refinement. But ignore that aspect, and that is when you start appreciating the brilliance of this motor.

It is fantastically tractable even when spinning at sub 1500 rpm levels and starts building power really early, around the 1200 rpm mark. In the WR-V, altered gearing and engine characteristics, makes the motor feel sprightlier and happy when the revs climb. In comparison to the lazy and not so spirited behaviour it displays while powering the BR-V. Paired to a slick shifting 6-speed box, it makes for a fantastic highway cruiser, chugging along happily at three digit speeds while its internals spin lazily. Even in town, the healthy chunk of torque that is accessible at low revs makes it an effortless commuter and that behaviour strikes out a lot of gearshifts which would’ve bothered you otherwise. Between the two motors, unless you really hate the smell of diesel or otherwise, this should be the engine of choice.

Chunky stalks look built to last

HDMI input for those who still love their cables

Steel spare wheel is neatly tucked away along with replacement gear

Honda WR-V Ride And Handling

The Honda WR-V rides on a McPherson front and torsion beam rear suspension setup which has been optimized for comfort. On the move, it translates to the chassis staying composed in variable conditions and lends the car with predictable road manners. Credit also goes to the electronic steering system which remains light at city speeds, but picks up a good amount of weight with increase in velocity. Moreover, it is precise to the driver’s inputs and offers confidence when the going gets fast. All that is further assisted by wide 195 section rubber which has been wrapped around 16″ wheels.

Although comfort is priority, the rear suspension in particular has been dialed for an eager rebound, which makes the rear passenger bob about a little bit when the WR-V is tackling smooth, but deceptively wavy surfaces at high speeds. Body roll is well contained when corners are attacked enthusiastically, and the WR-V offers decent levels of grip, but will understeer like a typical FWD setup if you really push it. For a package that has been designed for comfort, the crossover absorbed large bumps and the rough with ease when we took it off the road and made it climb a little hill that overlooked the sea. Even here though, the diesel powered WR-V with that additional weight up front feels more in-sync with the car’s built to take on the tough image.

Honda WR-V  Interior And Features

The Honda WR-V’s wheelbase has been extended by 25mm in comparison to the Jazz. And nowhere is it more apparent and appreciated than in the back seat. There’s oodles of cabin space and knee room for rear passengers, which is further enhanced by a generous glass area and a good amount of width. The rear bench is a little lacking in under thigh support for tall passengers though and integrated headrests don’t push the case of comfort too far. The amount of space all around tries to make up for that. There’s no central arm rest or dedicated ac vents for rear passengers either. In contrast, seats up front offer a good amount of all round support, where the driver’s seat is adjustable for height.

The steering too is adjustable for reach and height, which makes it easy to attain a comfortable driving position.

The all-black cabin gets horizontal, silver highlights which aid the projection of width and do succeed in doing so.
 
The instrument cluster has been lifted from the BR-V and also features an Eco-Assist indicator which changes colour according to the driving style. Although quality of materials does not fit in the ‘Plush’ scheme of things, everything feels built to last and sturdy.

What stands out is in the  cabin is the centre console, where a touch screen infotainment system and a touch panel for AC controls dial up the new age factor. The 17.7 cm touchscreen has an Android based interface and gets Satellite navigation, which works independently and doesn’t require your phone to be connected for navigation.

The system supports Bluetooth audio and telephony, USB,  microSD and HDMI input. It can also connect to the internet through a WiFi adapter and has an in-built browser too.

Sound quality is average though and audiophiles will definitely look to upgrade the speakers. We found the system not very responsive to inputs though, where in contrast, the AC control panel is super sensitive to touch.

We found the gear stick too thin to hold, however, since the box itself is slick, all it needs is a pinky flick to slot it through the gates

 The driver gets an arm rest, which also holds space for a conventional power socket and a USB slot

 A cola can/ bottle holder has been provisioned near the driver side AC vent, and it worked wonderfully to cool our can of Coke on a really hot day.

 The WR-V’s trump card is the segment-first sunroof, which gets one touch switches for operation along with a manual sun blind. 

 The steering wheel gets controls for audio and telephony, where the diesel variant gets extra buttons for cruise control

 Similarly, a start/stop button will also be missed if you love petrol

 Boot space stands at 363-liters and the bay height has been optimized for ease of loading and unloading

There’s no 60:40 split for the rear seat backrest though. The tailgate swivels up in a narrow arc to make it easy for urban dwellers to lift it up when the car is parked in a tight spot. The WR-V comes with Airbags, ABS and EBD as standard fitment. The body shell has been designed with pedestrian safety in mind and clever engineering will ensure collision energy disperses well before affecting the cabin, in the event of an impact. Applause!

Honda WR-V Design And Styling

The Honda WR-V has been designed around a ‘Wild Armor’ theme, which works well to project a sturdy and tough image of the car. And Honda has done a fine job to make the WR-V look distinct and largely disconnected from the Jazz.

 The front is all-new and looks butch, courtesy of those aggressive creases on the bonnet, the bumpers and the faux bash plate at the bottom. The thick slab of chrome which is now a distinct Honda design feature on all its cars, integrates into headlights which have been infused with boomerang shaped DRLs.

Sideways, it bears a lot of resemblance to the Jazz though, although all-round cladding, roof rails and the new alloy wheel design do try hard to differentiate.

Towards the rear, chunky, C-shaped tail lights run deep into the tailgate and the licence plate sits in an unconventional space, capped by chrome. Aping the front, the rear to gets a faux bash plate to complete a crossover picture. Visually, we think the Honda WR-V is an honest attempt at a crossover, which looks largely different than its flat shoe donor.

Android based system isn’t the most responsive

Little things

Air-conditioner cooled the cabin efficiently on a seriously hot day

Honda WR-V Design Buying Advice

The Honda WR-V will be launched on March 16th at a slightly premium price point above the Jazz. For the additional amount you might spend, the WR-V offers extra space, features and distinctive looks which bear little resemblance to its Jazzy cousin. It isn’t an off roader and it knows that. But then here’s what all that side cladding and increased ride height does to you. It alters your mind to think that the machine you’re piloting has been designed to take on the tough. And just to demonstrate it to ourselves, we drove the WR-V to the top of a hill, where just a few days ago, a little hatch had to be carefully placed and driven to ensure we got there along with the bumper.

Not that the other hatch wouldn’t have gotten there, but machines like the WR-V somehow trick you into thinking that you’d get there effortlessly. And for offering that peace of mind alone, the WR-V is a fine product which is thoroughly modern, has Honda’s brand image and reliability backing it, and it drives well too. If you pick this over a conventional hatch, there’s nothing you’d lose, but stand a lot to win, and if you ask us, we’d pick the one which sips diesel.

Honda WR-V Prices

S MT Petrol: INR 7.66 lakh

VX MT Petrol: INR 8.88 lakh

S MT Diesel: INR 7.66 lakh

VX MT Diesel: INR 8.88 lakh

Honda WR-V Technical Specifications

Honda WR-V Petrol 

Fuel Type Petrol

Max Power 89 bhp @ 6000 RPM

Max Torque 110 Nm @ 4800 RPM

Transmission Type Manual

Mileage (ARAI) 17.50 kmpl

No of gears 5 Gears

Drivetrain Front Wheel Drive

Honda WR-V Diesel

Fuel Type Diesel

Max Power 99 bhp @ 3600 RPM

Max Torque 200 Nm @ 1750 RPM

Mileage (ARAI) 25.50 kmpl

Transmission Type Manual

No of gears 5 Gears

Drivetrain Front Wheel Drive

Honda WR-V Image Gallery

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