The compact SUV market is booming in India. Almost all the manufacturers have jumped in to ride the wave in the market, some of them launched all-new products, and some launched beefed up version of regular hatchbacks. Honda was one manufacturer that refrained from jumping in the compact SUV segment till now. Honda has just launched the WR-V in India. How good or bad is it? Let’s find out.
Looks
The WR-V is based on the Honda Jazz hatchback but it is much bigger, longer and higher than the Jazz. It looks quite different from the Jazz hatchback, though. To start with, the WR-V gets bright LED Daytime Running Lamps (DRLs) that is standard across all the variants. There is a thick chrome signature Honda grille at front. The flat bonnet and the chunky headlamps give WR-V new identity and it looks nothing like the Jazz.
The car shares side profile with the Jazz but the thick body cladding and 16-inch wheels make it look much more muscular than the Jazz. The accentuated wheel arches and the plastic roof lamps also make the compact SUV much better looking and eye catchy.
At the rear, Honda has redesigned the tail lid for a fresher look. Also, the body cladding gives it a better look. The WR-V also gets higher ground clearance, which is now 183mm. The wheelbase is also longer and overall, the car looks bulkier than the Jazz.
Interior
On the inside, WR-V comes with two design themes. The car comes with a similar feature list as the Jazz. There is automatic climate control system, touch-sensitive infotainment system with Mirrorlink, WiFi and more. The infotainment system comes with a 1.5 GB of internal space and can be controlled through steering mounted controls, and the steering itself can be adjusted for tilt and shift.
The seats are very comfortable and offer good support. There is a good amount of headroom and knee room in the WR-V, the extended wheelbase offers generous space inside the car. The WR-V also comes with the first-in-segment sunroof with the top-end variant, which is something may attract a lot of buyers. Sadly, the car does not offer magic seats, but the rear seats are reclinable, a feature that is shared with the Jazz.
Engine and drive
The engine options remain similar to the Jazz. The WR-V comes with a 1.2-litre petrol engine that generates a maximum of 89 bhp and gets a newly developed 5-speed transmission. The diesel engine is the 1.5-litre Earth Dreams engine that produces a maximum of 98 bhp and comes with a 6-speed manual transmission. Honda does not offer automatic with the WR-V. The petrol engine returns a maximum fuel efficiency of 17.5 km/l while the diesel engine returns a maximum of 25.5 km/l.
Honda has worked on the suspensions, and they are thicker than the Jazz. The better suspensions offer way better ride quality. The electric power steering is good but is not very precise.
Should you buy it?
It comes with a lot of segment firsts like the sunroof, high-tech infotainment system with WiFi and more. Honda has priced the WR-V at Rs. 7.75 lakh for the petrol base and Rs. 8.79 lakh for the diesel base. It is quite higher than the competition like Maruti Vitara Brezza and Ford EcoSport, but Honda offers the premium quality with the WR-V. Look-wise, it may not intrigue a lot of people, but it sure maintains high-quality. If you are someone who wants value for money, the Vitara Brezza will be a better choice.
