Honda WR-V/Elevate launch: Compact SUV featuring City engine and starting from 300 million VNÐ

After launching in India in May this year, Honda Elevate has continued to arrive in the Japanese market and has been renamed WR-V. Although it has the same name, the car sold in Japan is not related to the second-generation WR-V currently available in Southeast Asian markets including Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia.

A member of the B-segment urban SUV, the WR-V 2024 has overall dimensions of 4,312 x 1,790 x 1,650 mm (length x width x height) along with a wheelbase of 2,650 mm. The new Honda SUV has a ground clearance of 220 mm, higher than most models of the same size. Compared to the “big brother” Honda Vezel, the WR-V is 23 mm shorter and 70 mm taller.

The Honda WR-V 2024 has a more angular appearance than the HR-V and ZR-V models. The highlight of the front of the car is the large hexagonal grille, connected to the headlights on both sides by a chrome strip. Inside the wheel arches are 17-inch alloy wheels with a design similar to the Honda City 2023. Meanwhile, the fog lights of the car are located at the two front corners. The rear of the car bears the typical characteristics of the brand, with L-shaped LED taillights and a large tailgate.

As a low-cost SUV-B model, the interior of the Honda WR-V is finished in plastic materials and seats covered in fabric. Compared to the Elevate sold in India, the WR-V has a smaller central entertainment screen. The instrument cluster is a classic analog type, combined with a feature screen in the middle. The luggage compartment of this B-segment SUV has a large capacity, up to 458 liters.

Similar to Honda’s new models, the WR-V also has the Honda Sensing active safety package, but the specific feature list is unclear. This is a major advantage of the car compared to its competitors, as few cars in this segment are equipped with active safety technology package.

The WR-V is developed at Honda’s Asia Pacific R&D Center in Thailand and assembled in Rajasthan, India. This SUV is equipped with a naturally aspirated 1.5-liter i-VTEC petrol engine, similar to the Honda City, with a power output of 119 horsepower and a torque of 145 Nm, paired with a CVT gearbox. The company has not announced the specific equipment list of the WR-V in Japan, so it is unclear whether the car will be offered with a 6-speed manual transmission option or not.

The Honda WR-V will start selling in Japan from early 2024 with prices ranging from 13,240 – 16,550 USD (equivalent to 320 – 402 million VND).

Thái Son (Tuoitrethudo)

Reference: Carscoops