Popular in Asian markets, Honda WR-V primarily rivals the likes of Toyota Raize and Daihatsu Rocky
A sporty subcompact crossover SUV, Honda WR-V is primarily targeted at emerging markets such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Brunei. It was available in India also, but was discontinued earlier this year. Low sales and the new real-driving emission (RDE) norms could be among the key reasons for discontinuation of WR-V in India.
But sales appear to be thriving in Asian markets. At the ongoing GIIAS 2023, Honda has unveiled a sportier ground hugging, kitted version of the WR-V crossover SUV. It exudes a lot more oomph and is a serious crowd puller.
Kitted Honda WR-V styling, features
Such transformations are usually done by third-party workshops. But this one is done officially by Honda Indonesia. Even the standard version of WR-V has a nifty profile. This modded version showcased at GIIAS 2023 is based on the Red RS variant.
It is a dual-tone colour theme with a blacked-out roof. It’s the only dual-tone option currently on offer for WR-V in Indonesia. Choosing the RS variant for this kitted version was a natural choice for Honda Indonesia.
Honda has ensured that all the cosmetic enhancements work to enhance the SUV’s sporty profile. An instant draw is the low ground clearance of the SUV. It has been achieved through a range of updates. The body kit is clearly evident at the front, side and rear. There’s a prominent air dam at front and similar sized side skirts.
Below the windows, there’s a sporty decal in contrasting grey shade with WR-V lettering. Another key highlight is 7-spoke Work Emotion alloy wheels in grey shade. These are 17-inch units. At rear, the SUV gets a thick rugged diffuser with dual exhaust tips. It also has an extended tailgate spoiler. Most other features are the same as the standard variant.
Reduced ground clearance has also been made possible with the use of a lowered suspension. Moreover, the alloys are shod with low profile 225/50 Michelin Primacy 4 tyres. In comparison, the standard WR-V comes with 215/55 tyres. As is evident, the modded version has wider tyres for a sporty look and feel.
Interiors of kitted Honda WR-V have not been revealed. There’s certainly scope to spruce up the interiors in line with the sporty exteriors. Honda could probably think about it when launching this low ground clearance version as a special edition model. But it is difficult to say if or when it will become a reality.
Honda WR-V performance
There are no changes under the hood for this kitted version of WR-V. The SUV is powered by a 1.5-litre i-VTEC NA engine that churns out 121 PS of max power and 145 Nm of peak torque. It is mated to a CVT gearbox. In comparison, Toyota Raize and Daihatsu Rocky have 1.2-litre NA and 1.0-litre turbo engine options.
Honda WR-V RS stock variant in Indonesia is available at a starting price of Rp 289.9 million (approx. INR 15.75 lakh). With Honda Sensing added, the RS variant costs Rp 309.9 million (approx. INR 16.84 lakh).
