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Honda WR-V launched in India, priced between ₹7.75 and 9.99 Lakhs

The crossover craze is here to stay. Nothing reaffirms the fact as much as the number of crossovers and crossover wannabes that are flooding the market. The latest to join the brigade is the WR-V, a crossover based on the Jazz hatchback.

The WR-V has two trim levels on offer - S and VX. The petrol variants are priced at 7.75 and 8.99 Lakhs while the diesel variants retail at 8.79 and 9.99 Lakhs. All prices are ex-showroom Delhi.


Smart thinking by the folks at Honda meant the WR-V gets an unique fascia that helps differentiate it from the Jazz, thereby passing off as an all-new model. Like all current generation Hondas, the WR-V gets a thick chrome grille that outlines the shape of the headlights and an air dam that cuts deep into the bumper. The rest of the car is similar to Jazz with a few add-ons like cladding, faux bumper protectors and split taillights that extend into the tailgate.


The interiors, again, borrow a whole lot of stuff from the Jazz and some from the City's parts bin as well. The familiar dashboard houses a 7-inch touchscreen multimedia system and a touch panel climate control system. The Jazz has an amazingly spacious cabin relative to it's small footprint and the WR-V should be no exception. Unfortunately, the very useful 'Magic Seats' are not offered in the WR-V.


Standard features include ABS with EBD, driver and front passenger airbag, signature LED DRL, tilt and telescopic steering and steering mounted audio controls. The VX gets the touchscreen multimedia system, climate control, front center armrest with storage console, Multi-view rear camera and a sunroof. Interestingly, Cruise Control and Push Start/Stop button are exclusively available in the diesel VX variant only.


WR-V's engines are the same 1.2-liter petrol and 1.5-liter diesel that does duty under the hood of the Jazz. The i-VTEC unit produces 89 horsepower and 110 Nm of torque and is paired with a 5-speed manual transmission. The i-DTEC gets a 6-speed manual gearbox and churns out 99 horsepower and 200 Nm of torque. CVT is not offered in the WR-V right now.

With all the right ingredients in place - wannabe SUV looks, feature-loaded cabin, the 'good-to-have but mostly-useless' sunroof, a torquey and fuel-efficient diesel engine and Honda's sorted ride and handling, will the WR-V succeed and give the Japanese brand some respite? 

It's been a 'City and Amaze' show so far and Honda badly needs a hit.

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