Honda is currently offering a car for each segment, well, almost. The Japanese carmaker misses out on a compact SUV in their lineup while most of the other manufacturers have one on offer. Here comes the Honda WR-V, with which they bridge the gap between a hatchback and a crossover. We drive the Honda WR-V on a daily basis to see if it really offers the practicality of an urban crossover or is it just a rugged looking Jazz.
One major difference that makes it unique from the other pseudo crossovers is the design. Usually, the crossover counterparts of hatchbacks look exactly the same. However, the WR-V looks way different than the Jazz and that works for it. The front profile is raised giving it a tall stance, the ground clearance is 23 mm higher than the Jazz at 188 mm and the rear has a unique tail lamp setup. All of these changes along with the body cladding make it look like a different product altogether and hence has its own presence on the road.
Though it appears big but has dimensions that are very convenient while driving in the city. The WR-V is very easy to manoeuvre and park in congested areas. Thanks to the rear camera, it’s easy to judge the parking space. However, parking sensors are missing, which isn’t a deal breaker but it would have been more convenient. Talking about convenience, the WR-V offers decent equipment such as cruise control, which works well on highway drives, it comes with keyless entry and push-button start that adds to the practicality.
Honda is offering a lot of features with the 7-inch touchscreen infotainment but when you use it on a daily basis, you will find some niggles. Firstly, the screen is very reflective, sometimes unreadable in harsh light. The touch response is below average and you don’t get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. Even when you have paired your phone with Bluetooth, the functions take almost 2 seconds delay to reflect such as changing tracks or changing the volume. Other features like MirrorLink, in-built storage, internet access look cool but they really don’t come in use on your day to day run. However, the sound quality of the audio system is impressive.
What we really appreciate about the WR-V is the sheer amount of space it offers. It sometimes feels even more spacious than bigger compact SUVs. There is ample amount of legroom for rear passengers and even shoulder room is great which can fit three adults at the back easily. Even the boot is very accommodating, it can easily swallow a couple of big suitcases and leave some space for bags and small stuff. The interior feels roomy and thanks to the big windows and a sunroof, it feels airy inside the cabin. There are more than enough cubby holes and storage spaces to keep things neat and tidy.
Our test car comes with the 1.5-litre i-DTEC diesel engine producing 100 PS and 200 Nm. The first thing you’ll notice after firing the engine is the loud diesel clatter inside the cabin. Even on-the-go, the oil burner is on the louder side and insulation isn’t up to the mark. What’s good about this engine is that it has very little or no turbo lag, which makes it easy to drive in the city. The motor has a linear power delivery that gets stronger in the mid-range giving it a brisk acceleration while the power tapers off a little in the top-end. The 6-speed gearbox is a bit resistant at times and feels a bit notchy slotting into the first gear.
The suspension is well tuned but on big potholes and harsh surfaces, the car unsettles. Even while cornering hard, the car doesn’t give confidence and for all of this, the tyres are to be blamed because they are small in size. However, the higher ground clearance does add to the practicality when you need to go off the tarmac, the underbelly has never scraped all this while.
The Honda WR-V is a good daily runner thanks to its practical character and the amount of space it offers. For our shoot days, it has proven to be a good support car. It swallows all the luggage of our crew, it is spacious to carry 5 people in comfort and is quite fuel efficient to keep the costs in check. We’re getting an impressive 19 km/l of mileage in the city with traffic and full load most of the times. After driving the WR-V for a long while, it doesn’t feel like a pseudo-crossover but a legit one.
