Honda has unveiled the WR-V crossover SUV based on the Honda Jazz at the 2016 Sao Paulo Motor Show. The WR-V will be introduced first in South America early next year before it makes its way to the Indian shores by mid-2017. The WR-V will compete with the likes of the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza and the Ford EcoSport as well as the Hyundai i20 Active and the Toyota Etios Cross.
The Jazz crossover was codenamed 2FM and unlike the other crossover vehicles in the market, WR-V looks more like an SUV rather than a beefed up hatchback. The crossover has a butch stance, with tall bonnet and high ground clearance. The design is quite masculine and suits the rugged appearance of the crossover. As you can see, the front fascia of the WR-V seems to have been inspired by the new BR-V SUV.
The WR-V gets the new Honda signature thick chrome slat as the grille with the logo at the centre. The square-ish headlamps are swept back like the BR-V with integrated LED daytime running lamps. There is a faux silver skid plate integrated into the black bumper cladding. Circular fog lamps get a bumper contours around it.
The WR-V retains the character line of the Jazz on the side. It sports a newly designed 16-inch alloy wheel. The roof rails are also finished in silver whereas the black cladding continues on the wheel arches and on the doors as well to lend the WR-V a rugged crossover appearance. The rear gets a redesigned tailgate and slightly altered tail lamps which now extends onto the tailgate with a silver finished faux skid plate on the bumper.
No details of the interior are revealed as yet. This image is not of the WR-V's interior, but looking at the recently launched Honda’s, with the sophisticated interior, the WR-V will not be too different in terms of the quality and features. Specifications of the car haven't been revealed either, but we expect the Brazilian-spec to come with 1.2-litre and 1.5-litre petrol engines. Whereas when launched in India, the WR-V will get the same 1.2-litre i-VTEC and the 1.5-litre i-DTEC engines fitted in the Jazz.
As for the car’s positioning is concerned, the Honda WR-V will benefit from the sub-four metre excise rule, as it will sit under the BR-V and above the Jazz in terms of pricing.
