The new Honda HR-V is proving to be an extremely popular.
It’s no secret that the Honda HR-V is coming to Malaysia very soon. Order books were opened on the second week of June 2022 and the launch is expected sometime this month. Already, we’re hearing reports that the new HR-V has an extremely large list of orders. Even before its launch date, we’ve heard insiders mention that the waiting list extends to 2023 already! Given that many of these orders were collected before the 1st of July 2022, it’s likely Honda Malaysia will be able to meet the 31 March 2023 deadline for registration for customers to benefit from the SST exemption.
The outgoing Honda HR-V was a real game changer for Honda Malaysia. They managed to introduce it below the 6-figure mark and as a result it was extremely popular. From the first year of its introduction, Honda Malaysia’s sales figures soared and the company eventually overtook Toyota’s national sales numbers until the Corolla Cross was introduced, which levelled the playing field. Today, Honda Malaysia’s lead applies to passenger cars only, not including the commercial vehicles like the Toyota Hilux and Hiace that are offered by UMW Toyota Motor.
The upcoming Honda HR-V is positioned as a more upmarket product than its predecessor. The outgoing model was initially offered with a 1.8-litre naturally-aspirated petrol engine that powered the Civic. This engine was bog standard and was not exceptionally powerful or fuel-efficient, but it gave customers the confidence to buy as it was a proven motor. When the facelift arrived, Honda Malaysia introduced a 1.5-litre hybrid motor alternative. This used Honda’s i-DCD Sport Hybrid system, which placed an electric motor within a dual-clutch transmission for better acceleration and fuel-efficiency. At the same time, an RS flagship with the 1.8L petrol motor was introduced with cosmetic enhancements and tighter steering.
The upcoming HR-V will shake things up further. There will be a base model with the same 1.5-litre naturally-aspirated engine that powers the current City and City Hatchback models. This will present an affordable entry point to the compact crossover despite the weakening Ringgit and inflation pressure. One step up will be the 1.5-litre turbocharged engine from the Civic. This will be the first HR-V Turbo and will give the car the stamina to fight off its other turbocharged segment rivals such as the Proton X50, Peugeot 2008 and Hyundai Kona Turbo.
Honda Malaysia’s strategy is to place an RS e:HEV hybrid variant as the flagship in its compact car range and we can expect this for the HR-V as well. The e:HEV hybrid will feature at least 253Nm of torque and will likely match or exceed the 1.5 turbo in off-the line acceleration while being more fuel efficient overall. We’ll have to wait until the test drive to evaluate this.
Malaysia is likely the only market to receive three powertrain options for the HR-V. It’s clear the market is responding well to this strategy looking at the waiting list.
