The Honda WR-V RS is a compact crossover that works as a minor upgrade over the Perodua Ativa.
The public can be rather harsh with its criticism of new car launches, declaring many products ‘dead on arrival’ before the first sale has been made. I think the Honda WR-V was a victim of public perception at its launch last year, but from the numbers, it’s pretty clear many got it wrong.
The WR-V has proven to be a decent sales success despite having a massive price disadvantage over its nearest rival – the Perodua Ativa.
Since its launch in July 2023, for every 3 Perodua Ativas sold, Honda has sold 1 WR-V. For context, that’s a better ratio for Honda’s competing products against the Myvi in its first year of sale.
That being said, some of the criticisms around the WR-V are not without merit. Let’s dive into the review to explore just where the WR-V stands, balancing between its strengths and weaknesses to give you a clear picture of the vehicle.
Size-Wise
Some people like large vehicles while others like compacts. For me, it doesn’t really matter how large the vehicle is as long as it doesn’t feel cramped and the space is well-optimised. In that regard, the WR-V does pretty well. It’s definitely one of the smallest crossovers on the market with a pretty small 380L boot.
It’s not a lot of space, just enough for 4 adults but in a pinch you could fold down the rear seats and move some taller items. This is exactly what happened to me during my test drive of the car. I was visiting a friend and before leaving he mentioned that he had some plants and pots that he didn’t have room for. The WR-V transformed into a cargo hauling machine in seconds.
Some of these plants were rather tall and I seriously doubt they would have fit into a sedan like the Honda City. They might have in the City Hatchback with the ULTRA seats configured in the ‘Tall’ configuration, but that would accommodated just two plants by my reckoning. This is the ‘utility’ part of the ‘sports utility vehicle’, or SUV, formula in action.
Being a small car with a high seating position, I also found visibility to be excellent. Maneuvering this compact crossover through the tight streets of Taman OUG was done easily. However, that leads me to my first complaint about the car.
Tech-a-Lacking
While this vehicle does not require a 360-degree panoramic parking camera, it would certainly increase its appeal. At the very least, Honda Malaysia should think about upgrading the current camera set-up as it looks a bit too low-resolution and grainy, especially when lighting conditions are not ideal.
Just as the Proton X50 was given a minor tech refresh that improved its camera system, we feel that the WR-V could greatly benefit from a similar update.
Spirit Of Competition
Many non-national brands tend to be quite conservative when it comes to taking on the budget segment. Often, if they can’t get the pricing and equipment right, they won’t bother bringing in a product. Either that, or they’ll move so slowly that by the time the product is launched, it has lost its relevancy. That’s not really the case with Honda. This second generation Honda WR-V got its global debut at the end of 2022 in Indonesia and within 6 months it was locally-assembled in Melaka. It replaced the BR-V – a Mitsubishi Xpander competitor, and focused on taking sales away from the Perodua Ativa, despite not having the price advantage of the local brand.
Personally, I think this shows the Honda brand’s ‘Challenging Spirit’ and ability to mobilize quicker than its competitors to take on a difficult situation. I also appreciate whenever the national brands get a bit of competition as it helps to improve the overall product landscape and it keeps everybody on their toes instead of resting on their laurels.
Not Many Unique Selling Points
That being said, the Honda WR-V does seem to have very little in the way of unique selling points (USPs). One might have expected some gimmick at least, but the WR-V comes into the market with very little that sets it apart from the Ativa. The rear seats are a standard fixed bench rather than the flexible ULTRA seats that you find on the HR-V and City Hatchback. The engine’s a naturally-aspirated unit with a bog-standard CVT automatic – nothing particularly special there either. A hybrid powertrain would have certainly shaken the market up, especially since Perodua isn’t offering the Ativa Hybrid to the public.
In fact, the only features that really set it apart are Remote Engine Start and Walk Away Auto Lock. Honda Connect is only available on the top-spec RS Variant. These are pretty great features, but not ones that the customer may immediately understand and appreciate.
Strong All-Round Appeal
That being said, the Honda WR-V doesn’t have any offensive aspects to it either. This RS version in particular features a handsome bodykit and the car’s proportions are generally quite pleasant. What’s more, the 4-cylinder engine in here is far more refined and suitable in a daily driver than the 3-cylinder found in the Ativa.
More importantly, the Honda WR-V RS ticks all the boxes when it comes to equipment. Honda Sensing is present, you get 6 airbags, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto Connectivity, leather upholstery, paddle shifters, sequential turn signals, auto LED headlights, 17″ wheels and a 16″ spare… nothing that would make a potential customer think twice besides that asking price.
Conclusion
In terms of drive, this feels like your typical budget, compact Honda. Ride and handling is decent, but nothing special. The focus of Honda for the WR-V seemed to be around making the car easy to drive rather than particularly fun to drive. It has enough power, the engine and gearbox can ‘relax’ and ‘disappear’ at typical cruising speeds, and the steering is light for easy maneuverability. It’s a nice little city car that is sure to continue to find new customers, especially now that Honda is offering up to RM8,000 worth of total rebates and value added rewards on the model.
2023 Honda WR-V RS Specification
Engine: Inline-4, 16-Valve, DOHC, Petrol
Capacity: 1,498cc
Gearbox: CVT Automatic
Max power: 121hp @ 6600rpm
Max torque: 145Nm @ 4300rpm
Top Speed: 160 km/h
Acceleration: 11.3 seconds
Price: From RM107,900
