REAL reasons why everyone’s buying the Honda WR-V

Honda WR-V sales surpassed that of Honda’s highest selling model — the City sedan — in June. The WR-V, which is Honda’s first sub-4 meter compact SUV in India is averaging around 4,000 units per month. It sold 4,894 units in June. On the other hand, the City sold 4,854 units. But why are Indians buying more Honda WR-Vs over the legendary City? Let’s find out.

Looks substantial

Even though Honda WR-V is based on the Jazz, it looks way better than the premium hatchback. While it does not look huge on the road because of smaller dimensions, it has a rugged appearance. The WR-V has plastic cladding around the body, a new grille and an aggressively designed bumper.

The roof rails add to the appearance of the WR-V. The crossover also has a brand new tail lamp cluster that makes it look masculine. Though looks can be a subjective issue, the WR-V grabs a few more eye balls than the City, if not many.

So much more practical

The rise in the popularity of compact SUVs in India is mainly due to adverse road conditions. The Honda City, on the other hand, has been criticised for its low ground clearance. The WR-V offers 188 mm of ground clearance whereas the City offers only 165 mm of ground clearance.

Both the Honda City and the WR-V are similarly packed. The few things the WR-V misses out on are the 6 airbags and LED-headlamps. The WR-V has two airbags. The infotainment and other options like sunroof are same in both the vehicles. People look at the practicality of the Honda WR-V and go for it. The WR-V also attracts a lot of Honda Jazz buyers.

Loaded to the brim

The Honda WR-V comes with a long list of features that appeal to Indian customers. The WR-V has the first-in-class sunroof. Though this is not its USP, people in India prefer to buy vehicles with more features.

The WR-V also has a state-of-the-art infotainment system with navigation. The infotainment system has an internal memory of
1.5 GB, as well as the MirrorLink feature. WR-V does not have the Jazz’s magic seats, but it does have the rear reclining seats, which ensures the comfort of passengers in the rear seats. WR-V also comes with a rear parking camera with an option to zoom. The infotainment system doubles up as a mobile hotspot, which again is a segment first.

Is a fresh face

The WR-V is the newest offering in the segment. The vehicle competes against the likes of the Ford EcoSport, Maruti Vitara Brezza in the market. The EcoSport is due for an update later this year while the Vitara Brezza has been in the market for a while. The WR-V offers a fresh design and new age technology. It will continue to enjoy the ‘new’ tag till cars like Nexon and the EcoSport facelift are launched in India.

The Honda brand name

The Honda brand enjoys premium status in India. The company wants to accommodate the needs of premium customers too. Cars like City, Civic, Accord and the CR-V have created a sense of superiority for the brand in the market. A lot of people buy Honda cars for the brand name.

With the popularity of the sub 4-meter compact SUVs on the rise, the WR-V has become the highlight in the market. Honda enjoys better brand value in India than the Ford and the Maruti, which diverts a lot of customers to the WR-V from other cars in the same segment.