New Car: Honda WR-V
Reflecting the importance of Latin America to global carmakers, Honda has developed the WR-V in Brazil
Launched at this week’s São Paulo motor show, the WR-V has been developed in Brazil. Honda Automóveis do Brasil (HAB) has a dedicated research and development centre, opened in 2014, which reflects the growing importance of the Latin American market to global carmakers and the tailoring of design to specific regional tastes. The WR-V (‘Winsome Runabout Vehicle’) is also expected to go on sale in countries including India.
Considerably smaller than the HR-V, the WR-V is based on the subcompact Fit/Jazz platform and is designed with everyday urban use in mind: its crossover-style exterior is intended to look robust and purposeful, aided by high ride height, accentuated bumpers and wheel arch cladding, large wheels and under-body skid plates. A hexagonal theme for the grille, familiar from Honda’s larger SUVs, is seen each side of the horizontal chrome bar which links the LED headlights and DRLs; the family resemblance to the CR-V, in particular, is clear.
Side character lines rise to give a sense of a high waistline, and emphasise the high-set tail end, while the chrome bar and hexagonal grille motif are repeated at the rear.
