Honda WR-V is now available for booking at all 101 Honda dealerships throughout the country according to Honda Malaysia. Taking over BR-V’s position in our market, the new model is the brand’s first small SUV offering for Malaysia.
The WR-V was originally teased to the local media almost three months ago but it is only today that the company has officially mentioned it by name which stands for Winsome Runabout Vehicle. Honda Malaysia once again stated that it will be launching the 5-seater compact SUV sometime in Q3 2023 although the company stopped short of revealing the actual launch date.
Honda Malaysia has also confirmed that the unit that is coming to our market will be powered by a 1.5L DOHC i-VTEC engine which is similar to the version released in Indonesia and Thailand. Paired with a continuously variable transmission, the SUV can deliver a power output of 121hp (89kW) together with a maximum torque of 145Nm.
While it is not yet clear on the number of WR-V variants that will be released into our market, today’s announcement did confirm that the RS version will be making its way to Malaysia. This particular version will be equipped with 17-inch dual-tone alloy wheels together with an RS-exclusive grille design and emblem.
Being the premium variant, expect the WR-V RS to be made available with the Honda SENSING safety suite that carries features such as Lead Car Departure Notification, Adaptive Cruise Control, Collision Mitigation Braking System, and Forward Collision Warning. The suit also provides the Lane Keep Assist System, Lane Departure Warning, Road Departure Mitigation, and Auto High Beam to the new SUV.
Furthermore, you can expect the WR-V RS to feature auto LED headlights alongside LED daytime running lights, front fog lights and sequential turn signals. Together with power retractable door mirrors, there is also the Honda LaneWatch camera that allows the driver to have a clearer view of their blind zone when they are changing lanes.
Not to forget, the WR-V also supports the Honda CONNECT platform that offers various functionalities for the SUV. Among them is the Remote Vehicle Control which allows owners to perform several tasks directly from their smartphone such as turning the engine on & off, setting the air conditioning temperature, locking and unlocking the doors, and many others.
To book the new SUV, just visit your nearest Honda dealership or you can also do so via the dedicated pre-booking website and HondaTouch mobile app. If you prefer to have a closer look at it first, then you may want to check out these WR-V preview events at selected Honda dealerships that will take place starting this coming weekend:
As for the Malaysian pricing of the new SUV, understandably it is still under wraps at the moment since the launch date has not yet been announced to the public. In case you need something to benchmark it, the WR-V RS goes for IDR297,400,000 (~RM92,513) in Indonesia while the E variant is priced at IDR279,400,000 (~RM86,906). Also available in Indonesia is the E variant with a manual transmission that has a starting price of IDR269,400,000 (~RM83,809).
In Thailand, the WR-V RS carries a price tag of THB869,000 (~RM116,098) as opposed to the WR-V SV which is currently available for THB799,000 (~RM 106,746). Over in Malaysia, the compact SUV is expected to compete within the same ballpark as the popular Proton X50 and Perodua Ativa but let’s not get ahead of ourselves and stay tuned for further updates coming your way soon.
