A segment made popular by the Ford Ecosport, the sub-4-metre SUV market has witnessed a rather high demand. Taking advantage of tax benefits, these cars give its customers the high seating characteristic of an SUV at the price not much higher than that of a hatchback. Today, almost every brand has a car to offer in this segment to be part of the action.

Japanese car manufacturer, Honda, has the WRV to offer in this segment. To keep up with its competitors, the car was scheduled to receive a facelift, with Honda dealers accepting bookings for the same. However, with the ongoing pandemic and the whole nation under lockdown, the launch of the car is delayed. That said, images of this updated 2020 model have emerged on Instagram account ‘Indian Auto Information’, giving us a glimpse of the car before its launch, which is rumoured to take place very soon.

The front fascia of the updated model reveals a new bumper design and a new headlamp unit. The headlights now get projector units, which are very likely to be lit by LED elements. A silver faux skid plate is also a new addition to the design which looks muscular, complimenting the new fog lamp housing. A look at the rear end reveals a tail lamp unit, the design of which was teased by Honda earlier. Moving to the interior, one can immediately notice the updated infotainment screen, however, everything else appears to be as same as before.

Apart from the styling changes, the car shall also receive updated, BS-VI compliant engines. The WRV has been offered with the same powerplants as the Amaze sedan and it seems that Honda will continue this trend in the BS-VI era. The options include an 89 hp 1.2-litre petrol motor and a 99 hp 1.5-litre oil burner. It would be interesting to see if Honda decides to pair either of these engines with an automatic gearbox. In terms of pricing, which currently ranges between INR 8.08 Lakh to INR 9.95 Lakh, expect to pay a premium of about INR 20,000 for the petrol and INR 55,000 for the diesel. When launched the WRV will be up against the likes of the Tata Nexon, Mahindra XUV300, Ford Ecosport and Hyundai Venue in the Indian market.

Author: Videh Vora