Honda is developing a brand new global car platform with a strong focus on India. The new platform could include a premium compact car, sedan, and SUV in the future.

According to Car And Bike, Honda Cars India has been facing a lot of criticism given the better success of Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai in the Indian market. The Indian and Korean automakers are dominating the Indian market in the sub-RS 10k lakh price point. In order to increase its market share, Honda is concentrating on the premium end of the segment with offerings like the new City, Jazz hatchback, and now the latest WR-V.

As reported by Business Today, the new Honda WR-V is a sub-compact SUV that is set to compete with the likes of Maruti Vitara Brezza, Mahindra KUV100, Hyundai i20 Active and Ford EcoSport. The Honda WR-V will have a starting price of RS 7.75 lakh, while the top of the line version will cost RS 9.99 lakh.

This is the first vehicle developed by the company’s Indian R&D team in close association with its Japanese counterpart. The car can be powered by two engines. The first one is a 1.5-liter i-DTEC diesel engine that delivers 99 horsepower and 200 Nm of torque and has a 6-speed transmission. The second engine is a petrol 1.2-liter i-VTEC that delivers close to 90 horsepower and has 110 Nm of torque. The engine comes with 5-speed manual transmission. The diesel engine scores 25.5 km per liter, while the petrol version delivers 17.5 km per liter.

On the safety side, Honda has standardized dual airbags along with options such as ABS with EBD across all the four variants. Top of the line variants includes electric sunroof, cruise control, tilt steering, and 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system. With its convincing SUV looks, improved ride and handling, and its technological features, the WR-V gives compact crossovers a run for their money.

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