This is the upcoming 2023 Honda WR-V, an A-segment SUV positioned below the B-segment Honda HR-V. It’s the smallest SUV yet from Honda and will be the first of its kind for Honda Malaysia. We’ve sampled it at a preview drive in Thailand to find out what the Ativa-rivalling SUV is like.

2023 Honda WR-V RS – Exterior

Let’s start with the exterior. The Honda WR-V has a near-identical length to the Perodua Ativa, at 4,060 mm (4,065 mm for the Ativa), though wheelbase is 40 mm shorter than the Ativa, stretching at 2,485 mm.

Also read: Boom: Honda WR-V is confirmed for Malaysia, to launch in Q3 2023 - the next big thing

Of greater significance is width, which the WR-V is 70 mm wider than the Ativa, at 1,780 mm wide. The WR-V is also 27 mm lower than the Ativa. What these translate into is a sleeker exterior with a more athletic stance - more hatchback-like as opposed to the more upright and SUV-like exterior of the Ativa.

Overall, this writer is of the opinion that the WR-V looks more attractive than the Ativa. It’s a toned-down version of the Honda SUV RS Concept but its essence and styling cues have made it into production.

Also read: Watch out Ativa, this Honda SUV RS Concept could preview the ZR-V, Malaysia launch in 2022?

Though unlike the SUV RS Concept, the WR-V gets hidden rear door handles à la HR-V. And like the HR-V, yours truly isn’t the biggest fan of it as it’s practically unreachable for children and doesn’t really boost its side profile appeal, but it’s entirely subjective. Some have said it can be fun watching new users look for the handle.

What do you think of hidden rear door handles?

2023 Honda WR-V RS – Interior

Moving inside, the interior is largely identical to the second-generation Honda BR-V, which Honda Malaysia has announced earlier that it won’t be coming to Malaysia. The WR-V will be taking its place when it arrives.

Anyway, it’s a familiar interior as it borrows design elements from various Honda models. The overall design is reminiscent of the fifth-generation Honda CR-V (the one currently on sale in Malaysia), a miniature version of it, if you will.

The steering wheel is similar to the FC-generation Honda Civic and the gear lever suggestive of the one in the previous-generation Honda City (GM). It’s like meeting someone new that reminds you of your old friends but isn’t as fortunately-endowed.

Immediately upon sitting inside, you can tell that it’s built to a price point. Overall quality feels like a step down from the Honda City or City Hatchback. The texture of the plastics used feels a little rough and there is a degree of flex in the door cards.

Is it a deal-breaker? Personally, no. This is an A-segment car after all, to expect similar or a higher quality interior than B-segment cars would be unreasonable. What the WR-V’s interior offers are what Honda does best – space and ergonomics.

It feels noticeably roomier than the Perodua Ativa – wider with more space between the front passengers. The WR-V also has a lower centre console that frees up space for the front passengers’ legs to move around.

At the rear, the theme of more space continues. Yours truly with a 177 cm frame has two fists worth of legroom with the driver seat adjusted to my driving position, and about a fist worth of headroom. 

Foot space is also generous without having to deal with the protrusions for the seat rails like in the Ativa, while the middle hump is minimal.

The infotainment system isn’t identical to the one in the Honda City as the UI appears different, but bear in mind that this is a Thailand-spec unit.

As tested, it’s not the crispest of screens but it’s reasonably responsive and supports the all-important Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (both wired). Audio quality isn’t too shabby as well.

2023 Honda WR-V RS – Driving Experience

Just like the Honda City, the WR-V gets a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated 4-cylinder i-VTEC engine paired to a CVT, albeit the ratios are tweaked to suit the SUV body style and presumably the larger wheels. And the powertrain might just be the highlight of the driving experience.

It’s brilliant at being smooth, predictable, and providing all the get-up-and-go that you will ever need in this SUV. Overtaking at highway cruising speeds hasn’t proved to be a challenge for the WR-V. There’s more than enough pace at any sane speed.

Drive it sedately and the powertrain is seamless in its delivery, working quietly in the background. The CVT is generally refined and the rubber band effect will only be felt with irregular throttle inputs. Speaking of throttle, its response is more matured than the rather eager Ativa, with a more progressive rate of acceleration as you progress through the pedal travel.

Also read: Not just for ASEAN, the budget-friendly Honda WR-V is heading to Japan with e:HEV hybrid powertrain

Steering is light but feels a little more natural than the Ativa in the sense that there’s more self-centering strength, but we’re splitting hairs here. Neither is filled with feedback as is expected from a modern steering.

A bigger gripe would be the lack of telescopic adjustment but then again, neither does the Ativa. Generally seating position is SUV-like high and visibility is great.

Our routes were mostly on highways and town driving with little to no back roads, which meant that opportunities to experience its dynamics were scarce, but based on the brief moments through the off ramps from the highways, the WR-V felt agile and body lean, despite its 220 mm ground clearance, was reasonably managed.

Trying out the adaptive cruise control within the Honda Sensing suite of ADAS proved that it’s still one of the best systems out there in its smoothness and overall calibration. Braking is gentle and the lane keeping assist system tracks accurately.

2023 Honda WR-V RS – Ride Comfort

In terms of suspension tuning, the WR-V feels balanced in its approach to achieve body control and pliancy. Whereas the Ativa gets springy over large undulations, the WR-V is more controlled and settles a bit quicker.

However, low speed ride and over the sharper stuff, the WR-V transmit more of the harshness to the cabin compared to the Ativa. Some of it is down to the slightly lower profile tyres in the WR-V, but the ride is a tad firmer in comparison, so it’s a give and take.

The front seats, however, aren’t quite as cosy as the ones in the Ativa, with a slightly aggressive lumber support. The rear seat back is adequately reclined and the seatbase is of decent length, which felt acceptably comfortable even for longer journeys, though more bolstering or sculpture would be preferred.

Where the WR-V falls short is in the cabin isolation department. Tyre noise becomes particularly evident at highway speeds, joined by wind noise, though powertrain noise rarely gets intrusive. The Ativa feels subjectively quieter from memory, but we’ll have to confirm this once the WR-V is launched in Malaysia and we have it for an extended test drive.

Conclusion

The 2023 Honda WR-V is a back-to-basics type of car, giving you everything that you need from a modern SUV. Nothing more, nothing less.

There are no gimmicks or party tricks of any sort. You get a roomy cabin, a decent infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, a full suite of ADAS, a tried-and-proven powertrain, and the coveted SUV driving position. All wrapped in an attractive-looking compact SUV body.

When it arrives in Malaysia, it’ll go up against the Ativa in terms of segment and quite likely the Proton X50 in terms of pricing. And that brings us onto price.

How much will it be priced? We weren’t able to get so much as a hint from Honda Malaysia, but what we do know is there is a price gap of around RM 20,000 between the mainstream variants of the Honda City and the Honda HR-V (RM 94k to RM 114k), and this is where we expect the WR-V to be positioned.

If it does turn out as expected and Malaysians get a Honda SUV below RM 100k, we think Honda Malaysia will have another competitive product in their hands. But until then, we’re holding our breaths.

Also read: Honda Malaysia to launch 4 new 2023 models - WR-V, CR-V, Civic Type-R FL5, and City facelift to raise market share to 12.3 percent