Not just ‘jugaad’ engineering!

In the past, Honda India has been a victim of circumstances. Its inability to react quickly to a sudden change in buyer preference has even meant the end of a model line. The Civic is an example. There was a time when buyers were moving by the droves to diesel and Honda unfortunately didn’t have a relevant engine to offer buyers here. The Japanese company then had to contend with petrol powertrains for India and the limitation obviously hit its prospects.

Of course, the 1.5-litre i-DTEC engine finally enabled Honda India to fight back. But the company has still had to fight to retain its premium image, a metric that has been affected equally by the rise of competition and the lower appeal of some of Honda’s vehicles.

Coinciding with the announcement of the suspension of production of the Mobilio, Honda India has also unveiled the W-RV — its foray, finally, into the sporty/ lifestyle hatch category. Is it already too late, or is it a timely launch now despite sales in the category stagnating?

It is a big relief to see the W-RV in the flesh and take note that Honda has extensively reworked the front design of this model. The W-RV is based on the Jazz, but unlike some of the competitors in the space, such as the Toyota Etios Cross, the Hyundai i20 Active or even the Volkswagen Cross Polo, the new Honda ‘Sporty Lifestyle Vehicle’ doesn’t look like just a simple “raised suspension and slapped on side claddings job”.

The entire front of the W-RV is different from the Jazz, including the bonnet grille, the deeply cleaved bonnet slab and the brand new fender. Look closely and you can see the Jazz’s lines starting from the A-pillar; an observation that is easier to make when the W-RV is viewed from the side. The doors, handles and even the basic tailgate have been carried forward. But it is remarkable how Honda engineers have managed to transform the rear by making moderate changes. The tail-lamps’ configuration has been altered to give it a more geometric, upright pattern, which enhances the perceived width and height of the vehicle. The faux cladding on the rear fender adds more strength to the stance. The front fender is very busy with a number of new elements including the airdam, faux under-cladding and the raised bonnet slab attempts to emulate a clam shell design. Body side cladding in contrasting black finish runs over the wheel arches and joins seamlessly into the front and rear fender. The door mirrors have been carried over from the Jazz. There is no mistaking this to be a SUV or even a crossover. But, this is one very different and good looking sporty vehicle. The LED DRLs (daytime running lights) and the chunky design of the16-inch alloys add to the sense of robustness.

But before you brush this off as another hurried attempt at putting together extra parts to cater to buyers in an existing niche, let me add some of the less obvious bits. The W-RV’s wheelbase is more than the Jazz. That is a big deal from an engineering perspective. It is also the reason why the W-RV feels more spacious inside. The W-RV has been developed specifically for markets like India and Brazil and we get it first before the others. This is also the first time in the history of Honda India that local R&D worked in close collaboration with its counterparts in Brazil and Japan during the development, testing and validation process.

The new W-RV’s cabin gets a fair bit of new equipment and some changes to the carried over elements from the Jazz. The basic dashboard layout and design is the same as in the Jazz. The W-RV’s dashboard gets some brushed aluminium accents and a slightly different steering wheel. The Jazz’s touchscreen infotainment system and the touchscreen auto climate control panels are neatly integrated into the centre stack in the W-RV too. But also carried forward is the glossy hard plastic panel surrounding it. So, all the best to buyers attempting to keep that free of finger prints.

The big additions to the W-RV’s cabin are the retractable sunroof (first in segment) and the push button start, both of which will be offered in the top trim variants. The seat upholstery is also new; it feels firmer and seemed to offer more support.

It also offers more room in the cabin. Honda claims that the W-RV offers more knee room, leg room and tandem distance than even some cars in the above four metres category. Incidentally, the W-RV is 3,999 mm long, making it to the sub-four-metre category by nearly a hair’s breadth. Boot space with all seats in use is 363 litres. What I would have liked but was missing were adjustable head-rests for the rear seat occupants.

The W-RV gets the same two engines that the Jazz is offered with and in the same state of tune. So, the 1.2-litre, four-cylinder i-VTEC petrol engine makes it to the W-RV too and offers 90 PS of peak power and 110 Nm of torque. But, before you jump to conclusions about how similar it should feel in both the cars, allow me to point out that the gearbox in the W-RV is not the same. Internally called the MA-300, this is a transmission that has been borrowed from the B-RV and customised for the W-RV. Honda engineers have knocked off one cog and made it a 5-speed tranny and have also lowered the gear ratios by ten per cent (compared to the Jazz’s) making the W-RV feel much peppier.

On the road, its linear acceleration feels significantly better, though the effect seems to taper off in overdrive gears. Honda says that the new powertrain also simultaneously manages to deliver better mileage; a ARAI rated, claimed 17.5 kmpl. The other powertrain on offer is the 1.5-litre i-DTEC diesel engine which offers 110 PS of peak power and 200 Nm of torque. This is as refined as it is in the Jazz and is paired with the same six-speed gearbox. Honda engineers have worked on improving this powertrain’s NVH performance and have lowered the ratios a bit to improve efficiencies. Rated mileage is now 25.5 kmpl; emissions have also been reduced thanks to a new high swirl head port.

The diesel engine’s performance was on expected lines. With its torque being delivered a little higher up the rev-range past the 1,700 rpm level and being strong in a narrow rev-band, the diesel seemed a bit less fun to drive than the smaller, yet peppier petrol engine. This is a rarity and it is a credit to the choice of transmission made by Honda’s engineers.

The W-RV’s ride quality is also excellent thanks to the changes in the suspension set up, including a higher rigidity torsion beam and struts. The Jazz’s suspension was already good, but changes needed to be made in the W-RV considering its higher ground clearance (188 mm), its slightly higher kerb weight (50 kgs more), larger tyres and the need for sportier handling. Steering assistance has also been increased in the W-RV.

When launched later this month, the Honda W-RV will come across as an honest attempt at creating a sporty lifestyle hatch. It is another matter that this segment itself is a very Indian creation, just like the sub-four-metre sedan. At least, the W-RV is not just a lot of ‘jugaad’ engineering.

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