Honda Cars Philippines Inc. (HCPI) has finally spoken about whether or not it will bring in the Honda WR-V.

The WR-V is the smallest crossover that the carmaker produces for the ASEAN region and goes right up against the Toyota Raize.

For now, the WR-V isn’t a priority for the Philippine market, partly because there is no left-hand-drive version available yet.

“The true reason is that we are monitoring Philippine customers’ true needs,” said HCPI assistant vice president Misa Abe at the sidelines of the March 2023 turnover ceremony of newly appointed HCPI president Rie Miyake.

“I think, currently, the BR-V is the best choice for the Philippine market,” Abe added. “So we will focus on the BR-V first.”

Raize rival

The WR-V occupies the same size bracket as the Raize, but trumps the Toyota in certain aspects.

The Honda is powered by a 1.5-liter, twin-cam, 16-valve inline-4 gasoline engine producing 121 PS and 145 Nm of torque. This is mated to a continuously variable transmission (CVT).

The WR-V is also available with the Honda SENSING active-safety suite, which includes features like collision mitigation braking, lane-keep assist, lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise control and lane-departure mitigation.

One of the best in class

Meanwhile, the latest-generation Honda BR-V officially debuted in the country on November 2022.

It shares the same 1.5-liter engine as the WR-V, mated to either a 6-speed manual or a CVT.

The top-spec BR-V also comes standard with Honda SENSING, the only one in the seven-seat multi-purpose vehicle segment that comes with an active-safety suite.

So far, HCPI has said that it doesn’t have any supply issues with the BR-V, unlike with the delayed deliveries for the Honda HR-V crossover.

Do you think the BR-V suits our market better than the HR-V?

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