Honda WR-V facelift BS6 diesel rated at 23.7kpl

• ARAI mileage for the BS6 WR-V petrol is 16.5kpl; the diesel is rated at 23.7kpl
• Compared to the BS4 models, the BS6 petrol WR-V is 1kpl down while the diesel version is 1.8kpl lower
• The diesel WR-V facelift is more fuel-efficient than compact SUV rivals

The Honda WR-V facelift is due to launch soon. While we recently got information regarding the variants on offer and what features are expected with each variant, now, the 2020 WR-V’s mileage figures have also surfaced online.

How efficient is the BS6 WR-V?

The WR-V facelift continues to use the same 90hp, 1.2-litre petrol and 100hp, 1.5-litre diesel engines; both are paired with a 5-speed manual gearbox. Due to the updates to make the petrol and diesel engines comply with the more stringent BS6 emission norms, ARAI figures have dropped slightly. The BS6 WR-V petrol has a 16.5kpl figure while the BS6 WR-V diesel is rated at 23.7kpl. This means that the petrol’s mileage figure is 1kpl down while the diesel’s is 1.8kpl lower when compared to their respective BS4 counterparts.

How does the WR-V facelift compare with rivals on mileage?

The Honda WR-V doesn’t have a direct rival in India as there isn’t a cross-hatch of the same size and price available in our market. However, it traditionally goes up against compact SUVs such as the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Tata Nexon, Hyundai Venue and the Ford EcoSport. While the WR-V also rivals the Mahindra XUV300, we don’t have BS6 mileage numbers for it and have excluded it from this comparison.

BS6 WR-V petrol vs rivals: Mileage
WR-V	Nexon	Venue	Vitara Brezza	EcoSport
Engine	1199cc, 4 cyl petrol	1198cc, 3 cyl, turbo-petrol	1197cc, 4 cyl, petrol/998cc, 3 cyl, turbo-petrol	1462cc, 4 cyl, petrol (mild-hybrid)	1497cc, 3 cyl, petrol
Power	90hp	120hp	83hp/120hp	105hp	123hp
Torque	110Nm	170Nm	114Nm/172Nm	138Nm	150Nm
Manual gearbox	5-speed	6-speed	5-speed/6-speed	5-speed	5-speed
Automatic gearbox	-	6-speed AMT	-/7-speed dual-clutch	4-speed torque convertor	6-speed torque convertor
ARAI mileage (MT)	16.5kpl	17.4kpl	17.3kpl/18.1kpl	17.03kpl	15.9kpl
ARAI mileage (AT)	-	16kpl	-/18kpl	18.76kpl	147kpl

When it comes to the petrol-powered compact SUVs, the Honda WR-V sits near the bottom on every metric; the Hyundai Venue 1.2 petrol is less powerful but is more efficient, while the Ford EcoSport has the highest power output but the lowest efficiency figure, regardless of the transmission. From the manual gearbox-equipped models, the Hyundai Venue turbo is the most efficient, followed by the Nexon and the Venue 1.2 petrol. However, the Maruti Vitara Brezza is the most frugal petrol-automatic, thanks in part to the mild-hybrid system on offer with this version.

BS6 WR-V diesel vs rivals: Mileage
WR-V	Nexon	Venue	EcoSport
Engine	1498cc, 4 cyl turbo-diesel	1497cc, 4 cyl, turbo-diesel	1493cc, 4 cyl, turbo-diesel	1498cc, 4 cyl, turbo-diesel
Power	100hp	110hp	100hp	100hp
Torque	200Nm	260Nm	240Nm	215Nm
Manual gearbox	6-speed	6-speed	6-speed	5-speed
Automatic gearbox	-	6-speed AMT	-	-
ARAI mileage (MT)	23.7kpl	22.4kpl	23.3kpl	21.7kpl
ARAI mileage (AT)	-	22.4kpl	-	-

Compared to the diesel compact SUVs currently on sale (barring the XUV300), the BS6 WR-V diesel is more efficient by a 0.4kpl margin. It is followed by the Venue diesel, the Nexon and then the Ford EcoSport. 

These results bode well for Honda as there is a greater demand for the WR-V diesel than compared to the petrol version. On the other hand, Honda does not offer an automatic option with the WR-V. All the compact SUVs – except the Mahindra XUV300 – offer an automatic option with the petrol engine, though only the Nexon and XUV300 come with a diesel-automatic option. 

How will the WR-V facelift compare on price?

2020 Honda WR-V vs rivals: Price (ex-showroom, Delhi)
WR-V^	Nexon*	Venue*	XUV300*	EcoSport	Vitara Brezza
Petrol-MT	Rs 8.3-9.4 lakh	Rs 6.95-10.60 lakh	Rs 6.70-10.95 lakh	Rs 8.30-11.84 lakh	Rs 8.04-11.08 lakh	Rs 7.34-9.98 lakh
Diesel-MT	Rs 9.7-10.8 lakh	Rs 8.45-12.10 lakh	Rs 8.10-11.50 lakh	Rs 8.69-12.14 lakh	Rs 8.54-11.67 lakh	-

*Ex-showroom, India

^Estimated

Regardless of the engine option, prices for the entry-level WR-V SV are expected to be higher than rivals, though that’s because it is quite a well-furnished model. In terms of features, it’ll equate to mid-spec variants of its compact SUV competition. However, the top-spec WR-V VX variant is expected to undercut the range-topping versions of its rivals, which could help Honda position it as a good value-for-money proposition.

Only a proper comparison will be able to tell; but on paper, the WR-V facelift seems like it may be able to carve its own niche in the segment.