What Honda (technically) got the WR-V so right out of the door

Hello there gorgeous

It’s so refreshing that Honda product line as of late is exciting once again. The BR-V comes with Honda Sensing tech and now we have the WR-V, Honda first ever entry level SUV also with Sensing tech.

My infatuation with Honda Sensing might be weird for some but considering that Honda pushes a lot of safety feature only to be overshadowed by performance and efficiency is unwarranted. Honda at its core also care for safety for all and Honda is even running a global “Safety for Everyone” campaign. Honda pursuit in safety is another topic altogether, but including Honda Sensing option on the WR-V is not just a right decision, but also a part of proper decisions that built the WR-V.

Let’s see what other thing Honda (technically) got WR-V right the first time around.

  • The name
  • The proven engine
  • The design

The Name

Obviously, heritage brings about credibility. Lots of establishments proudly stated their year of founding in bold letters because including the year it was established shows success, and has been around for awhile. Yes, first generation product does not necessarily means it will always fail, but there is some degree of uncertainty. The WR-V name, now a second generation product means that Honda is aware of the first generation shortcomings, and most likely address any issues with the second generation. Sure there are people who complaint about the name… Yes, there are…. Because W is the annoying only three syllable letter in alphabet. From A to Z, every letter is one syllable word, only W that required its speakers to pronounce DOUBLE-U. For Indonesian, some people have difficulty saying the WR-V name. Some people who have good English say it with English phonetic, WR-V or double-u-are-vee. However, a lot of people say the name using Indonesian phonetic which omits the double-u and replaces it with W in Indonesian phonetic which is only just 1 syllable. Is it a deal breaker? Luckily no, the car is just that good.

The Proven Engine

When Toyota/Daihatsu small SUV twins came out with a 1.0L turbo engine, everybody and their grandmother deduce that the Honda small SUV (then SUV RS concept) will carry the same engine. After all, Honda own 1.0L turbo (P10A) have been used on the Civic FK and City GN. Honda and Toyota/Daihatsu engine even share the same characteristic, being a three cylinder single scroll turbo. To everyone and their grandmother (and some of their neighbor’s) surprise, Honda WR-V actually came with the L15Z, the same engine installed on the HR-V, BR-V, and City/City Hatchback. This is quite a surprise because everybody (okay, proper term, the media and users) are expecting the same engine combo as Toyota/Daihatsu. Sure, the engine gives the WR-V a class leading figure, but it’s not just about power, buying a WR-V guarantees that any engine issues can be addressed immediately as it is the same engine shared by 4 other cars in the country. On another but still related point, Honda Indonesia mechanics only needs to maintain currently 4+1 engines, the L15B, the L15Z, the L12B, the R20A, and the K20C. The +1 obviously is the K20C, but since it’s only used on the Civic Type R, a boutique specialty car, we can actually omit that, so Honda mechanics mainly only need to maintain 4 types of engine currently. Compared to let’s say Toyota that have more than 10 engines to maintain, suffice to say that buying a WR-V also comes with a peace of mind about engine maintenance.

The Design

Design is always subjective, as beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder. Don’t believe me? Please, ask your boyfriend/girlfriend/husband/wife/mother if you’re not the most beautiful/handsome person in the world… Well for those people whose partner says “I choose you because you’re rich”, I truly pity you. Well, looks will always be subjective but to me, damn, the WR-V is truly stunning. The WR-V is technically a shortened BR-V, and it is (that’s why it can fit the L15Z), but design wise, the BR-V is simple and plain while the WR-V is oozing charm and class. The BR-V front fascia with its huge DRL looks proper but lacking character while WR-V RS split DRL looks stunning. I could drone on and on with the WR-V design but the best part of the WR-V for me is the rear. The hidden rear door handle, the aggressive C pillar kink, the windshield wiper that’s integrated with the rear glass, and the thicker rear combination light design simply combine into a more aggressive looking design.

Again, I’m stressing that I’m not dissing the BR-V. The BR-V is designed to meet all sort of buyer demographics, it needs to look “safe” as such most likely the design was intended to cater to everybody as much as it doesn’t offend anybody either. The WR-V as it is intended for the young and the young at heart simply have more daring design.

As a big fan of Honda, it really is surprising and refreshing that the Honda I like now is something reasonably priced.

Source:

Safety | Sustainability | Honda Global

All New Honda BR-V :: Honda Indonesia (honda-indonesia.com)

Honda WR-V :: Honda Indonesia (honda-indonesia.com)

Honda WR-V vs Toyota Raize: To turbo or not?

I prefer WR-V cleaner design, but the Raize does look more daring

Ah turbo engine, I still remember in the 90s, where everybody and their grandmother in the car modding scene wants to turbocharge their cars. It was truly a wild time with many Japanese sports cars of the era are using turbochargers such as Lancer Evo, WRX, RX-7, Supra, GT-R and many others. Seems like if you don’t have turbocharger, then you’re not a sports car (well, the NSX begs to differ, but NSX is an exotic car rather than a pure sports car). Fast forward 3 decades today, turbocharged engines are everywhere in cars. Many European brand cars are turbocharged, and mostly they are small cars too, so what happened? Are all of those small cars are sports cars? Well no.

Turbochargers today is no longer in the domain of performance cars and more into the domain of efficiency booster. As government all around the world tries to curb green house emission, they introduce more and more stringent emission law that require engineers to utilize turbochargers on 4 wheel automotive products. Turbocharged engine works by forcing air into the engine to produce more power. As most cars operates at low engine speed, in reality cars do not need big engine. However, speed is not just the domain of making shorter time to a destination, but also a safety feature for example to pass a slower car. As speed necessitate the use of power, thus bigger engine, automotive engineers uses turbocharger to increase power. As traditional internal combustion engine relies on burning air and fuel mixture, forcing more air in is the easiest way to produce more power. As performance booster, turbocharged engine can extract more power from a smaller displacement engine that rivals or even exceed bigger displacement engine. The forcing of air however is not without risk, as the keyword here is forcing.

To produce more power than the same engine of the same displacement, turbocharged engine produces more temperature and pressure inside the engine, and one typical result from this is knocking. Knocking happens when pressure inside the cylinder is so great, it combust the air fuel mixture before the spark plug (for gasoline powered engine) can fire. This is why turbocharge engine mandate the use of higher octane fuel to minimize or even eliminate knocking from pressure. In modern engine, onboard computers have the ability to detect and prevent knocking by decreasing efficiency by retarding the ignition timing which also makes the engine produces less power. The one thing about engine knocking, especially on turbocharged engine is that with increased engine rotation, as power is demanded by the user, the temperature and pressure inside the engine increases. One way to alleviate this issue is to enriching air fuel mixture, by simply adding more fuel into the cylinder that acts partly as coolant to reduce temperature. For naturally aspirated engine, simply by having lower pressure and temperature inside the cylinder, they can rev higher, produce more power at the higher rotation engine speed and with using less fuel than turbocharged engine.

The use of turbocharged engine in modern cars for efficiency involves the dual nature of the engine equipped with turbochargers. In the simplest term, turbocharged engine feels like two engine in one, a small displacement engine, and a bigger one. Turbocharged engine does not force air all the time, instead it operates in two scenario just like traditional combustion engine, low load and high load. At low load scenario, for example driving at cruising legal speed on highway, the engine literally operates close to naturally aspirated engine with the turbocharger working in an off boost fashion . For example in our topic is Toyota Raize engine, at low load scenario it operates like any three cylinder 1.0L engine. Compared to Honda WR-V engine at low load scenario as it is a four cylinder 1.5L engine, the Toyota engine offers technical efficiency based on physics alone.

However, one does not simply drive a car only on low load scenario, which is cruising speed unobstructed on highway alone. The combination of low and high load scenario like stop and go driving in city, complete with traffic jam and having to speed up to pass another driver means that turbocharged engine is always on boost at any typical driving condition. The ideal way to drive small displacement turbo engine cars like Raize is to drive slow, with the occasional half open throttle to pass a car only. This is how small turbocharged engine is intended to be used, as the engineers wants the user to revert to off boost and low load scenario immediately to reap the benefit of efficiency from a small displacement turbo.

I can already imagine if I post this content on youtube, every Raize owner probably already typing angry about how their car makes more power early and everything well… Thing is…

Toyota puts their torque rating at Kg-F, I convert it to Nm.

Yes, Toyota Raize makes torque early but that’s during on boost condition at high load scenario. At off boost low load scenario, Raize engine still needs to spin up and makes torque similar to Honda’s larger engine. Also, at the end of the day, Honda WR-V engine simply makes higher power. The debate for horsepower vs torque is tale as old of time. Yes horsepower figure is calculated from torque x RPM divided by a constant, or simply power is the function of applying torque. So both is important, one cannot do without the other. The only thing that matters is application of torque and horsepower. You want to move things a lot? Then look for high torque figure, you want to go fast? Look for power figure.

At the end of the day, Honda WR-V and Toyota Raize are both good cars on their own right. A compact SUV that delivers results in a different way. Honda going traditional with naturally aspirated “large” internal combustion engine and Toyota going with turbocharged small block internal combustion engine. The use of turbocharge engine allows for Toyota Raize to offer slightly gusty performance on slow to medium speed, and when somebody can utilize hypermiling technique, potentially delivers a more efficient fuel consumption. Honda WR-V simply decimates Toyota Raize at all driving condition but at higher fuel consumption as it makes more power. Can I get good fuel consumption from WR-V, possibly, but it will be easier to do so on Raize. Just pick what you like, nobody dictates your life.

Status update and Honda news recap since I last posted last year

Well, long time no see folks. Well, status update time I guess. Life’s been okay, busy somewhere else, this blog after all is just a place for me to practice English and to talk (incoherently) about Honda. So here’s a recap of news about 4 wheels Honda especially in Indonesia since 2021.

2021 and 2022 saw Verstappen won F1 with Honda powered unit. To certain extent you can say that Honda made engine is built to last and has been proven and other Honda made engine can be considered as such, so it’s kind of something.

On performance side, Civic Type R gen XI launch is okay, they will retake the front wheel drive global track record again, but it is as expected from the king of front wheel drive car. The NSX gen II is dead, so that’s sad, so does the S660. So, no more dream car.

Honda BR-V gen II is launched, a compact SUV which is powered by traditional internal combustion engine, no hybrid option as of this writing. Honda advance driving aid system, SENSING now starting to be made as an option on entry level car for Honda so that’s good too, but it’s the common norm now.

Honda HR-V gen II is launched, basically a lengthened gen I with quality-of-life improvement in noise vibration and harshness, new 1.5L naturally aspirated engine with a bump on power and optional 1.5L turbo engine. Still a good entry level SUV and kind of posh too. I like the car.

Honda WR-V gen I finally unveiled, basically a two row BR-V with the same 1.5L naturally aspirated engine. Good on Honda for launching the car with a potent and proven engine. In the same class, Toyota/Daihatsu launched their Raize/Rocky with first generation turbo engine which is ground breaking, but turbo engine has issue with lower grade fuel which is still a thing in the country. Also, the 1.0L turbo engine is rated to perform at 1.5L naturally aspirated engine power, but technically, the power and torque figure of the Toyota/Daihatsu is still lower than Honda WR-V. Despite turbo advantages delivering torque at lower engine RPM, theoretically improving fuel efficiency, the complexity and extra care for turbo engine for me is unwarranted.

Going forward everybody seems going to offer hybrid options, which Honda still have yet to announce for any of their models in Indonesia. The Civic and City hybrid has been made available in Southeast Asia, but still no word for Indonesia. Toyota already announced that hybridization will come to the Avanza line in Indonesia, and I hope Honda delivers option for hybridization on BR-V or WR-V down the line.

And that’s it for 2022 recap. Have a great holiday and Merry Christmas to those who celebrate it.

Next gen ASEAN/India SUV: Honda India and Honda Indonesia gattai!

Well, I hope one of my reader is an avid Japanese cartoon viewers back in the 90s, or the title will be weird.

According to GaadiWaadi.com, Honda India and Honda Indonesia will collaborate in making the next generation of the WR-V, the Jazz based SUV. Rumoured to be based off the Honda Amaze (Brio Sedan) chassis, the SUV will slot in the sub 4 meter car segment that received a favorable tax breaks than cars with longer size.

The Honda Amaze is Honda heavy hitter in India, carrying significant sales number out of all the Brio chassis (Brio, Mobilio, even BR-V). Building an SUV variant should be given as the Brio concept is Honda answer to same sausage different length platform sharing that offered high efficiency cost reduction.

My criticism for the Brio line has always been about what the car represents, cost savings, and nothing else. When the Brio and Mobilio debuted, it has borderline cheap interior, with uninspiring design and tachometer shade shroud that as useful as Donald Trump’s contribution to stopping climate change.

The collaboration between Honda India and Honda Indonesia SHOULD bear good results, since Honda is being beaten hard in Indonesia even though there’s so few automotive brands and models compared to what Honda India is facing. Honda Indonesia can learn a few thing or two from the Indian market, with the AMAZING success of the Amaze (… Get it? Get it?).

The original Amaze, still called the Brio Amaze when it was launched in 2013 is an oddball of a car, as it’s the Honda Brio hatch with an added trunk and extended wheelbase. The overall look, still retaining 3/4 look of a hatch with an added back end is just weird looking. Thanks for Honda brand cachet, the car still sells, although sellout drops constantly on yearly basis. Then in just 4 years time, one of the quickest full model change Honda ever pulled globally, Honda India revealed the second generation Amaze, dropping the Brio name and sales number skyrocketed. The car, now a properly designed sedan, looks great inside and out. The interior looks upscale enough, without all the weird textured plastic materials that unfortunately bestowed the first generation Brio/Mobilio and it’s competitively priced too.

Honda Indonesia have a similar fate with the Honda Mobilio, initially a wildly popular model in Indonesia, sales dropped to almost 1/3 today from its peak when the car was introduced. Increasing competition from Mitsubishi, Wuling, Suzuki, essentially makes the Mobilio a very bad value proposition. Honda Indonesia can learn a lot from Honda India for the next generation Mobilio, after all, MPV is still a very big market in Indonesia.

Here’s hoping the collaboration extends to the Mobilio.

Source:

Honda’s All-New Amaze Based SUV Likely To Replace WR-V In India