A possible challenger to likes of the Toyota Raize, Kia Stonic, Hyundai Creta, and a host of entry-level Chinese SUVs, the Honda WR-V arrives in Thailand with specs similar to its Indonesian counterpart. Tractive effort is provided by a 1.5-liter DOHC i-VTEC engine making 121 horsepower and 145 Nm of torque. The sole gearbox is a CVT.

In Thailand, the WR-V is available in just two variants: the SV and the RS. These two are differentiated externally by different grille inserts (horizontal dashes versus chrome pins), smaller wheels (16s versus 17s), and a single or two-tone roof. Inside, the RS has a black and red interior, while the SV has silver accents on the dashboard and doors.

Spec-wise, the SV already comes well-loaded with automatic LED headlights, LED taillights with sequential turn signals, leather seats, leather/fabric combination seats, automatic climate control, a push-start system, and a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The RS, meanwhile, adds LED fog lamps, paddle shifters, a rear arm rest, and a six-speaker system.

As for safety, both variants benefit from four airbags, ABS, vehicle stability control, a rear parking camera, and Honda Sensing. This means functions such as Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS), Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS), Road Departure Mitigation System with Lane Departure Warning (RDM with LDW), Auto High-Beam (AHB), Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) and Lead Car Departure Notification System (LCDN) are standard. The RS, meanwhile, gets additional two airbags (total of six) and the LaneWatch blind spot camera.

In Thailand, the WR-V is available in just two variants with the SV is priced at 799,000 Baht (P 1.266 million), while the RS is priced at 869,000 Baht (P 1.377 million). These prices are slightly higher than its Indonesian market prices: 271,900,000 Rupiah (P 1.016 million) to 309,900,000 Rupiah (P 1.115 million).

Honda Cars Philippines officially remains mum on the prospects of seeing the WR-V over here, but given the popularity of small SUVs in the country, they should bring it over.

From an engineering perspective, there’s nothing stopping them from tooling a left-hand drive version given that major components like the dashboard and steering system look to be shared with the BR-V. Moreover, given the recent price increase of the HR-V, there’s certainly some breathing room to slot this in as an entry-level offering.