2023 Honda WR-V to launch in Thailand on March 10. Is the Philippines in the pipeline?

In late November of 2022, Honda introduced a new 5-seater crossover that would go up against the Kia Stonic and the Toyota Raize in the form of the 2023 Honda WR-V. 

The Japanese automaker has announced that it will bring the new model to Thailand with a launch date set for March 10, 2023. The move to launch the vehicle in the land of smiles could indicate that it is coming to the Philippines could be a possibility. 

The new vehicle brings SUV styling similar to what you see on the Honda BR-V (Specs | News) but on a more compressed platform. The all-new Honda WR-V is 4,060 mm long, 1,780 mm wide, and 1,608 mm tall with a 2,485 mm wheelbase; these measurements contended with the Toyota Raize, which has similar measurements. The new crossover also comes with 220 mm of ground clearance which is class-leading for its segment. 

Compared to its sibling, the Honda HR-V (Specs | News), the WR-V is 325 mm shorter, 10 mm narrower, and 18 mm taller, and the wheelbase is 125 mm shorter.

The new Honda crossover also has a standard engine in the form of a 1.5-liter Dual Over Head Cam (DOHC) 16-valve gasoline 4-cylinder engine that is similar to what is found in the Honda City (Specs | News), Honda HR-V and on the Honda BR-V. It pushes out 121 PS and 145 Nm of torque with a CVT.

One thing to remember is that there is no left-hand drive production yet for the 2023 Honda WR-V. So, while the new crossover is ready for the ASEAN region, these models are only right-hand drive. 

For the 2023 Honda WR-V to be feasible for the Philippine market, another country must require left-hand drive versions. That will make production more cost-economical and open up the possibility of the WR-V to be exported to our local car market. 

Left-hand drive countries in ASEAN include Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam and the Philippines.

For now, it's a waiting game to see what Honda will do and if they have plans to produce left-hand drive versions of the Honda WR-V. However, the new crossover set for a launch in Thailand brings it one step closer to the Philippine market.