Honda Elevate is the WR-V for Japan

Made in India Honda Elevate now available in Japan

No, that headline you just read is not a typo. Japan is getting its own Honda WR-V but instead of getting the one made in Indonesia, Honda has decided to get the Elevate and rebadge it as the WR-V in its domestic market.

That's right, the WR-V for the Japanese market is actually a completely built unit (CBU) sourced all the way from India. With it, the Eleva...I mean the WR-V will slot below the Vezel (AKA HR-V) and is set to take on the likes of the Toyota Raize and Daihatsu Rocky.

But what are the major differences between the JDM WR-V and the Indian market Elevate? Starting with the exterior, there's not much differentiating between the two vehicles. Both the Honda WR-V and Elevate get the same sculpted SUV-like design. The two vehicles also get chrome accents on the front fascia, faux metal finishes on the skid plate and doors, as well as the inverted L-shaped LED taillights.

It's over to the interior where the WR-V and Elevate greatly differ. Whereas the Elevate has a two-tone black & beige finish, the WR-V comes with an all-black interior and a Gathers touchscreen infotainment system. Despite having a different interior finish, the WR-V's cabin is relatively similar to the Elevate as it comes with the same steering wheel, instrument cluster, gear selector, center console, and HVAC controls.

Under the hood, the WR-V is powered by the same 1.5-liter i-VTEC engine. No exact output figures were revealed although we wouldn't be surprised if it also made a similar 121 PS with 145 Nm of torque. Power is then sent to a CVT which is its only transmission option. On the other hand, the Elevate is available with either a CVT or a 6-speed manual gearbox.

Last but not least, the WR-V comes with Honda Sensing which gives it a wide array of intelligent driver aids. This is something the Honda Elevate only wishes it could have.

More details about the WR-V for the Japanese market will be revealed by Honda come December. But the question remains, can Honda beat the Toyota Raize/Daihatsu Rocky with the rebadged Elevate in Japan? But more importantly, are we getting this in the country?