Dongfeng Honda has officially launched its flagship
model in China, the Honda UR-V. The China-market SUV is the sister car to the
Honda Avancier by the Japanese carmaker’s other local joint venture partner,
Guangqi Honda.
The UR-V is the Avancier with a unique front and
rear end design. In front, the upper and lower grille sections are connected in
a big ‘U’ shape like the HR-V, and the LED headlamps are attached to it like a
mask.
There’s change at the back, too, and the elements
being rearranged are the taillamps and garnish, and the license plate slot. The
UR-V’s distinctive cue is the strip of red that bridges the taillamps. Also relocated are the logo and chrome garnish, and
the recess for the number plate, which has been moved downwards. The reflectors
are vertical instead of horizontal here, and the elements on the bumper (twin
pipes, diffuser section) are also slightly different.
The UR-V is 9 mm longer than the Avancier at 4,825
mm. That, plus a width of 1,942 mm and a 2,820 mm wheelbase, means it’s
significantly larger than the CR-V. The UR-V/Avancier duo’s rivals in China are
the Toyota Highlander, Ford Edge and latest Volkswagen Tiguan L (Allspace in
Europe), although those three have an extra row of seats.
The UR-V gets two turbocharged engine options, a
1.5T with 193 hp/240 Nm (badged 240 Turbo) and a 2.0T with 272 hp and 370 Nm
(badged 370 Turbo). The bigger engine, which has AWD as an option, is paired to
a nine-speed automatic transmission. It’s good for 0-100 km/h in 7.8 seconds.
The 1.5T is mated to a CVT automatic.
Standard goodies include a panoramic sunroof,
reverse camera, smart entry, leather seats, three-zone auto air con, cruise
control and an eight-inch touchscreen head unit. Top spec UR-Vs add on active
safety kit such as adaptive cruise control, pre-collision warning, auto
parking, head-up display, lane departure warning and maintenance and blind spot
monitoring.