Hey, Your Top Automobile News for 27 July, 2020

Your Daily Automobile updates From Around The World [img] [img]( [The Automobile News]( [2020 Honda WR-V facelift review, test drive]( What is it? It’s the mid-life update for Honda’s Jazz-based crossover, the WR-V, the original version of which went on sale back in 2017. Now it’s easy to be cynical about the WR-V and dismiss it as no more than a Jazz with a suspension lift and some off-road garnish tacked on, and technically, that is what it is, but there’s more to it than just that. Honda doesn’t yet have a compact SUV of its own, so this crossover plugs that gap, and to help in that regard, the wheelbase is longer, the wheels and tyres are bigger, and of course, it has a considerably different exterior look than the Jazz. Moreover, the formula worked, with the WR-V finding a decent number of buyers – over 1,500 each month in pre-COVID-19 times, which is about double that of the Jazz, by the way. The facelift brings BS6-compliant versions of the existing 1.2-litre petrol and 1.5-litre diesel engines, a revised front end, and a consolidated model range that’s been reduced to just two trim levels, but what else can you expect from the 2020 Honda WR-V? Read on. What has changed on the outside? There is certainly a bolder look to the face of the updated Honda WR-V. As before, the chrome band on the grille extends wide and joins the headlamps at their base, but the headlamps themselves are now of the LED projector variety, with a lot of nice detailing inside the large units. The grille beneath the chrome bar has more prominent horizontal slats, rather than the honeycomb pattern of before, giving the impression of it being larger. And finally, the fog lamps – which are now also LED-powered – feature thicker black surrounds. At the rear and down the sides, not much has changed at all. You’ll find new designs for the 16-inch alloy wheels and reprofiled tail-lamps, which now feature LEDs and sit in blacked-out frames. What has changed on the inside? Even less has changed on the inside than it has on the outside. You’re still treated to the smart, angular, all-black dashboard as before with a few brushed silver trim embellishments, and while plastic quality is generally pretty good, you won’t find any soft-touch materials here. The only change seems to be the seat upholstery, which gets a new embossed pattern that looks a bit sportier. Space in the back seat has always been a highlight of the well-packaged WR-V, something it has inherited from the Jazz. Leg room, especially, is fantastic, with a nice angled footrest under the front seats, and though head room isn’t quite as much as you’ll find in a tall, boxy, conventional compact SUV, it’s still rather good. We would have, however, liked to have seen a few more creature comforts to the back seat, like a centre arm rest, rear AC vents, adjustable rear headrests or any form of charging. [Read more…]( [Read Full Story]( ------------------ [Slavia is the name for Skoda’s latest student car]( The newest creation from Skoda’s vocational school is a roadster inspired by the brand’s 1100 OHC sports prototype and commemorates the anniversary of the company’s founding in 1895 The seventh Skoda Student Concept Car, designed by 31 trainees (including five women) at the Skoda vocational school, commemorates the Slavia name from the first bicycle produced by Vaclav Laurin and Vaclav Klement after they founded the company in 1895. The students chose the Skoda Scala as the basis for the concept, turning the compact hatch into a sporty spider. From the first draft to building this one-off car, the students completed every step themselves, with support from their instructors in the design, production and technical development departments. As in the production version of the Scala, the car’s distinctive design, defined by precise lines and sculpted surfaces, ensures the spider too boasts a sporty yet understated appearance. Matching the looks of the Slavia is the familiar 147bhp 1.5-litre TSI petrol engine with a seven-speed DSG, the same as the Volkswagen T-Roc and Skoda Karoq. In fact, much of the production Scala is carried over, including the front and rear axle, steering, and the electronics and infotainment. The Skoda 1100 OHC sports prototype: the inspiration behind the Slavia Presented in 1957, the Skoda 1100 OHC sports prototype was an open-top two-seater racecar aimed at endurance rallies. Its combination of a low-slung glass fibre‑reinforced plastic shell, a near 550kg overall weight and 1.1-litre in-line-four engine making 90bhp helped it reach a top speed of about 200kmph. Comprehensive modifications to the body To transform the Scala hatch into the open-top Slavia, the trainees reinforced the underbody, removed the roof and welded the rear doors in place. To redirect the airflow over the vehicle, they developed a special cover with hallmark twin speedster humps behind the seats, which blends into the new boot lid featuring an integrated rear spoiler. The students paid special attention to clean transitions on the A-pillars and doors, the sporty look rounded off by the 20-inch alloys from the Skoda Kodiaq vRS running the brake system and wheel hubs nicked from the Octavia vRS. The redesigned underfloor area houses a modified exhaust system. Special White Crystal Blue pearlescent paint finish The White Crystal Blue exterior colour consists of three layers resulting in a bluish pearlescent effect, emphasised by means of neon blue accents along the signature Skoda upright yet sporty body lines as well as on the distinctive Skoda grille and the brand logo on the bonnet contrasts with the black detailing on the front and rear aprons and side sills. Programmable LEDs, positioned below the side sills carried over from the Scala Monte Carlo and behind the alloy wheels, provide user-configurable dynamic exterior ambient lighting in blue, red and white – the three colours of the Czech flag. The illuminated Skoda wordmark also doubles as an indicator, brake light and reversing light, with a ‘Drive 125 years’ badge on the front doors recalling the company’s founding in its anniversary year. Sporty interior with white highlights Four-point seat belts and special Sparco racing seats with a black perforated leather finish on the cushions and backrests with white contrast stitching on the seat bolsters provide sporty highlights in the interior. This contrasting colour scheme carries over to other interior elements finished in black leather, such as the centre armrest, shift lever gaiter, handbrake lever gaiter, and the lower two-thirds of the steering wheel rim (while the upper third is finished in white leather, as is the shift lever knob). [Read more…]( [Read Full Story]( ------------------ [fb](  [tw]( ------------------ You received this email because you operate or create content for a website/service and based on your website it seemed like this could be important information to you and your users. Want to change how you receive these emails? [Update your preferences]( or [Unsubscribe](