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Updated: Honda sets Nigeria’s sub-compact SUV market aglow with 2023 HR-V versatility

Updated: Honda sets Nigeria’s sub-compact SUV market aglow with 2023 HR-V versatility
Honda Automobile Western Africa Ltd has created some excitement in the Nigeria’s auto market, particularly the sub-compact SUV segment, with the introduction of the latest (third) generation HR-V.
The expectations are high that the segment is in for a stiff competition and the automaker has dubbed the latest entry as ‘The Standard’, expecting other players to copy the unique features in the 2023 High-rider Revolutionary Vehicle
Some units of the all-new Honda HR-V were made available to the motoring journalists in Lagos on Wednesday for a test drive and it was indeed a pleasant experience.
The coupe-inspired design, assembled at the Honda plant in Ota, Ogun State, is a beauty to behold with its stylish and sporty look.
Its new distinctive features personally experienced during the test drive including Electric Parking Brake and Brake Hold make driving the 2023 HR-V a fun especially. The Brake Hold is particularly found useful and engaged when driving through ‘stop and go’ traffic. Little wonder the vehicle is described as a combination of beauty and utility.
Before the test drive, Remi Adams, manager in charge of Sales Marketing and Logistics at Honda Automobile West Africa, while presenting detailed features of the new vehicle, said the latest HR-V is expected to follow the trail of success blazed by its predecessor.
According to him, the new-generation HR-V comes as a smart versatile SUV that represents another step in the Honda’s commitment to a greener world with less emission.
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This explains while it comes with a 1.5-litre engine technology delivering a blend of efficiency and responsive performance.
He said it was built with the concept of meeting the exact needs of modern consumers – to achieve a rare balance of premium SUV styling and exceptional spaciousness, with compact dimensions and easy entry and exit for passengers.
Exterior
According to Adams, the car’s design has a unisex appeal, for both male and female.
The front side is bold, stylish and aesthetically appealing, thus giving owners/users a lot of confidence.
The clean simplicity of design is realised through the car’s smooth surfaces, with exterior design features incorporated into the body shape.
Its headlights, unique body-coloured grille and distinctive lower mesh grille seamlessly are found to integrate with the forward-protruding nose shape and front quarter panels, giving it a more sculpted appearance and creating a sleek, bold expression.
The body sides present a contemporary, noiseless aesthetic, with a crisp horizontal shoulder line running from the rear as far as the front headlights, generating a sense of forward momentum.
The protruding front section and pulled back A-pillar combine to create a premium long bonnet, visually moving the cabin volume rearwards and further accentuating the sleek coupe-like proportions.
The combination of utility and aesthetics is evident in the simple, elegant tailgate design, which neatly integrates the tailgate door handle within the three-dimensional rear panel.
Aerodynamic improvements are achieved without the need for unnecessary design features that often compromise styling.
Interior
The interior has been designed with a focus on space and light to elevate the sense of airiness in the cabin.
The automaker says the car comes with levels of comfort and practicality unrivalled in the sub-compact SUV segment.
For instance, contemporary fabrics and textured materials have been used to create a solid, premium feel, with the quality of soft-touch materials.
The automaker says the airy feeling is amplified by a unique ‘Air Diffusion System’ where L-shaped vents are positioned in the top corners of the dashboard.
It particularly notes the new driving position, which is 10mm higher than the previous model, adding that the windows are designed to admit as much light as possible, aided by the horizontally orientated, noiseless instrumental panel to the flat line of the bonnet.
The mirror attachment has moved lower down the door, improving visibility around the three-quarter area when turning, thereby preventing blind spot situations.
Seats
Honda’s next-generation body stabilising front seats feature mat-structure support, replacing the previous spring set-up, which helps prevent fatigue on long journeys and increases comfort in everyday use.
The interior controls are positioned close to the driver’s field of vision for additional comfort while driving.
It also comes with exceptionally versatile rear Magic Seat set-up that offers fold-flat or flip-up seat flexibility.
Easy loading access has not been compromised by the coupe-inspired roofline. The clever packaging and Magic Seats, a lower tailgate edge, tailgate aperture, low, flat cargo floor all work in unison to provide this.
The new HR-V offers greater leg room and shoulder space, for an enhanced feeling of spaciousness and comfort. In addition to the 35mm increase in rear leg room, there is a two-degree recline compared to the previous generation HR-V.
Engine
The vehicle comes with a 1.5-litre i-VTEC petrol engine with a CVT transmission that helps to drive with peak power output of 119hp/6600rpm and a torque of 145Nm/4300rpm.
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Best in-class fuel economy is guaranteed with the vehicle’s Econ button that allows the owner to have a fuel usage of as little as 18.4Km/L, depending on driving condition and terrain.
Connectivity
The new HR-V provides seamless in-car connectivity allowing owners to connect to their everyday lives with ease.
It says the intuitive 8” LCD touchscreen interface is designed to minimise driver distraction, with a simplified and fully customisable menu layer enabling easy access to convenience features and controls.
Also, the HMI operation time is greatly improved compared to previous model, making it quick and easy to switch between apps and providing fast response to inputs and commands.
The interface, which is navigated using familiar smartphone-style controls, also enables smartphone mirroring via Apple CarPlay (through Bluetooth, WiFi or cable) and Android Auto (cable). Over-the-air software updates allows upgrades to the latest features and apps.
Safety
Its innovative safety features include the On/Off headlights that automatically come on when the car gets into a dark environment; go off when it is bright; changes the low beam headlights to high beam headlights when necessary.
It also has a Hill Descent Control, available for the first time in some markets on the HR-V. This operates from a minimum speed of just 3km/h.
“This technology enables greater and smoother control on low-grip surfaces and steep descents to increase driving confidence in a wider range of conditions,” says Honda.
After-sales support/warranty
The new generation HR-V is supported by a five-year/100,000 warranty. This is addition to five-year free service including labour and parts within the period of the warranty.
The automaker says the same warranty and after-sale support will be offered for other Honda vehicles from HAWA and THP Limited (The Honda Place).
Adams also disclosed that a survey recently conducted among the HR-V customers gave competitive price, fuel economy and status enhancement as top reasons for their sticking to the vehicle.
Updated: Honda sets Nigeria’s sub-compact SUV market aglow with 2023 HR-V versatility
Auto
Lanre Shittu Motors to endow Automobile Department of Lagos Technical College

Lanre Shittu Motors to endow Automobile Department of Lagos Technical College
Lanre Shittu Motors has announced a novel idea that will boost automobile studies in a Lagos technical college.
Specifically, it has pledged to adopt the Automobiles Department of the Government Technical College, Aso-Soba in the Festac area of Lagos.
This is intended to raise academic and practical programme standards of the school.
The company said this would involve adequate funding, in-school training and intensive industrial training (IT) with welfare package to encourage more young people to pursue academic career in automotive engineering.
Business Support/Admin Manager of LSM, Mr Babatunde Adenuga, disclosed this in Lagos, in an interview with journalists.
Adenuga represented the LSM Managing Director, Mr Taiwo Shittu, at the just concluded Engineering Week of the college sponsored by the auto company, where he unveiled the plan to the staff and students at the event’s grand finale.
Aside from the needed financial support to make the auto department functional and standard, he said LSM would provide the tools, overall wears/workshop uniform, among others, as part of the welfare package for the students.
He said it would be a win-win situation for the school and the company.
Adenuga said, “The school will benefit immensely from the LSM package for the department as we take the financial trouble of running the department away from them.
“Students from the department can come for their internship at LSM workshops, and getting jobs after school won’t be difficult.
“For us, it will be a seamless arrangement in getting suitable personnel familiar with our training and business orientation.”
He also said the LSM had been absorbing students from the school and others for their industrial training (IT), providing them with useful hands-on training and monthly stipend to keep them going.
The LSM MD, Taiwo Shittu, commenting on the support, said, “We’ll be part of the progress of the school. We want to own a department in the technical college, the automobile department of studies that will enable us to fund the place; take care of the welfare of students, providing the tools, overall uniform and other facilities.”
“At LSM, we see training the youths as part of our Corporate Social Responsibility. Every year, we take in youths into our facility and train them; even while in training, we give them stipends.”
The highpoint of the LSM-sponsored Government Technical College event was the presentation of prizes to outstanding students in the various competitions held for the Engineering Week.
Three of the students whose projects stood out such as locally produced water pumping machine and water heater went home with impressive cash awards.
Principal of the college, Mr Folarin Sunkanmi, expressed appreciation to LSM for the interest in the school, starting with giving the students the opportunity for industrial training and offering them monthly stipend.
The principal commended the LSM efforts of sponsoring the engineering week’s activities, whose theme was given as ‘Engineering for Sustainable Development (Innovators of tomorrow)’
He urged other companies to emulate the LSM example in order to boost the employability chances of products of the technical colleges and engineering departments of higher institutions in the country.
Auto
Nigeria’s firm, Weststar Associates, shines in Dubai, wins Daimler Truck EliteClass award

Nigeria’s firm, Weststar Associates, shines in Dubai, wins Daimler Truck EliteClass award
Weststar Associates Limited, Authorised General Distributor of Daimler Truck in Nigeria, has brought honour home all the way from United Arab Emirates specifically at the EliteClass 2024 Season Awards.
Daimler Truck Middle East Africa the Weststar team with the Silver Award in the Elite CSP (Customer Service and Parts) Performance category.
This is contained in a statement issued in Lagos, which added that the EliteClass 2024 Awards ceremony brought together 40 Daimler Truck Business Partners for a night of recognition and celebration.
Held at the One & Only Royal Mirage in Dubai, the prestigious black-tie event honoured top-performing general distributors that have demonstrated exceptional performance, dedication, and commitment to excellence in 2024.
The EliteClass 2024 Awards C
ceremony was the culmination of a year-long EliteClass programme for the Middle East and Africa measuring 24 categories across the entire business spectrum for Mercedes-Benz Trucks, Daimler Buses, and Fuso Trucks & Bus.
The awards highlighted the dedication and resilience of partners who have achieved outstanding performance and a remarkable commitment to excellence and contributed significantly to Daimler Truck’s success in the MEA regions.
President & CEO of Daimler Truck Middle East Africa, Mr. Michael Dietz, emphasized the importance of collaboration and performance-driven success during his opening address. “EliteClass 2024 is more than just an awards ceremony—it is a testament to the hard work, commitment, and shared vision of our partners.
“Their achievements continue to drive our brand forward, setting new benchmarks in customer experience and operational excellence across the region,” he said.
Weststar’s General Manager, Sales, Mr. Christopher Irumudomon, was present at the EliteClass 2024 Season Awards ceremony to accept the Silver Award in the Elite CSP (Customer Service and Parts) Performance category.
While presenting this award, the Daimler Trucks MEA leadership made the following statement: “Congratulations on your achievement in the EliteClass Central Africa 2024 Season. We are pleased to recognize your individual category achievement.”
The EliteClass 2024 Awards reaffirms Daimler Truck’s commitment to excellence, continuous growth, and the recognition of partners who drive success in an evolving industry landscape.
According to the statement, Weststar Associates Limited continues to fly the flag of the “brand with the star” high in Nigeria.
It said the company had remained the go-to home for all Mercedes-Benz needs in this region.
“With a dealership network that expands to the major regions of the country, along with highly trained and experienced sales and after-sales staff. Nigerians can rest assured that they will always have ‘the best or nothing’ at their disposal,” it stated.
Auto
KIA, Access Bank launch special finance scheme for vehicle ownership

KIA, Access Bank launch special finance scheme for vehicle ownership
KIA Motors Nigeria in partnership with Access Bank Plc has unveiled a new finance scheme designed to increase vehicle ownership and affordability in the country.
The deal, according to a statement by the auto firm, offers flexible and affordable financing alternatives, enabling individuals, women, and businesses to own cars with ease.
The scheme features the all-new Kia Rio 2023, with repayment plans spanning five to seven years.
Marketing Manager, KIA Motors Nigeria, Omolade Akinyode, said, ”Dana Motors has been at the forefront of Nigeria’s automotive industry since 2002, providing exceptional automotive solutions and presently leading the charge for luxury electric cars, CNG cars and buses.
“Our partnership with Access Bank reinforces our commitment to supporting Nigeria’s economic growth, individuals, and women.”
She also said, ”Our core competitive edge in the auto industry is the offering of best in class vehicles at affordable prices and this retail financing scheme is a significant step towards promoting vehicle ownership in Nigeria.
”With a flexible repayment option of up to 48 months, equity contribution as low as 10% and over N6m discount and we are proud to be at the forefront of this initiative to make owning the all-new Kia Rio 2023 a dream come through for our Nigerian Customers.”
KIA stated that the car in the package, Rio 2023, is an award winning five-seater sedan, a fun car with a reputation for durability, reliability, comfort and fuel efficiency.
With safety features which include stability control, traction control, and multiple airbags, the all new KIA Rio 2023 is an excellent choice for customers who prioritize dependability in vehicle options,” it stated.
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