This is the Honda UR-V, a mid-size crossover SUV only marketed in China. I met this fine white example in Beijing in 2019. The UR-V had slightly tinted windows and stood on factory-standard alloy wheels.
The headlights are gigantic but they look cool up-close, with eight LEDs each.
The design of the Honda UR-V is attractive. It looks sporty with black A-B-C pillars and a high waistline and large tires. The UR-V is manufactured in China by the Dongfeng-Honda joint venture. Its sister model, the Honda Avancier, is made by GAC-Honda. This kind of twin-cars are common in China where many car makers have two, or even three, local partners.
Production of the Honda UR-V & Avancier started in 2016 and it received a facelift in 2020. It is based on Honda’s GLTP2 platform. The pre-facelift Honda UR-V was available with two four-cylinder petrol engines:
- A 1.5 turbo with 193 hp and 243 Nm, mated to a CVT. This version was called the ‘240 TURBO’, with 240 referring to the torque number. It has a top speed of 198 km/h and does 0-100 in 10.2 seconds.
- A 2.0 turbo with 262 hp and 370 Nm, mated to a 9-speed AMT with flappy paddles. This version is called the ‘370 TURBO’. It has a top speed of 208 km/h and does 0-100 in 7.8 seconds.
The interior is luxurious and sporty, with leather seats and classy wood trim on the dashboard and the doors. There is a screen for the infotainment but it doesn’t control very much; the UR-V packs a shipload of old-fashioned switches and buttons.
The UR-V has lots of space in the back. It is a decent-sized car: 4816/1942/1669, with a 2820-millimeter wheelbase.
The rear door is enormous, and it opens just above the bumper. The rear lights are large too. They are connected with a light strip that sits above a chrome bar with the Honda logo in the middle.
Characters: 东风本田, Dōngfēng Běntián, Dongfeng Honda.
The price of the 2017 Honda UR-V 370 TURBO started at 279.800 yuan. That was a decent price for the car you got. The UR-V was a moderate sales success. It competes in one of the most competitive segments of the market, battling it out with other joint-venture brands, a lot of Chinese brands, and with its sibling at GAC-Honda.