PUTRAJAYA, Aug 29 — As the nation moves from GST to SST, we are in a situation of flux — thanks to the new government, there has been a short ‘tax holiday’ — the temporary removal of GST has resulted in a few bonanza months for car makers as buyers rush to take advantage of lower prices. However, the replacement tax, SST, which was in place before the introduction of GST, will again raise car prices to about the same level, and there is naturally some concern as to the effect it will have on the automotive market, at least in the short term. Personally, I expect that it will dip somewhat as a natural reaction to the pent up buying spree of the last three months. Most of the car makers have exhausted their stocks anyway, and even the not so popular models have seen increases in orders.

Against this impending scenario of repressed buying sentiment, Honda Malaysia will be launching their mid-life facelift of the very popular (and totally sold-out) Honda HR-V. That buyers of the new HR-V will be paying higher prices is a given — the question customers would want to ask is whether it will be the same as the previous level when GST was in force, or whether it will be lower, or higher. Whatever the case may be, and whatever the effect will be, I believe that it will only be temporary, based on what I have seen of the new HR-V today at a special ‘teaser’ drive organised by Honda Malaysia at a secret location in Putrajaya.

The Honda HR-V ‘refresh’ exercise, or Minor Model Change (MMC) is the mid-life cycle update or what is commonly known as a ‘facelift’. Traditionally, facelifts or MMC’s would be based on the existing body structure, but would usually be accompanied by a minor changes in the body panels, such as the front grille and front bumper, and at the rear, there would be changes in the rear taillights and rear bumper as well. Sometimes some specification upgrades are incorporated to make the vehicle more appealing.

The Honda HR-V RS going through a slalom test.

Thus, from the above, one would glean that there would not be too many drastic changes to the already great-looking HR-V, and I would like to confirm that the changes are mainly cosmetic, the main items being the front grille, front headlamps, and the rear bumper.

The big news of the day is that there are two variants available, and the latest addition on top of the standard specification E variant is the RS variant, which, for I assume would be the top-of-the-range HR-V.

The front grille takes on a ‘thicker’ chrome embellishment that replaces the previous plastic and smaller and slimmer chrome inlay, in line with the new design language, as seen in the new Civic, and also in the BR-V. The base E variant gets projector lights while the RS gets a step-up to LED.

A look at the Honda HR-V E grade.

Mechanically, the new Honda HR-V is the same as the model it replaces — there is a small difference in the steering mechanism — it now comes with Variable Gear Ratio Steering, which works to improve maneuverability at low speeds, a fact that was attested to during a short trial during the drive.

The RS variant is the highlight of the new HR-V — in addition to all the trim differences, the RS gets a very useful feature that has filtered down from the Honda Accord — this is Lane Watch, which in essence allows the driver a great view of the left hand side, or ‘blind side’ of the vehicle. Lane Watch is activated whenever the left hand turn signal is deployed, and a camera provides a wide angle view of potential hazards approaching from the left, such as a motorcycle or another car trying to overtake you from the left. Given Malaysian driving habits, this feature could prevent many untoward incidents and accidents. In addition, the RS variant also gets LED headlamps, and 18-inch wheels with wider tyres compared to the standard E variant’s 17-inch wheels.

The difference in handling that resulted directly from the larger diameter and wider wheels was immediately felt on a short slalom course set out in the test drive course.

As a pre-condition to our attending the test drive in the new HR-v, we had to agree to an embargo on the interior pictures until further notice, which I suppose means until the time of the launch — nothing to worry about though — the interior is just as slick as before, with lots of space and on the RS, we get a new set of leathers, called Ivory — go figure that one out yourself. The base E variant gets dark grey fabric seats. I can predict that soon there will be an option for black leather.

No prices are announced, of course, but we do not expect the apple to fall too far from the tree, and I would advise those who are mulling the purchase of an HR-V not to delay any longer — believe me, the HR-V is as good, if not better, so just go and give them your money now.

The lane watch camera on the Honda HR-V RS is mounted below the wing mirror.