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Honda’s SUV, the Elevate, had its global unveiling today at an event in New Delhi and it marks the company’s re-entry into the SUV space. The SUV segment isn’t new to Honda though as it previously had the CR-V and BR-V in its India portfolio. Bookings for the Elevate will commence in July 2023 and a price announcement will take place thereafter.
- Elevate gets the same 1.5-litre petrol engine as the City
- Will get a full EV powertrain later
- Rivals include the Creta, Seltos, Kushaq, among others
- Bookings to open from July; launch thereafter
Honda Elevate dimensions, design
On the styling front, the Elevate looks quite similar to the CR-V sold overseas. The Elevate's 4,312mm length, 1,790mm width, 1,650mm height and 2,650mm wheelbase make it similar to the Creta in size. It gets 458 litres of boot space and segment-leading 220mm of ground clearance – the Creta, in comparison, stands 190mm off the ground.
As far as design goes, the Elevate features a big grille and a flat nose – with a big Honda logo in the middle – flanked by thin, LED headlights and two fog lamps underneath. The headlights and the LED daytime running lamps are connected by a thick chrome bar like on the City.
Over to the sides, the new Honda midsize SUV features slightly flared wheel arches with thick plastic cladding giving it a chunky SUV look, while the window line tapers upwards towards the thick C-pillar. The Elevate gets 17-inch alloy wheels, with design similar to the ones seen on the facelifted City.
At the back, it gets a slightly raked window and tail-lights that are connected via a red bar, while the wraparound tail-lights look similar to the latest-gen WR-V sold in markets like Indonesia. It also gets an indentation on the tailgate for the number plate housing.
Honda Elevate interior, features
The Elevate gets a free-standing 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment. In terms of features, the Elevate gets a single-pane sunroof only and, while three of its eight competitors get the same, the rest feature a panoramic sunroof. Even the upcoming Kia Seltos facelift, which thus far got a single-pane sunroof, is due to get this premium feature.
Furthermore, it gets a 7-inch semi-digital instrument cluster, lane-watch camera, wireless charging, wireless smartphone integration – Android Auto and Apple CarPlay – and a rear parking camera.
Honda will also offer its Sensing ADAS suite in the Elevate, with features like a collision mitigation braking system, lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, road departure warning and automatic high beam assist. The only other midsize SUV to currently feature ADAS is the MG Astor, while the Seltos facelift will also get driver assistance tech.
Honda Elevate platform, powertrain
The Honda Elevate is built on the Japanese firm's Global Small Car platform, which also underpins the Honda City sedan. Under the hood, the SUV gets the same 121hp, 145Nm, 1.5-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine as the City with power being sent to the front wheels via either a 6-speed manual or a CVT.
Moreover, the carmaker has also confirmed that the Elevate will get an electric powertrain in the next three years.
Honda Elevate rivals and launch timeline
The Elevate enters the cut-throat midsize SUV segment where it will rival the likes of the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Volkswagen Taigun, Skoda Kushaq, Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder, MG Astor and the upcoming Citroen C3 Aircross.
Also read: Honda Elevate vs rivals: specifications compared
Honda's re-entry into the SUV segment is a much-needed move as its current line-up consists only of two sedans. Honda will be counting on the Elevate to give it a shot in the arm, but much will ride on the pricing given the stiff competition and all players having meaningful slices of the midsize SUV pie. For now, Honda is tight-lipped about prices, but expect an announcement in the coming months.
India is the mother plant for the Elevate SUV and Honda has also confirmed that the SUV will be exported to multiple international markets.
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Krishna MV - 324 days ago
For a late entrant, this offering from Honda is not likely to create a flutter in the market. The styling is neat and good but nothing wow. The feature package has shortfalls. So why buy Elevate (apart from being a Honda). Honda needs some thing more special for garnering 4000-5000 monthly sale. Too many great products already in the market.