Honda Elevate production begins ahead of September launch

Honda India has commenced series production of the Elevate SUV, its most important launch for our market in recent times. The Elevate will go on sale sometime in September this year.

1. Honda Elevate gets a single 1.5-litre petrol option
2. Two gearbox choices on offer
3. Honda Sensing ADAS bundle available on top variant

Honda Elevate: from India to the world 

The Elevate is being built at Honda India’s Tapukara plant, which also builds models like the City and the Amaze sedans. Honda says India is the first country where the Elevate is being manufactured, and it will be sold not only in the domestic market but will also be exported overseas. The brand also said that the made-in-India Elevate SUV has more than 90 percent localised content. Bookings for the Elevate are already underway and deliveries would commence as soon as prices are announced, sometime in September this year. 

Honda Elevate: powertrain and fuel efficiency

The Elevate gets a sole petrol engine option that's shared with the City sedan. It's a 121hp, 145Nm, 1.5-litre, naturally aspirated petrol engine mated to either a 6-speed manual or a 7-step CVT automatic gearbox. The Elevate will not come with a petrol hybrid powertrain. There are talks of a full-EV iteration based on the Elevate which will join the line-up in the future.

As for fuel economy, the Elevate 1.5 petrol-MT has a claimed economy of 15.31kpl, whereas, with the CVT, it delivers 16.92kpl. It has a 612km range with a 40-litre tank for the manual and 679km on the automatic.

Honda Elevate: variants and features

The Elevate is on offer with four trims: SV, V, VX, and ZX. As far as features go, the entry-level Elevate gets LED projector headlamps, automatic climate control, 16-inch steel wheels and dual front airbags. The top-spec Elevate ZX gets the 10.25-inch touchscreen, six airbags, Honda Sensing ADAS suite, eight speakers, leatherette brown upholstery, soft-touch dashboard and auto-dimming interior day/night mirror.

Honda Elevate: expected pricing & launch timeline

Dealer sources tell us that the Elevate will start at around Rs 12 lakh, with the top variant being priced around Rs 17 lakh (ex-showroom). It will see stiff competition from the Hyundai Creta and the recently launched Kia Seltos facelift, which gets more features and an option of a diesel engine, the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara and the Toyota Hyryder, which also get a petrol-hybrid powertrain, and the Skoda Kushaq and the Volkswagen Taigun SUVs.