The Elevate gets the Honda Sensing ADAS suite and a single-pane sunroof.
Honda’s SUV, the Elevate, had its global unveiling today at an event in New Delhi and it marks the company’s entry into the SUV space. The SUV segment isn’t new to Honda though, it previously had the CR-V and the BR-V SUVs in its 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 hybrid, full EV powertrains later
- Rivals include Creta, Seltos, Kushaq and others in the segment
- Bookings to open from July, launch thereafter
Honda Elevate dimensions, design
On the styling front the Elevate looks quite similar to the latest Honda SUVs sold overseas like the HR-V, the ZR-V and the CR-V. The Elevate is 4,312mm long, 1,650mm high and has a wheelbase of 2,650mm which makes it almost similar to the Creta. It has a boot space of 458 litres. The Elevate has a 220mm ground clearance which is more than the Creta that stands 190mm off the ground.
As far as design goes, the Elevate features a big grille 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 the City. The Elevate has a flat nose with a big Honda logo in the middle.
Over to the sides, Honda’s new midsize SUV features slightly flared wheel arches with think plastic cladding giving it a chunky SUV look. The window line tapers upwards towards the thick C-pillar and the Elevate gets 16-inch alloy wheels, similar to the ones seen on the facelifted City.
At the back, the Elevate has a slightly raked rear window and the wraparound tail-lights that are connected via a red bar that looks like a light bar and a chrome strip. It also gets a big indentation on the tail-gate for the number plate housing.
Honda Elevate interior and features
The Elevate gets a free-standing infotainment touchscreen in the middle of the dashboard. The screen features a horizontal layout and measures 10.25 inches which is in line with the Creta. 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. The upcoming facelift for the Seltos will see it get a panoramic sunroof.
Honda’s will also offer its Honda 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 and the upcoming Seltos facelift will also get the driver assistance tech.
Honda Elevate platform, powertrain
The Honda Elevate is built on the Japanese firms Global Small Car platform which also underpins the Honda City sedan and for now gets one engine option – a 1.5-litre petrol engine – while a hybrid is expected to join the line-up later. Honda has also confirmed that the Elevate will get an electric power train in the next three years.
Under the hood, the Elevate gets the same 1.5-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine as the City, churning out 121hp and 145Nm of torque. Power is sent to the front wheels via either a 6-speed manual or a CVT. Honda is also expected to add a hybrid powertrain to the Elevate at a later stage.
Honda Elevate rivals and launch timeline
The Elevate enters the cutthroat midsize SUV segment and 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.
The re-entry into the SUV space is a much needed one for Honda given that it has long since not had an SUV in its portfolio and its current lineup consists of the City and Amaze sedans only. Honda will be counting on the Elevate giving it a shot in the arm and much will ride on the pricing given the stiff competition with all players having meaningful slices of the mid-size SUV pie. For now Honda are 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 Elevate will be exported in multiple international markets.
Also see:
Honda Elevate image gallery