With Elevate, Honda is betting on compact SUV segment that has shown greater acceptance for new products
Honda unveiled Elevate compact SUV today and it marks the return of the Japanese brand to SUV space after a long absence. It will go on sale in India first, followed by other overseas markets. Honda Elevate will rival bestselling compact SUVs such as Hyundai Creta, Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, Kia Seltos, Skoda Kushaq, Volkswagen Taigun, MG Astor and Toyota Hyryder.
The company is betting big on Elevate and the fruits of which are likely to yield much-needed success to Honda. As per design, Honda Elevate is a tasty SUV. There’s a clear focus on refinement and understated sophistication. There is no wild flamboyance here and Honda has kept it pretty vanilla. Bookings will commence next month and deliveries will begin during festive season.
Honda Elevate styling and features
It measures 4312 mm in length, 1790 mm in width, 1650 mm in height and has a 2650 mm long wheelbase. Ground clearance is 220 mm, which is the higher than Renault Captur and Duster AWD (both discontinued). Honda promises high chassis Rigidity to resist flex and deformation. High Rigidity increases side sill rigidity for handling and stability
Speaking of Elevate name, Honda is leaving no stone unturned. Gone are the days of letters (BR-V, WR-V) and in comes a proper word. As seen in the debut, this Elevate name resonates with the design language. Honda is offering an SUV that has significantly more presence. More than the current crop of compact SUVs (excluding Scorpio Classic).
Honda Elevate has sleek headlamps, conventional headlights placement and LED DRLs, a prominent front bumper, skid plates at front and rear, blacked-out pillars, functional ORVMs with integrated turn signals, roof rails, body cladding, blacked-out pillars, shark-fin antenna, rear spoiler, a single pane sunroof and edgy tail lamps.
Tailgate section has an angular profile, which enhances the SUV’s street presence. Inside, Honda Elevate has features such as a large 10.25″ touchscreen infotainment system, 7″ digital instrument console, support for wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, wireless charging, ventilated seats, premium fabric upholstery, ambient lighting, automatic climate control, leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear knob and steering mounted controls.
Honda Elevate performance
Range of telematics solutions branded Honda Connect, is on board too. Elevate is underpinned by the same platform as 5th-gen Honda City sedan. Honda Elevate compact SUV will borrow the new twin-cam 1.5-litre petrol motor. It churns out 121 PS of max power and 145 Nm of peak torque. Transmission choices include a 6-speed manual and CVT gearbox.
Honda’s camera-based Sensing ADAS suite makes it to Elevate as well. These include Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS), Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS), Auto High-Beam, Road Departure Mitigation System, Adaptive Cruise Control, Lead Car Departure Notification and more. Most of the safety features are on board too. These include LaneWatch, Rear Seat Reminder, Vehicle Stability Assist, Hill Start Assist, Emergency Stop Signal and more.
Elevate achieved UNR127 Pedestrian Protection Test. Honda promises good leg and head impact performance too with its Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) body shell. Optimized frame part placement helps disperse front collision forces over a wider area. Other notable features include Smartwatch integration with Wear OS by Google, unauthorized access alert, High Speed Alert, Auto Crush Notification, car status, remote operations, share car location, Tyre Deflation Alert, Find My Car and more.
The company expressed ambitions of turning India into a global market for car manufacturing. Honda already has strong hybrid tech, but it won’t be available with Elevate at the time of launch. It will be considered at a later date based on market feedback. At the global debut, Honda didn’t reveal any plans for diesel powertrains. But, expressed ambitions for 5 SUVs by 2030, including Elevate and turn fully electric by 2040, including an Electrified Elevate as well.
