The world debut of the Honda Elevate will be hosted tomorrow in New Delhi and its domestic market launch will happen in the coming months
Honda Cars India will reveal the long-awaited Elevate midsize SUV officially on June 6, 2023 at 12 noon in New Delhi. It will pertain to local and global markets and will be heavily prioritised for India to help expand its domestic portfolio. Honda only comprises the Amaze compact sedan and City midsize sedan on sale currently.
The Honda Elevate will be underpinned by the same platform as the fifth-generation City midsize sedan. The five-seater will likely have an overall length of around 4.3 metres and it will compete directly against Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder, MG Astor, Volkswagen Taigun, Skoda Kushaq and others.
The Elevate will be of great significance to the brand garnering high volumes as it is positioned in a highly competitive segment and Honda does not sell any other SUV in the country. It will derive power from a 1.5L four-cylinder NA petrol engine, paired with a six-speed manual transmission as standard or a CVT auto as an option.
The VTEC gasoline mill is tried and tested and is renowned for good refinement levels and more importantly, fuel efficiency. The Japanese auto major is expected to add the 1.5L three-cylinder e:HEV strong hybrid petrol engine into the mix to take on strong hybrid iterations of the Grand Vitara and Hyryder. But, it will more likely join the lineup only at a later date.
With Honda offering small-capacity turbocharged petrol engines in its global range, it might fancy bringing in a performance-based version in the distant future to lock horns with the 1.5L turbo petrol-equipped Kushaq and Taigun. Judging by the spy images and teasers, it is clear that the Honda Elevate takes plenty of design inspiration from the international-spec CR-V and WR-V.
It has an upright front fascia influenced by the CR-V and is accompanied by tall pillars and a roofline slightly dipping towards the rear. It almost resembles the rear design of the latest WR-V with inverted L-shaped LED signature and a sharp tailgate. The cabin could pack some surprises as it might boast a new electronic architecture.
The Honda Elevate will likely be equipped with a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, a digital cluster, a 360-degree camera system, automatic climate control, ADAS-based technologies, multifunctional steering wheel, a single-pane sunroof, six airbags and a lot more.