Honda’s First Electric Car For India Confirmed: It Is A SUV!

On the sidelines of the market launch of the third-gen Amaze, Honda Cars India has given out details of some of its upcoming products. It has confirmed its first EV offering for the Indian market, and it would be based on a familiar model. Honda will launch its first EV in India in 2026, which will be an electric SUV based on the outgoing Elevate. It will, however, have a different name and design when launched.

The Elevate-based EV’s launch is part of the manufacturer’s larger plans of introducing three electric/hybrid models into the Indian market during 2026-2027. By 2030, the carmaker would have launched 5 new SUVs here.

Honda’s First EV- Elevate-Based EV- What Do We Know About It?

The Elevate EV is part of Honda’s ACE (Asian Compact Electric) project. It will use the platform as a base to spawn an electric SUV. Sedans have always been the carmaker’s strength in India. The recent market winds favour SUVs, and the same has made Honda make a soft transition to the electric SUV project instead of electrifying a sedan.

The vehicle is currently codenamed DG9D. Upon launch, the Elevate EV will be manufactured at Honda India’s Tapukara plant in Rajasthan. There will be a strong focus on exports to markets including Japan (around 50-70%).

Instead of developing a new all-electric architecture, Honda will tweak the Elevate’s platform to accommodate the battery pack and electric motor. This chassis uses higher tensile steel and is already claimed to achieve a “smooth and connected” structure that is lightweight and safe enough. A quick drive of the petrol-powered Elevate will also tell us how stable and balanced it feels. Due to the shared platform, the EV could have these qualities as well. It is too early to have clarity on (or even anticipate) the powertrain specs.

When launched, the electric SUV will compete with the likes of Tata Nexon EV, Tata Curvv EV, and the upcoming Creta EV and Maruti Suzuki e Vitara. Making an assumption based on these, a 45-60kWh battery pack could be a good fit on the electric Elevate. It should deliver a range of around 400 km per charge, to stay competitive. As it is based on the converted ICE platform, a FWD layout seems the most likely.

In terms of cabin experience and features, the EV will likely mimic its petrol counterpart. Features like a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system, ADAS (Honda Sensing suite), auto-dimming IRVM, ambient lighting, a wireless charger, lane watch camera, G meter display and rear seatbelt reminder are all to be expected. Being an electric SUV, it could also feature sustainable trims and finishes inside, as is the trend these days.

Honda Late To The EV Game?

As a matter of fact yes, they are! By the time the Elevate-EV is launched, other manufacturers would have made significant progress in the EV space. Tata and Mahindra already have a notable upper hand in the mainstream EV space. MG is bullish about the segment too. With Hyundai and Maruti Suzuki joining soon, the heat will only shoot up, and Honda could be really late for a debut! Mouth shut, let time decide…

Elevate Sales And How The EV Could Bring Traction?

At the time of its launch, Elevate managed to drive good monthly numbers. Recently, however, it has been a mediocre if not a slow seller at all. Remember us telling you what could probably be going wrong with the Elevate? The C-segment EV SUV market has enough footfalls currently. Thus, if Honda manages to pull of a decent product and placement, they’ll be able to drive more sales and in the long run, popularity for the electric SUV nameplate.

Honda’s EV/Hybrid Plans

Honda’s future plans aren’t limited to EVs alone. They chose to start with the EV partly due to the upcoming CAFE 3 norms. The carmaker feels that strong hybrids will suit the Indian market better. It will launch plug-in hybrids, strong hybrids and range extenders in the future. Most of these would be SUVs. The challenge here is to place the hybrids well so that they do not end up being unnoticed like the City hybrids. More details about these are expected to be out in the upcoming months.