Honda ‘Elevate’ SUV Name Confirmed: 1 Month To Go!

Honda is getting ready to release a new SUV in India called the Elevate. The name ‘Elevate’ was confirmed last week.

The Honda Elevate will be a mid-size SUV. This is a very competitive segment in India, and Honda did not have a vehicle in this segment till now. The Elevate will compete against the market leader Hyundai Creta, its sibling the Kia Seltos, the Toyota HyRyder and Maruti Grand Vitara, the Skoda Kushaq and the Volkswagen Taigun.

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It’s made just for the Indian market and is expected to be very popular. There are no official pictures of the Honda Elevate SUV out yet, but a couple of renders are already here. Both are based on spy photos of the SUV, and the final production version will be a mix of both, we think.

In the render above by Bagrawala Designs, we can see that Honda Elevate mid-size SUV has been given a cool and muscular design that will turn heads when driving on the road. It has a big shiny grill, LED headlights, and a sporty bumper. The SUV is built for Indian roads with a high ground clearance so it can easily drive over rough terrain and potholes. The earlier render by Autocar India is a bit more sedate – but then Honda design has been quite sedate for a while in India!

Under the hood, the Honda Elevate has a 1.5-liter petrol engine that produces 121 PS and 150 Nm torque – it is the same engine that is available in the Honda City mid-size sedan. However, Honda may tweak its power characteristics to suit the SUV form factor. Transmission options are likely to be the same as the Honda City – a 6-speed manual transmission or a CVT gearbox, depending on the variant. The SUV will also come with a range of safety features, including ABS with EBD, dual airbags, a rearview camera, and Honda’s LaneWatch technology.

Will there be a hybrid Elevate?

Again, nothing official – but the Honda City has the e:HEV hybrid, so it is highly likely that the Elevate SUV too have the same hybrid option. And it makes even more sense, considering that the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara and Toyota HyRyder both offer hybrid variants.

What will be the price of the Honda Elevate SUV?

Usually, Honda cars are, at launch, priced slightly higher than the competition. It might be the same case this time. However, things might not be so simple as Honda Elevate will be entering a segment that already sees high competition and even two – the Skoda Kushaq and Volkswagen Taigun – performance variants that offer 150 BHP and 250 Nm torque.

In the new render by Bagrawala Designs, The SUV has been given a bold and muscular design that is sure to turn heads on the roads. It features a large grille with a dash of chrome, LED headlamps, and a sculpted bumper that gives it a sporty look. The SUV is built on a new platform that has been optimized for Indian conditions, with a ground clearance of 210mm, making it perfect for tackling rough terrain and potholes.

Inside, the Honda Elevate SUV is expected to be spacious and comfortable, with plenty of legroom and headroom for passengers. The SUV comes with a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system that supports both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, as well as a digital instrument cluster, climate control, and a sunroof.

Honda’s SUV past in India

Honda had several generations of the CR-V crossover in India and while it sold well initially, its price kept rising and the market started staying away from it. The pricing was just too close to the much more muscular Toyota Fortuner for the CR-V to become successful. Honda’s small SUV, the WR-V, built on the Jazz platform was a low-seller too. The Elevate might be the first Honda SUV to sell in large numbers and take the fight to the market leaders. It may even beat the sales of the popular Honda City sedan.

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