Honda Cars India has released a new teaser image of its upcoming compact SUV, the Honda Elevate. Confirming it will take the wraps off its latest product for India on June 6, 2023, Honda has also revealed the Elevate will be equipped with an electric sunroof in a new image shared on social media. The Elevate – which will enter a hotly-contested compact SUV segment, currently dominated by the Hyundai Creta – is expected to go on sale in the coming months. Higher variants of the Elevate are expected to feature a sunroof, a feature that is now highly sought-after, especially at the premium end of the market. Notably, the Creta has a panoramic sunroof, while the Elevate, it appears, will offer a standard-size sunroof.
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The Elevate – designed at the carmaker’s Asia-Pacific R&D centre – is expected to echo Honda’s global design language for SUVs. Teasers and spy shots have previously provided a glimpse of the Elevate’s chunky appearance and square-jawed front-end. The SUV will feature a split headlight setup (slim, wing-like LED daytime running lights on top and main headlight clusters sunk into the front bumper), a large grille with horizontal slats and a faux skid plate. Other vital styling elements will include prominent roof rails, squared-off wheel arch cladding and darkened alloy wheels. At the back, the Elevate’s tail-lights are expected to be linked by a light bar, with the registration plate housing carved into the boot lid.
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Likely to be somewhere in the region of 4.3-4.4 metres in length, the Honda Elevate – expected to be based on the same platform as the City sedan – is expected to be offered with a 1.5-litre petrol engine. Honda is also likely to introduce the strong hybrid system it debuted on the City with the Elevate, but a diesel engine is unlikely to be offered. Transmission choices are expected to include a six-speed manual and a continuously variable transmission (CVT).The strong hybrid powertrain will be a vital addition, as it will enable the Elevate to compete with the likes of the Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder and Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara – both of which are available with a strong hybrid powertrain – on a more even footing.
The first SUV to wear the Honda badge in India since the CR-V (discontinued in 2020), the Honda Elevate will face stiff competition, as it will go up against the Creta, Grand Vitara, Hyryder, Kia Seltos, MG Astor, Volkswagen Taigun and Skoda Kushaq. It will also have to contend with the soon-to-be-launched Citroen C3 Aircross, which has an extra row of seats to offer, too. With Honda having prioritised high localisation levels, expect prices for the Elevate compact SUV to be in the range of Rs 11 lakh to Rs 18 lakh (ex-showroom).
