Honda Elevate compact SUV makes global debut in India

Honda has unveiled its latest global SUV – Honda ELEVATE at a World Premiere event in India. Scheduled for launch during festive season this year, India will be the first country to manufacture and sell the All New Elevate globally.

Honda Cars India Ltd. (HCIL), was established in December 1995 with a commitment to provide Honda’s passenger car models and technologies to Indian customers. While the initial introduction of Elevate is focused on the domestic market, India also aims to serve as an important export hub for the new model to other parts of the world, catering to the robust demand for SUVs globally.

The Elevate is a mid-size SUV that features a bold and masculine exterior design with striking front face, sharp character lines and unique rear design which come together to create a vehicle with strong road presence.

The front fascia showcases Honda’s signature grille, flanked by sleek LED headlights, while the side profile emphasizes its sporty character, and the rear boasts a distinctive tailgate design and LED taillights.

The Elevate will offer top class cargo space at 458L.

All New Elevate has been developed by Honda R&D Asia Pacific center located in Thailand to match the needs and aspirations of younger customers who are looking for status, comfort and have an active lifestyle. The R&D team in India has specifically worked on understanding potential target customers through extensive market surveys which reflect their three main motivations for purchasing SUVs including Stylish Bold Exterior design, Strong Safety package with active and passive safety and Overall Comfort.

Toshio Kuwahara, Head of Regional Unit (Asia & Oceania), Honda Motor Co., Ltd. and President and CEO, Asian Honda Motor Co., Ltd. said, “India being the world’s third largest automotive market,i is extremely important for Honda. As the first country to launch a global model, today’s World Premiere of the all-new Elevate is a stamp of commitment of Honda’s plans and aspirations for the country. The exports from India to several regions across the globe are growing continuously every year.”

“With high level of quality standards to deliver products that exceed expectations of both local and worldwide customers, India has become one of the most important export hubs for Honda. Moving forward to 2050, Honda strives to realize carbon neutrality and zero traffic collision fatalities involving our motorcycles and automobiles. To achieve this target, Honda aims to increase the sales ratio of Battery Electric Vehicles and Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles sales to 100% globally by 2040, including India. For safety, we continue enhancing advanced technologies including the expansion of Honda SENSING around the world and strengthening our safety education to reduce traffic accidents”, he added.

Takuya Tsumura, President & CEO, Honda Cars India Ltd. said, “With the unveiling of the All New Elevate, we embark on a new journey with Honda’s strong product offering in the booming SUV segment in India. Honda enjoys strong leadership and popularity in sedan segments. There has been very high anticipation amongst Honda loyalists and overall market, who have been eagerly waiting for the new model.”

“We are confident that the Elevate will further strengthen the bond with our esteemed customers and soon become our strong third pillar of business besides the City and Amaze. We have a robust product strategy to strengthen our premium play in the market and Elevate is first model among the 5 new SUVs that will be launched by Honda in India by 2030.” “Aligning with our global vision towards carbon neutrality by focusing on electrified powertrains, we will launch Honda’s first Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) based on this SUV within next 3 years in India,” he added.

The All New Elevate uses a 17.78 cm (7-inch) high-definition full color TFT multi-information that displays the meter with premium white light and on a black background showing information such as fuel consumption, trip meter, outside temperature, G-Meter and a clock on a large display screen. It also allows the driver to customize the operations, such as the meter set up, keyless access, lighting set up, door, and Honda SENSING.

The Elevate comes fitted with a new floating type 26.03 cm (10.25 inch) In-Plane Switching (IPS) High-Definition (HD) resolution LCD touch-screen display audio with Optical Clear Adhesive (OCA) that offers high contrast and visibility. It can be connected with various types of smart phones via wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Weblink, Bluetooth and USB. Making it a comprehensive experience, additional sub-screen functions are also provided for easy access such as ASVM (Assistant Side View Monitor), ARVM (Assistant Rear View Monitor), Clock, Calendar, Compass, Customizable Picture, and shortcuts to commonly used Infotainment settings.

At the heart of the Elevate is the superior 1.5L i-VTEC DOHC petrol engine with VTC which will deliver high fuel efficiency, low emission and spirited driving performance. This advanced engine churns out 89 kW (121PS)* of power and 145 Nm* of maximum torque between 4300* to 6600* RPM. It has been mated to an advanced 6 speed Manual Transmission and 7-speed CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) which ensures smooth gear changes and responsive driving experience, while also contributing to high fuel economy. The powertrains have been optimized to deliver a driving experience that is both enjoyable and eco-friendly.

The Elevate features innovative Advanced Driver Assistance System safety technology – Honda SENSING. This advanced and intelligent Safety Technology of “Honda Sensing” utilizes a high-performance front camera with a wide-angle, far-reaching detection system to scan the road ahead and alert the driver to minimize the risk of accidents and, in some cases, intervene to avoid or lessen the severity of a collision. Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS), Adaptive Cruise Control, Road Departure Mitigation (RDM), Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS), Lead Car Departure Notification system and Auto High-Beam are the signature features of Honda SENSING.

Besides the new car business, Honda offers one stop solution for buying and selling pre-owned cars through its business function Honda Auto Terrace. The Honda Certified Pre-owned cars come with an assurance of quality and peace of mind that caters to the diverse and burgeoning needs of pre-owned car buyers across the country.

38 lakh (3.8 mn) cars were sold in India during 2022, the highest ever sold during any calendar year, according to Federation of Automobile Dealers Association. The previous high was in 2018 with 34 lakh units.

Honda Cars have a 2.5% market share in India. It currently manufactures only 2 models, the Honda City & Honda Amaze. All other previous models such as the CR-V, HR-V, BR-V & Jazz have been discontinued over the recent past. It sold 91,418 units in India during 2022.

Honda prefers to remain a niche player in the hyper-competitive Indian automobile market, where there is a variant for as less as Rs. 20,000 across brands and models. Car prices on Indian roads commence at Rs. 3.5 lakhs onwards.