Honda Cars India Ltd. (HCIL), unveiled its latest global SUV - Honda Elevate at a world premiere event in India on Tuesday.
Elevate is a mid-size SUV that features a bold and masculine exterior design with a striking front face. 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 of a distinctive tailgate design and LED taillights.
The SUV is developed by Honda R&D Asia Pacific center located in Thailand to match the needs and aspirations of younger customers, while the R&D team in India has specifically worked on understanding potential target customers through extensive market surveys.
India will be the first country to manufacture and sell the Elevate globally. While the initial introduction of Elevate is focused on domestic market, Honda also aims to make India as an important export hub for the new model, catering to the robust demand for SUVs globally.
Speaking on the global unveil, Toshio Kuwahara, Head of Regional Unit (Asia & Oceania), Honda Motor Co. Ltd. said, “India being the world’s third largest automotive market 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 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 the sedan segments. There has been very high anticipation amongst Honda loyalists and the overall market. 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,” said Takuya Tsumura, President & CEO, Honda Cars India Ltd.
The SUV has a full range of active and passive safety technologies including the Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) of Honda Sensing system. LED taillights and Two-tone finish diamond cut R17 alloy wheels provide a distinct, modern and sporty characteristic to the model.
Elevate uses a 17.78 cm (7-inch) high-definition full-color TFT multi-information display 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 setup, keyless access, lighting set up, door, and Honda Sensing.
Under the hood, the SUV gets the same 121hp, 145Nm, 1.5-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine as the City with power being sent to the front wheels via either a 6-speed manual or a CVT. Moreover, the carmaker has also confirmed that the Elevate will get an electric powertrain in the next three years.
Elevate is the first SUV among 5 new premium SUVs planned to be launched by Honda in India by 2030.
While, it is scheduled for launch during the festive season this year, Honda is tight-lipped about the price of the SUV. However, as per some media reports, its price is expected to start from around Rs 12 lakh.