Honda Cars India Limited has finally announced the commercial production of its much-awaited Mid-Size SUV the Honda Elevate. The Bookings of the Honda Elevate have already begun with deliveries expected to start in the last week of September 2023.
Honda India has finally changed its approach to the critical Mid-Size SUV segment in India with the introduction of Elevate. The All-new Honda Elevate is too far from Honda’s design philosophy till now. Honda Elevate, as the name suggests has elevated proportions with Honda’s design ethos of “Man Maximum, Machine minimum” with overall Height at 1650 mm and a class leading Ground Clearance of 220 mm.
Honda Elevate’s tall proportions suggests why Honda India scrapped the idea of bringing HR-V to India. HR-V available in European and other Asian markets has a cross-over looks like the BR-V and WR-V in India and were not enough to compete with the likes of Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos in India. Honda finally accepted the likings of Indians and developed an all-new SUV from scratch.
Honda Elevate: Engine and Transmission
The Honda Elevate gets just one engine option, Honda’s popular 1.5 Litre Naturally Aspirated i-VTEC Engine mated to either a 6 Speed Manual Transmission or a CVT. The Engine and the Gear Boxes have been carried over from the latest gen Honda City but the Honda’s Strong Hybrid System from the City have been given a miss in the Elevate. The 1.5 Litre Naturally Aspirated i-VTEC Engine produces a Peak Power of 119 Bhp and a Peak Torque of 145 Nm.
Both the transmissions, 6-Speed Manual and CVT work seamlessly with the 1.5 Litre i-VTEC Engine and both the combinations give Elevate a silky-smooth ride within the city and out on the highway.
The Fuel Efficiency figures of Elevate, declared by Honda, are not very impressive in the competition. The Manual version gives a mileage of 15.31 Kmpl while the CVT version is more efficient at 16.92 Kmpl.
Honda Elevate: Mechanicals
Though Honda Elevate shares its platform with Honda City, but its fresh design and tall stance eliminate the similarities between the too. The mechanicals on the other hand are also carried over from the Honda City like the Powertrain, Suspension and Steering, but have been retuned for making them suitable for an SUV.
The Honda Elevate’s Safety ratings have not been published yet but the use of High Tensile Steel has ensured to keep its Kerb Weight at 1206 kg – 1258 kg without compromising on its safety worthiness. Honda says that Elevate’s High Window Line and the use of High Strength Steel has made the overall structure sturdier to meet all kinds of crash test requirements. The Doors do give you that thud sound while shutting down, putting a stamp on what Honda claims. Honda Elevate has the best-in-class Wheel Base of 2650 mm and Large Wheel Wells for incorporating a Long Travel Suspension. The Honda Elevates 5.2 meters turning radius makes it maneuverability, within the city, too easy.
Honda Elevate: Exterior Design and Dimensions
Indians like Tall Stance, Road Presence and Striking Looks in an SUV, which is what Honda has tried to give. Believe us, Honda has been successful in its attempt this time, the Bold Muscular Front and a High Riding Stance has been a proof of it. The Honda Elevate measures 4312mm in Length, 1790mm in Width, 1650mm in Height and has Wheel Base of 2650mm with segment top Ground Clearance of 220mm.
Though Honda has been successful in its attempt this time but it’s a too late entry in the very crowded Mid-Size SUV segment. The segment where existing players are busy giving a makeover or life cycle refreshments to their SUV portfolio, the Honda is now getting into this segment.
The Honda Elevate with its Bold Front Grille, High Bonnet Line, High Window Lines, Squared Front Proportions and generous Dimensions give it a very noticeable Upright and Masculine Stance. The Overall Design is Boxy and Honda has avoided giving it too many lines and creases on the body. The Top spec ZX variant, loaded with 17-inch Alloy Wheels with 215/55 section Tyres, nicely fills the Wheel Arches and add to the Elevate’s elevation as an SUV. The Front and Rear Scuff Plates, Side Claddings, Thick C-pillar and Roof Rails completes Elevates authentic SUV looks.
The slim LED Head Light housing Led Turn Indicators with both High and Low Beam nicely complements with the bold and masculine Front end. The Dual Barrel Rear LED Lights are thought fully integrated at the Rear and are quite bright too. The Rear Tail lights in its Dual Barrel form gives Honda Elevate a wider rear appearance.
Honda Elevate: Interiors and Features
Indian Car buyers have high expectations for a Tech Laden Interiors today but Honda Elevate shall disappoint them on this front. Honda Elevate is not loaded with latest gadgets and equipment inside but its ordinary looking Interiors are built to last. The Leatherette and Synthetic Wood Inserts used inside do give a premium Ambience to some extent but the plushness of the segment toppers is missing in the plastics used otherwise. The HVAC Controls at the front, carried over from the City, have a very solid and tactile feel to them. The AC Vents, Door Levers, Combination Switch and other Switch Gear are all solid and nice to use.
There are some other bits also, carried over from the city like the Steering Wheel, Combination Switches and the Power Window buttons. The Honda Elevate though misses on some of the goodies from the city like LED Cabin Lights and Rain Sensing Wipers. The Honda Elevate also misses on the 360-Degree Camera, Ventilated Seats and a Panoramic Sunroof but do have a Single Pane Sunroof in the Top spec trims.
The Honda Elevate has all the basic features like a big 10.25” Touch Screen Infotainment System with Apple Car Play and Android Auto. The partial Digital Instrument Cluster houses a 7-inch TFT Color Multi Information Display that provides a lot of information and functions like Lighting & Door operations, Keyless Access and offers customization options for Honda Sense (Advanced Driver Assistance System, in Honda’s Terminology).
The Honda Sense or ADAS, includes Collision Mitigation Braking System, Lane Keep Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, Road/Lane Departure Mitigation System and a Lead/Front Car Departure Notification Systems that gives you a notification when the car up front starts to move. The Auto High Beam Function, a part of Honda Sense, automatically switches between High and Low beams when required.
Honda Elevate’s seating and storage solutions will become bench marks in the segment in the coming future. The Seats are perfectly contoured with perfect foam density to provide class leading Seat comfort with enough cushioning and ample Under-thigh support all around. The Driver’s Seat is perfectly placed with perfectly positioned Infotainment System and HVAC Controls, well-spaced Pedals, perfect reach to Gear Lever and Hand Brake with superb all around visibility
The Rear Cabin will greet passengers with ample Head Room and decent Legroom with a nice and upright seating position. The floor board below the front seats serve as foot rest for the Rear Passengers. The Rear Seats are suitable for two adults though, but the third Passenger with medium built can also be adjusted in comfort. The Rear Seats are 60:40 split and can increase the already class leading well shaped Boot Space of 458 litres.
The centre between the Front Seats houses a Hand Brake lever with enough space for two large smart phones, one of which is loaded with a Wireless Charging Pad. The large Door Pockets on all four doors, a central storage box and not so spacious glove box, do provide you with enough storage spaces to keep miscellaneous items. There is a USB Type A port at the front and 12V Charging socket at the rear.
Honda Elevate: Conclusion
The Honda Elevate has enough grunt to attract huge buyer interest and being a Honda is enough reason for many to buy, some will buy for its Bold Looks and Tall Road Presence while some will buy it for its practicality. The Honda Elevate is a practical and easy to drive SUV with a very Strong Engine and Transmission options, the Interiors are not Tech Laden but are rich enough and build to last. The Cabin has decent amount of space to pack five adults of average Indian built and has a class leading Boot Space to complement. If priced competitively, which Honda should do, Honda Elevate will present itself as a Reliable and Practical choice for everyday use to many.
Honda’s practicality combined with Honda’s fan following is enough to make Honda Elevate elevate in the already crowded Mid-Size SUV space. Its just that the Honda should not go over board with the pricing seeing the interest shown by many in this SUV.
Hope that we have given you a clear review of the Honda Elevate covering all its prospective points in the Mid-Size SUV segment. We would be glad to assist you in your buying process with maximum effort to justify your requirements. If you wish to know more about these SUVs, please leave a comment below.
