Honda has been actively testing the Elevate in India, and it has now been sighted testing in Japan as well. This could be the first time a Honda product built in India is tested and appraised for the company’s home market.
According to a corporate spokesman, every new Honda car and SUV will now include Honda Sensing, the company’s ADAS technology. With the makeover, the City already has ADAS technology on both manual and automatic transmissions, and we expect future models to follow suit. The City has Honda Sensing on all levels except the base SV, and the Elevate may miss ADAS technology on the lowest trim as well. Honda is also preparing the third-generation Amaze for a global debut in 2024, which will have Honda’s ADAS suite.
A collision mitigation braking system, lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, road departure warning, and automatic high beam assist are all part of Honda’s ADAS package.
The Honda Elevate discovered in Japan was carefully camouflaged, but visible features match the one photographed testing in India. It has the same narrow headlamps, grille, and fog lamps as the Indian test mule, but the windows are more hidden than the Indian test mules. The Japanese test mule also had wraparound taillights that extended into the tailgate, which Indian test mules did not have.
Surprisingly, Maruti Suzuki also sold the first-generation Baleno built in India to Japan. The premium hatchback originally arrived in Japan from India in 2016.
The forthcoming Honda midsize SUV will have classic SUV features including a powerful nose and upright proportions. The Elevate’s top-spec models are slated to have LED headlamps, while the entry-level and mid-spec variants are expected to have standard, halogen headlamps. The back has a slightly sloped shape with a thick C-pillar.
The Elevate also has a single-pane sunroof, whereas most of its rivals, with the exception of the Skoda Kushaq and Volkswagen Taigun, have a panoramic sunroof. With the next facelift, even the Kia Seltos, which now has a single-pane sunroof, will get a panoramic sunroof.
The Elevate will initially be equipped with a 1.5-litre, normally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine, with a hybrid powertrain planned later. The petrol engine will be the same as that found in the Honda City, producing 121hp and 145Nm of torque and coupled to either a 6-speed manual or a CVT gearbox.
The Elevate will make its global debut in India on June 6, with pricing to be announced in August. The Elevate is likely to cost between Rs 12 lakh and Rs 17 lakh (ex-showroom).