[AYP]

My views on the Elevate-

1. It looks good. For a long time, I couldn't put my finger on the vibes this car was giving me, but then someone mentioned this in a post, the XC40. The front of course doesn't give a Volvo vibe but a more butch Land Cruiser/Lexus vibe. Overall, the car looks smart. Understated yes(except for the front grill) but smart nonetheless.

2. The interiors also have the same understated feel. In lot of ways, I had the same feeling when the Kushaq was launched. Understated but not offensive. Doesn't wow you like the Seltos does. I like the positioning of the wireless charger unlike the City.

3. The engine, well, it is only gonna compete with the lesser of the engines offered by the competition. While there was a rumour of Hybrid coming in after a few months, some of the latest posts point otherwise. Forget Turbo, not even the Hybrid is coming.

These aren't the decision you make when launching such an important product.

4. There is some cost cutting vis-a-vis the City like no central headrest at the rear, auto-up only for the driver etc. But I guess these measures have been taken so as to minimise the premium vis-a-vis the City.

On the other hand, Honda is already not giving us any 'stand out' feature like Panoramic sunroof, ventilated seats, level 2 ADAS, heck, not even a 360 camera. In the absence of these features, the above stated missing features which are present in the City could have been avoided.

5. Lack of features- Customers in this segment have come to expect a lot of features. And when I say features, I mean features like Panoramic sunroof, ventilated seats, level 2 ADAS, 360 camera etc. The Elevate has none of these which might put off a large chunk of people. And we already know that it is going to come with a single NA petrol option and the AT is going to be a CVT, thus excluding a large chunk of the enthusiasts. So who is gonna buy this car? The Honda and Japanese loyalists?

6. What's with the speed markings on the speedometer? Marked only till 180? This maybe a personal peeve of mine or whatever but I'd rather have a car with the speedo marked till 220 than 180 even if the car has an 800cc engine. And here, we are talking about a car with a 1500 cc engine which has the potential to reach these speeds. I am not suggesting driving at those speeds but this is something I just can't unsee. You may call this my fetish and I wouldn't mind it at all but it is what it is.

7. While there were conflicting news about the platform of the Elevate, I think it is safe to say that this is based on the City and is for all practical purpose, the SUV version of the City.

Overall, this car is giving me mixed vibes but considering the competition, the scale is more towards the negative side.

Let's hope that we see D segment CKDs from Honda in the future with turbo petrol.

[pannags]

My initial impressions post watching a few videos and reading the preview:

• While the exterior design may not immediately grab attention, it exudes a strong presence and will age gracefully. Personally, I appreciate the design language and have no complaints, except for the excessive use of chrome, especially around the front grille. Thankfully, many of these chrome elements are reportedly optional.
  
  
• The Elevate employs efficient space management, offering comfortable front and rear seats, as well as a generously spacious boot that exceeds expectations. However, the rear bench might prove challenging and cramped for a third person due to the elevated base, lack of a headrest, and an outdated seatbelt design. As someone who is accustomed to an all-black interior theme, I personally find the combination of tan and black a bit uninspiring.
  
  
• The interiors exude a classy feel, with materials and components that clearly seem a notch or two above what one would find in the Maruti Toyota twins. Nevertheless, they do not quite measure up to what Kia or MG offer. Considering that the Koreans and Germans are adding incremental features, and moreover, with the former due to refresh the Seltos soon, Honda should have gone all out with electric seats, electric parking brake, ventilated seats, and a 360-degree camera. This would have made it hard for anyone familiar (and happy) with the 1.5 iVTEC and looking for a CSUV, to ignore the Elevate.
  
  
• Personally, I appreciate the refinement, reliability and revv happy nature of naturally aspirated petrol engines. While I did not expect Honda to introduce a diesel or turbo petrol option for the Elevate, the exclusion of the e:HEV hybrid system upon launch is misplaced strategy. A Hybrid option would have positioned the Elevate ahead of its Korean, German, and Japanese competitors (despite the availability of hybrid options in the Hyryder and the Grand Vitara).

In summary, apart from the brilliantly refined and reliable petrol engine that delivers marginally better performance that competition (considering NA petrol variants), the Elevate does not boast of any other standout features (except, maybe, Honda Sense). Consequently, as a late entrant to the game, much will depend on the price tags Honda will apply to the CSUV. Personally, I believe the pricing should be more or less on par with that of the mild hybrid variants of the Grand Vitara and the Hyryder. Otherwise, Honda will have to rely solely on its badge for sales, which currently appears to be its primary advantage.

[gck_tourer]

Originally Posted by Knightrider

Totally agree. Here is a quick comparison of side views of Elevate and Magnite.

And I feel Nissan Magnite looks far better. This looks like a stretched Wagon R punched into some random shape from the back. This SUV is going to be a Mee too int crowded market. No novelty factor, no USP, no Hybrid, no Diesel and with such high ground clearance, i doubt how the handling would be. And I don't expect Honda to price it below City. This would be another sales did from Honda. Mediocre sales for couple of years before it's withdrawn from production.

[rishi.roger]

Disappointing, however if they could price it right it might sell for (Giving Reliable, Smooth Engine along with "I'm hoping that its a very safe car", this Combo is not that common but probably desirable).
I think its only Maruti, Hyundai that are offering excellent smooth engine options in the price but they sincerely lack on safety compared to Tata/Mahindra/German.

[inwester]

Originally Posted by GTO

I quite like the design! Looks clean, proportionate & a bit butch for a crossover.

Honda Elevate does look good and is styling is probably not going to offend anyone. Very neutral and points for that.

Originally Posted by Aditya

The car will compete against the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, MG Astor, Skoda Kushaq, Toyota Hyryder and Volkswagen Taigun. Some of these cars are very strong sellers in the Indian market.

That said, Honda has their work cutout. This particular compact SUV segment (~4300 mm) is the most matured and hotly competed in India. You have everything from NA Petrol to Turbo Petrol to Turbo Diesel to Hybrids. Its a too little too late for me. You have ventilated seats, premium audio, panoramic sunroof and front / rear parking sensors, 360 camera etc. offered in many of these cars. From the looks of it I think they have deleted some features, like, all 4 auto up/down windows, rear curtains etc. Elevate has ADAS (which is sort of questionable given our conditions), that's it.

Unless they price the top trim around 17.5 lakhs ex-showroom there is no reason to buy this. There is plenty of options post 18 lakhs and most of them will be an upgrade in terms of powertrain and/or features.

As an owner of the new City 1.5 Petrol CVT I can tell you that this engine is going to struggle to keep pace on this car on highways.

With 17" alloys and considering how City rides, I'm expecting Elevate will be comfortable and have a soft ride.

Originally Posted by tiagoatrix

Urban SUV? So Honda doesn't want people from rural areas to buy this product?

I mean, the only other car they really sell is literally called "CITY".

[Sumedik]

All the cars in this segment and one below look 90% similar. I am OK with the exterior design, however it certainly sets the "I have seen this before somewhere" vibes. The elegance of typical Honda design is somewhat missing. I would have liked if the front was more slanting.

In this segment the facelifted S-Cross seems to have had the best grill design ever ! However I am sure aftermarket grills are available soon.

Regarding the future, Honda needs to bring a replacement for WRV with minimum 180mm ground clearance and relaunch the jazz. Their portfolio would be complete !

[AMG1]

I have felt some serious Red Flags when it comes to the rumors of this being based on City's platform and not Amaze's platform. If this is based on City, then how come, it is using so many parts that are so distinct to cars based on Amaze platform- Thai WR-V/BR-V and so less parts from City, a car that is heavily localized as well. If its actually based on City, then Elevate should undercut it in pricing because of serious cost cuttings.
Let me present some analysis. Please look at the following pictures for comparisons.

Honda WR-V/BR-V (Thailand)

1) Elevate's inner door handle's are exactly the same! Same power window switches too- unmarked and unlit at the rear. Front power windows console of Elevate and Thai SUVs are the same as well while Indian city have different ones.







2) Indian Honda City clearly has different inner door handles as well as marked and possibly lit? power window consoles. City's driver-side window console is different as well. It's not only marked and lit, but has auto functions for all windows!
Indian City Power window (Rear for reference)
3) Elevate's HVAC controls and button layout are almost similar to Thai WR-V and BR-V's baring the Baleno-like rocker switch for temperature and fan speed
BR-V/WR-V HVAC controls.
International HR-V gets Indian city like HVAC controls along with City like power window console



Indian City has HR-V-like window console:

4) Indian City even has HR-V-like intelligent rear mat lockers unlike Elevate along with very HR-V-like led rear reading lamps and unique rear shade

[BoneCollector]

Originally Posted by Aditya

Well shaped adjustable headrests for the left and right occupants, but none for the middle one:

Do we get 3 point ELR seatbelts for the middle passenger? I couldn't find it mentioned anywhere. If yes, that's great, if not, I wonder what is stopping Honda from introducing a feature when even Maruti has started offering it in its new models (GV, Fronx).

[07CR]

Originally Posted by AMG1

I have felt some serious Red Flags when it comes to the rumors of this being based on City's platform and not Amaze's platform.

Exactly. Going by the serious cost cutting, no standout features, underwhelming engines, I guess Honda is trying to undercut the segment price wise. Hope they do it atleast by 2 L ex showroom (for NA variants of competition) else it doesn't make much sense.

If that's not the thought process, this will be DOA.

[volkman10]

Honda launched the Elevate with practically no striking USP's in the segment. At most it could take away some volumes from the VW/Skoda siblings apart from the loyal Honda customer base. (all depends now on its pricing)

Hyundai Creta/ Kia Seltos, Maruti GV/Toyota Hyryder would likely be leading the segment with practically no change in its volumes, going forward.




- The Elevate is longer than the Hyundai Creta, Volkswagen Taigun, Skoda Kushaq, and Citroen C3 Aircross. While it’s similarly sized as the Kia Seltos, its road presence is slightly shorter in length than the Maruti Grand Vitara, Toyota Hyryder, and MG Astor.

-It ties with the Creta as one of the narrower cars in this list, managing to be only wider than the Taigun and Kushaq. The Astor is the widest car here, followed by the Seltos.

-In terms of height, the Honda Elevate is one of the tallest SUVs, sharing the stage with the Astor, second only to the C3 Aircross.

-The Elevate shares its platform with the City sedan, thus featuring a lot of room between the axles. In comparison, its wheelbase is longer than the Creta, Seltos, Grand Vitara, Hyryder, and Astor. The Taigun and Kushaq have a similarly long wheelbase, while the C3 Aircross leads in this department as well.

Link

[bajoseph04]

This simply should have been the original WRV launched back in 2017. The interiors simply look ages old. Everything in this car is what I expected when I bought the WRV in 2017. So I'm sure Honda did do a market research to develop this car. Yeah, they did a market research in 2017 and launched the car 6 years later in 2023 or 2024. Everything in this is very outdated and I sincerely hope they price it like as the WRV (which is not going to happen) else, this will be kicked out of the market like the Kicks.
Elevate, which is suppose to elevate Honda’s portfolio could be the last launch of Honda Cars India. A real sad state but with such a poor design team, HCIL can't make a winner.

[Redline6800]

I have a feeling Honda is going to price the Elevate competitively just like the City is nowadays. Probably also the reason they aren't offering the hybrid.

Gone are the days of the 'Honda Premium' - so smart pricing, good looks, more than acceptable interiors, good boot space, a still very good (if not great) petrol engine and Honda reliability, will get the volumes Honda badly needs.

India is the Mother plant for this pseudo SUV, and Honda has had the time to localise the cajones out of the car, so that makes me optimistic about keen pricing.

Honda badly needs volumes, if nothing else to keep its dealers from jumping ship.

But the prices should have been announced on Day 1 to keep.people interested. I'm sure a lot of people will go ahead and buy other vehicles because of uncertainty on price and expectation of premium pricing from Honda.

Honda certainly isn't an aspirational brand anymore, so cars like the Elevate are the new Honda we should get used to.

[neerajku]

This is quite a good looking car, but as many have pointed out, lack of torque, hybrid and turbo will surely be deal breaker. Wonder what do all these power points show in the internal meetings.
My guess is it may get some left overs of Creta, Celts, Safari, not more. Or some novelty value like VW, Skoda cars. Unfortunate, was hoping we will get a blockbuster from them this time after the failure of almost all of their products in India, except City and may be a bit of Amaze. I am sure interiors will be of high quality, tech really sorted out and low maintenance and good durability but game is different now after Creta and Seltos. Hope today Jimny prices dont disappoint and be around Brezza. :-)

[epiccross]

I like that Honda is at least giving an option here in the Creta/Seltos segment. Things that bother me:

1. Lack of a proper hybrid - you already have the tech, why on earth would you not use it? Could have eaten into the sales of GV/Hyryder with good pricing. I know providing turbo is out of the question but for godssakes Honda! They should have planned for this the moment they stopped their diesels.

2. Better interiors - they could actually have done a heaps better job. The plastics etc look really cheap for the segment. People have to feel they're getting good value one way or the other, that's how our market works.

3. Panel gaps are really bothering me! I don't see this being highlighted enough. If I'm spending Creta/GV/Seltos price on a car, I would expect better!

Everything depends on the pricing now, but given Honda's history, I'm not sure if that'd turn out well. They have to undercut Creta/Seltos with aggressive pricing and look for volumes.

[UD17]

I have booked one unofficially, i will carry on with the booking. For my purpose:

Pros:
- 1.5NA iVTEC
- Neutral design (would age well), no quirky stuff
- Subtle interior, easy to maintain, No unnecessary distracting elements
- Useful features like ADAS, rear Camera, wireless charging, Small sunroof, connected features
- Decent boot space, nice GC for SUV, Butch look for road presence
- Reliability, low maintenance, Lower number of gimmicky features (low distraction), more mechanical than electronics

Cons:
- No Ventilated seats (its must now in this segment)
- No rotary dials for AC control (like in city)
- Gimmicky infotainment Screen, should have done high quality stuff like XUV7oo, Seltos or Sonet
- Low profiles tyres (needs replacement - additional cost for owners)
- Interior material could have been plush (to have some differentiation)

So the design is quite Neutral, it will certainly grow on people. Honda could easily garner the 2.5K-3K monthly sales and this is what they are targeting (+ 1.5k-2k in export).

It would be interesting to see what effect this car will have on City sales, City in my opinion is still better build/quality (VFM). But Elevate is a SUV and if priced competitively, it will for sure affect City sales.