[Aditya_Bhp]

I believe this will be a successful product if priced well, need not undercut the rivals, but can be priced on par.

The Elevate may not as flamboyant as the Koreans but will be safer. Now comparing to the VW/Skoda cars, this will be way more reliable, cheaper and easier to maintain, no complex mechanicals and sensors.

Both the Koreans and Germans offer turbocharged engines, I agree they are superior, but they also bring unnecessary cost and maintenance, for someone who needs a no nonsense car, this is way better.

Against the Grand Vitara/Hyrider, the 1.5IVtec is way superior to the 1.5 K15C NA engines, I agree they offer the Hybrid engines, but they are still overpriced compared to the regular petrol variants. Both cars will deliver decent fuel efficiency, and almost all cars will deliver better efficiency that the Astor.

So overall this is a perfect "CAR", may not be an iPad on wheels, may not be a rocket on the road, but this does get the job done, without much fuss, similar to what the Honda City has done all this years, and that's why the Honda City still sells more than its rivals.

[shibujp]

Those front seats look positively delicious. They just make you want to sink into them. I wouldn't be surprised if this becomes a bench mark in seat comfort in the SUV segment that the City is in the sedan space.

Very strong offering from Honda. I guess there will be a premium in pricing like the City but this should have some strong sales nevertheless.

Drive on,
Shibu

[Silverfire]

I think this is going to take the game to the Korean twins and create a real dent in the segment. While a lot depends on the pricing, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Elevate do at least 5k per month if not more. Although the enthusiasts in us would love to see all items in our checklist ticked and novelty features to excite us, I believe Honda has got the basics sorted. The key points where Honda will compete will be:

1. Looks and Stance: The Elevate is bigger than the Creta, Seltos (and significantly bigger than Taiwan, Kushaq). It also has please all looks, vs the weird Creta. It's going to come across as a nice muscular mid-sized SUV on the roads, especially with that imposing Grill.

2. Safety : Looking at the safety ratings of the city (4-star) and Honda's in general track record in this area, we can expect a better safety rating than the 3-star rated Koreans.

3. Engine and Gearbox: While we are all disappointed with the lack of a Hybrid, remember the Koreans don't have this as well. In fact for the last few months, even the Turbo has been discontinued. So Honda is actually competing with the 1.5 NA that Hyundai/Kia have which contributes to a majority of their sales. And on that topic the Vtec is as good if not better than the 1.5 VTVT. The 1.5 + CVT automatic combo is also tried and tested in India (vs the unreliable DCTs/DSGs), and gives decent fuel efficiency.

4. Brand : The Honda brand still holds premium value.

5. Interiors : I personally prefer these interiors than those of the Creta. They remind me a bit of the facelift Jeep compass, with the leather on the dashboard. I also think Tan coloured interiors (very popular amongst Audi/BMW these days) will age better than the white ones on the Creta. Finally, with the long wheelbase and good space management, Honda seems to have eked out enough space for 4 adults to be comfortable, while giving us a boot which is 25 litres larger than the Creta.

Net-net, I believe Honda has the ingredients in place to appeal to a majority of buyers in this segment. Hoping it succeeds, so that competition continues to make our lives better as customers.

[YashOjha15]

Originally Posted by SoumenD

Any idea its based on Brio/Amaze or City/Jazz? Hope its the latter, else would feel cheap for a 20L car

It's based on the City's platform

[surjaonwheelz]

Elevate can be a perfect choice for a chauffeur driven customer looking for a conventional car (crossover) say in NCR. A powerful turbo engine, fancy electronics, automatic gearbox are NOT a priority for them. All they need is a reliable package. Every journo said that the rear seats are comfortable. Honda just price it aggressively!

[John s]

My personal view-

Exterior-
The exterior is not attractive where one would just fall in love. However, the boxy design and larger footprint might appeal to many.

Interior-
The interiors even though appear bit dated compared to its peers, the tan with black( as seen in photos) is much better than what is offered in grand Vitara. Tan looks classy which is usually seen in high end cars. It appears like it is spacious when compared to some in its category, including head room.

Features-
Even though it lacks features, ADAS might be available in lower variants as well. This might appeal to some. It is surprising that they could have offered better features for top variants (similar to n city ZX) but I suspect, it could be keep elevate from cannibalizing the sales of city. ( It is very likely business philosophy not to offer all features in one model as seen in other sectors ex cameras. They will skip some features in mid range cameras even it might be offered in entry level!). As many parts are shared with city( including engine) and also offering less features, might assist in keeping prices low.


Safety-
There is high possibility that it will score high on GNCAP rating as compared to its Korean rival and may be Japanese duo( Toyota/Maruthi) as well.


After dropping city 4th gen, the sales figures for city model has plummeted over few months.(This can not be explained by launch of new model etc). It looks like there might be specific section of population(not just the Honda loyalists/fans),who might be interested in this, if it is priced competitively.

[cefiljoseph]

I am not really a fan of such compact SUVs. The closest I got to liking one is the Ford Ecosport.

Seeing elevate, it looks like a late attempt by Honda to save the brand in India. This is going to be a tough market primarily because of uninformed customers shopping in these segments.

Honda has the USP of better build and engineering. However, consumers of these cars primary look for gimmicks and gizmos like large screens and sunroofs. Creta was a commercial success because of this despite being a mediocre car. I hope elevate gives Honda the fuel to continue here and offer an actual premium car designed for India during this period.

[Worldchamp 2019]

Oh Honda. What have you done. After all these years of being one of the most desirable brands, they come out with an suv that looks like a Shaktiman truck from the front. Even the placement of the Honda badge looks strange and lost there. I have been a huge Honda fan all my life but this just takes the biscuit. Sorry but I don’t see any effort here at all. The exterior looks boxy. The interior, well, just plain boring. Even the steering wheel hasn’t changed in the last 10 years probably more. I’m personally very disappointed after al that hype.

[naveen.raju]

I dont mind the front end looks but the rear is disappointing. It looks very similar to Seltos, Magnite etc. Also, they should have added more features like the Koreans.
And the lack of Hybrid is a big glaring miss considering we have lot of hybrids coming in from other manufacturers.

Pricing will be the key here since there are many loyal Honda fans especially down south.

Why do I think this looks like an enlarged version of the PMV electric car

[bajoseph04]

Originally Posted by UD17

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.

I agree with you. The WRV ate the numbers from Jazz and at the end, it was the end of both! Those looking for a City with high GC, may go with Elevate which will certainly dent the numbers of the City. I fear the WRV-Jazz fiasco may repeat with City-Elevate

[SilverMachine]

After looking at the design, I think it's safe to say that nobody will salivate over the 'elevate'.

[NT56]

This does not seems like the car for enthusiasts or young folks in general. The absence of hybrids, turbos and some feel good features make sure of that.

But I think this would be a great option for parents, wives and folks in general who don't have performance and chic styling as their priorities.

This is a great urban crossover that is refined, safe, reliable, spacious and will age well. None of the other cars in the segment have all these attributes mixed together. And that I believe is the USP of this car.

[troublemaker]

The design is just okay but that is typical Honda thinking.

I believe that 1.5 NA with CVT will keep all enthusiasts away. I bought current generation Jazz CVT and what a disappointment it is. I absolutely hate to get into that car. And on top of this disappointment, it gives 9 kmpl.

I expect similar characteristics from Elevate.

[CafeRacer16]

Honda Elevate looks like a very good option for someone with majority city usage & occasional highway runs.

It thankfully has no outrageous design, is feature loaded & that 1.5L NA is amongst the most refined & efficient motors in the market much better than the 1.0 fancy branded turbo engines which are noisy, fuel guzzling & have turbo-lag in city driving.

I think if priced right, it should at least blow those competitors out of the water who don't even have a proper AC for Indian conditions or any road presence.

I would have definitely bought this car if had been in the market.

[Contrapunto]

Is Honda late on the trend, once again. While all automakers are moving to hybrids and EVs, here is Honda with another run-of-the-mill ICE vehicle.

Here are my predictions
- This will not dent Creta's share at all. Maybe a few customers, disgruntled with the waiting period, will shift. but very few.
- Initial sales will taper off after a few months, max an year