[ron178]

Originally Posted by John s

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.

For adult protection, maybe, and knowing Honda, quite likely. But for child protection, not a chance. The lap belt in the rear is going to cost it dearly.

[ajmat]

I was looking forward to the BHEV model to replace my Polo 1.6. The CVT will not rock my boat!

I guess, it will either be a Kushaq or an Altroz EV (if it comes out!)

[rAijin_]

Originally Posted by Geo_Ipe

Beg to differ with the mentioned FE figures. I use a City CVT and easily manage highway FE figures of 17-18 kmpl. Shave 1-2 kmpl max off those figures to estimate the Elevate's FE numbers.

Originally Posted by Behemoth

The current Honda City Automatic gives a mileage of 7-8 in city drving and 12-13 on highways.

My Honda City CVT ( 2016 model ) mileage figures aligns more with Behemoth. That is 8-10 kmpl in city and 13-15 kmpl on Highway.
But, I'm a more enthusiastic driver, so that may also be the reason. If I set a cruise at 80kmph on highway, then I may get closer to 17-18 kmpl.

However, the point I believe is that for Hybrid, the mileage will be 20+ kmpl for both City and Highway. Which would reduce fuel bills drastically.

Also Hybrid is the new Diesel. If your running is high, you can go with a Hybrid and get similar or better price per km as compared to Petrol with much less carbon emission. Hybrid are also a boon for metro cities like Delhi / NCR where traffic is high. Since the hybrid runs a lot on battery in bumper to bumper traffic, you save a lot on fuel with less carbon emission.

By skipping Hybrid, Honda skipped all customers that fit in the above two category.

Regarding the price, today Honda City Hybrid e:HEV is already priced 50k - 70k more than Maruti/Toyota twin. So Elevate Hybrid could be priced 1.5L - 2L more than them.
But Honda could have launched two Hybrid variants with reduced price for one version. May be Hybrid without ADAS for lesser price and then another variant with all bells and wishes.
I agree that Maruti/Toyota twin do make more sense considering the price. But I believe 1/2 out of 10 customers would have considered Honda Elevate hybrid as well.

[ashutoshb]

A little bit more specific details from this interview.

Bookings from first week of July.

Deliveries from middle of festival period.

Of the five SUVs to be launched till 2030:
Elevate is the first.
EV SUV based on the Elevate platform will be second.
And then there will be three more.

All showrooms are being upgraded for a premium feel.

Source:

https://youtu.be/VUo7gi0lN6M

[Caffeinated]

Originally Posted by rAijin_

My Honda City CVT ( 2016 model ) mileage figures aligns more with Behemoth. That is 8-10 kmpl in city and 13-15 kmpl on Highway.
But, I'm a more enthusiastic driver, so that may also be the reason. If I set a cruise at 80kmph on highway, then I may get closer to 17-18 kmpl.

If the City CVT mileage within city is 8-10 kmpl range, then for Elevate CVT, it can go down to 7-8 kmpl. This can affect sales negatively after initial hype, specially with ever increasing fuel prices.

Many, including myself, would be ok with low mileage at cost of good performance ( like Xuv700 P), but not for adequate performer like this 1.5L engine on heavy frame. Maybe, other City CVT owners can confirm if they are also getting sub-10 mileage within city.

[SJ1211]

Followed the unveil of Elevate.

This could have been Honda's Eureka moment in India and they could have set themselves for a legacy with the upcoming Elevate but this is clearly an opportunity lost. As several members have pointed out - This would have been a blockbuster in 2015 but in 2023 with half baked features and single engine option!! Nah!. Honda got it wrong!!

While the styling is mature & subjective but the lack of features, additional engine options makes this a laggard.

Unfair treatment that India market got as compared to Indonesian / Malaysian which gets excellent new Honda cars with very well suited features. Don't understand why..

[Rodie09]

Well, a nice looking Honda there. I quite like most things about the car but not the name. Not important perhaps, but somehow this name doesn't get me.

No offence to owners, but all the car names like Elevate, Aspire, Dzire etc.seem to be screamingly telling that they are mark of a higher social status and one is moving upward with them from an apparently lower current one
Perhaps they are, but the names make it too much in the face kind. Or may be just that I am stupid

[sulliavi]

Confusing design ! Grill is too squarish for my liking, and its rear side profile inspired by Nissan Magnite I guess. Kia Seltos definitely has the perfect design in its class.

As many experts said here, its a half baked product for sure, shows Honda's laziness towards India.

I really appreciate how Indian manufacturers Tata and Mahindra could offer world class products which Honda is unable to do here

peace..

[mk600]

Lot of discussions on this thread about the lack of Hybrid on the Honda Elevate.

From Honda India, as seen in this video: The Honda Elevate will not get a Hybrid version, primarily as the Government is strongly pushing Electric Vehicles (than Hybrids), and also Honda wants to focus on electric SUVs as the growth segment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3p5qjhEtNI

[Doonite]

Originally Posted by HartBandit

The Nexon, Punch and the Brezza don't have panoramic sunroofs and they are the bestselling C-SUVs/SC-SUVs. The Jeep Compass, MG Astor and MG Hector have a panoramic sunroof and yet I don't see them selling well. Point being - the panoramic sunroof is not as important for everyone as it is for some people and there are a LOT of other factors which influence a car-purchase. The Creta has become a brand-name. I don't think people are buying it just because it has a panoramic sunroof.

Also, the Kicks is a not matured product. It lacked appeal and had lot of issues, along with it being a Nissan - a brand that has very little appeal in India.

The Nexon, Punch and Brezza don't have panoramic sunroofs, yet they are the best selling C-SUVs because panoramic sunroof is not a segment norm in that category + all of those cars have some sorf of USP's.

The Jeep Compass, Astor, Hector (you mixed the segments) all have panoramic sunroof but, so does the competition as it's a segment norm. The consideration becomes different when panoramic sunroof is a given in the segment you're shopping.

I would love to know how Kicks was not a matured product and whatever "issues" it had. Other than the brand Nissan, Kicks was a strong product and jack of all trades, master of none.

People seem to let nostalgia cloud their thoughts a lot when it comes to brand like Honda. I struggle to see how it is still seen as premium?

Speaking generally and witnessing my cousin's experience, Honda spare parts are not cheap, service is not cheap, and their cars are not MORE reliable than the competition, rather at par judging by the issues faced by people owning current gen and old gen City.

Volkswagen and Skoda have perpetual issues, so no point discussing them.

Coming to the Elevate, what does it have to stand out from the competition other than Nostalgia? I ask this because i fail to see any USP over the competition other than speculation, hope and debatable exterior (i like it).

Features? Lesser than competition.

- When was the last time, in this segment, that you or anyone heard multiple people say they want to buy "this" particular car because it has the basics right but lacks the features, we'll buy it? ( looking at you Fortuner)

Engine? Approaching dinosaur age.

- Anybody who has driven the City manual on mild hilly terrain will know how hard you have to work the gearbox with medium load and AC on. I haven't driven the Virtus/Slavia or the new Verna, but i believe they have far superior powertrains and more variety.

Interiors? At par.

- i say at par because they're equivalent to Hyyryder and Grand Vitara. I believe Creta interiors feel better and the new Seltos coming out later definitely has better.

This car will struggle and I don't see what it has to "dent" the competition and do "5k+" sales easily month on month.

P.S somebody said that Hyyryder and Grand Vitara Hybrid offer decent fuel efficiency. No, they offer far superior fuel efficiency in a variety of conditions while being no slouches in performance.

[Adam]

I'm bit surprised by the comments! I agree that its design is simple, bland and doesnt have any wow factor, but it covers most of the basics very well, also I did like the interior dashboard layout , its simple and the color selection does look good too. The infotainment is still not the best in terms of UI/UX though.

The major disadvantage I see on Elevate is its powertrain, they should have atleast offered a Hybrid varient at launch. It may not dent Creta sales, but may put some competition to VW Twins if priced well also many might go with Honda for their reliability and tension free ownership.

[kaulsays]

Agree that the looks are differing with some folks liking it and some (including me) disdaining the huge front grill! I don't know why but it looks out of place to me.

The powertrain seems to lack power, may just be enough for city driving but might struggle on highways.

I was really optimistic about them bringing a Hybrid powertrain and would have considered it seriously but alas!

With no diesel/Hybrid and only Petrol as an option, I believe Honda missed a very big opportunity to make a mark.

And if historically their launch prices are to be looked at, I don't think it will be hugely competitive.

The market has started to get congested in this space and 3 years is a long time to bring a new variant, the vanity will wear off.

[mayjay]

A little disappointed with the design on seeing the Elevate, the front could have been a little more elegantly laid out for sure. I’m sure we will get used to it beyond the initial few months.

That gaping grill is literally crying out for a FORD Raptor style aftermarket accessory screaming HONDA.

On viewing the side profile, it looks as if the Seltos was the inspiration and you might as well be buying a Honda Seltos. No bad thing in my opinion as some folks, myself included, view Seltos as a no go due to the safety issues. Honda has done itself no favours, however, by leaving out the third three point seat belt and the middle headrest. I also could not spot any Isofix points, that is something very basic and I hope this is not a miss from Honda.

The interior is a mix of good and the not so good. The BMW style tan interior is definitely a plus, but some bits such as the AC vents and the AC controls look cheap. Also, that steering definitely is long in the tooth. My 14 year old City has the same basic design, with fewer buttons of course.

All in all a middle of the road package, in a crowded market. While I’m sure this will sell well initially, but over time, my sense is it would settle somewhere around the 2500-3500 units a month mark.

Personally, it feels like something I would definitely explore and only if there is some major dealbreaker in price, look and feel or ride, would I look elsewhere.

[pratiksinhal]

This is a big disappointment at launch.
I have the Hybrid Hyryder and I have driven the City Hybrid. I am not very satisfied with the hyryder in terms of quality of the product but the hybrid has been the only good thing to talk about in the hyryder. After driving the city hybrid I realised that it was much smoother than the hyryder . Also the interior quality of the city was much better.
I was eyeing on the Elevate as the second Hybrid Suv in my garage. I was hoping for honda city like quality and hybrid in a SUV form, but this launch has been disappointing.
I feel that honda will surprise us with the Elevate hybrid after getting the market response. May be they didn’t want to make the launch price high that’s why they have delayed the hybrid.
Fingers crossed for the elevate hybrid. If it comes in I will surely consider it. Running Costs are very important.
Whenever we sit with someone discussing about new cars to buy , the focus is only on EV or Hybrid these days . I don’t understand how did honda miss it.

[skarthiksr]

Honda Elevate is one of the most awaited launches in the recent times and I am not much disappointed with this. I think there has been lot of opinions on the looks aspect which doesn't bother me much as its probably the last item in my checklist for a perfect car.

In terms of features, barring a couple of glaring omissions(3-point seat belt, no headrest for middle passenger), this is what I expected from Honda - just the featureset of the city to be brought in as-is and anything else is a bonus and that's what it is. Honda seems to have done this to make sure that the pricing is competitive. I expect a premium of 1-1.3L over the City and anything above it is going to be a stretch, but we do not know how will Honda surprise us.

Now, regarding lack of features - Yes. Honda could have added lot of features and could have made the product very appealing. But, that definitely would need to come with a higher cost and Honda doesn't want that to happen is what it looks to me. And it is also not true that a car which packs features will sell. Let's take MG Astor. The car packs multiple attractive features - 360 degree camera, blindspot assist, heated ORVM, electric parking brake, power adjustable seat and to top it with Level 2 ADAS and panoramic sunroof. But, was it a run-away success? No. The brand image, production scale issues and mileage probably are the factors or whatever. But, Honda has a significant advantage here - the brand 'Honda'. I think they are betting heavily on that and if they manage to convert the folks who are leaving the Honda showroom after liking the City, but don't want a sedan, they are going to win. So, I don't think Honda has any plan to compete with the Creta or Seltos - they just want their own fan base to settle with Honda and not go elsewhere for an SUV.

Next, regarding the hybrid powertrain, I expected Honda to skip it. The reason is very simple. City e:HEV is currently at a premium of 4.4L over the petrol counterpart. This is ridiculously high for the reasons best known to Honda. Launch of Elevate e:HEV would throw the upper price spectrum of the car very significantly which would make no sense while Hyryder and Grand Vitara Hybrids are well priced. Honda simply did not want to shoot itself down with it. And, even the City hybrid was never planned and executed very well. They did not manufacture the red colour for a long time, the boot space was too low and it was not compensated with 60:40 split seats feature etc. City e:HEV sales numbers should have been very low and frankly I don't expect Honda to continue the e:HEV and they might wrap it up by end of this year.

On the Honda management, they are still very slow with the Elevate which is the most disappointing part. They told summer 2023 and launched the car in June. Now, July for the bookings and I don't have any idea if they will reveal the prices then. And deliveries even after that with another vague "festive season" which could mean any month. They should have actually revealed the full brochure with variants and opened up bookings yesterday itself and could have revealed the prices a month later followed by delivery. Atleast, this is what they did with e:HEV, they opened pre-bookings on the launch date and revealed the prices after a month. May be Honda is looking to gather some major feedback and see if they can address it before the final production version - no idea.

The next milestone now is to wait for the prices and the test drives. Looking forward to it. Best wishes to Honda.