Honda has launched the facelifted Elevate in India, with an ex-showroom starting price of Rs 11.80 lakh. This, if you see, is the same price as the pre-facelift model. Higher up the price ladder, however, the new model has become expensive by up to Rs 1.94 lakh. The new Elevate comes with a bunch of interesting changes in its design and packaging. Let’s see it in images.
Exterior Design Changes
The facelift does not get a complete design overhaul. The base design and stance remain the same. The details have evolved. That said, it packs much more visual appeal than the model it replaces. The biggest changes can be seen at the front. The lighting, grille and front bumper are different on the new SUV.
The most noticeable update is the new segmented LED DRL strip (which Honda calls the ‘tri-bar position lamps’) positioned above the grille. It runs along the width of the car and connects the LED headlamps and DRLs in them.
The headlamp design remains familiar. But look at it carefully and you will notice slight changes in the internals. The Honda logo now sits on the leading edge of the bonnet. On the pre-facelift model, it used to be positioned on the front grille.
The grille itself has a slightly different design now. It has mesh patterns and is finished in gloss Black. It looks more upmarket than before.
The front bumper has also been redesigned and now looks youthful and appealing. It houses a large air dam, skid plate and a pair of projector LED fog lamps. There is also a noticeable Black cladding on the bumper, whereas the fog lamp housings are now finished in body colour. Overall, the front now looks cleaner and more masculine.
There are no changes in the profile. The tall stance has been retained and the silhouette seems familiar. Even the alloy wheels have been carried over from the pre-facelift.
The biggest change at the rear is the new LED light bar connecting the tail lamps. The rear bumper seems to have been slightly tweaked as well. Apart from these, almost every other design detail has been carried over unchanged.
Another big change is in the colour palette. The new Elevate is available in 10 exterior colours. These include dual-tones and mono-tones, and Nordic Forest Pearl- a new shade.
What Are The Changes Inside?
The cabin experience has improved significantly on the facelift. The overall layout remains familiar. So are many of its features. There are, however, a handful of notable additions which keep the Elevate competent in the sales race.
The biggest highlight inside is the four-seat ventilation function. Both the front and rear seats are ventilated on the new model. The front seats are also powered, with 8-way adjustment for the driver’s seat and 4-way adjustment for the co-driver’s seat. Together, these add to the overall comfort levels inside.
Another major addition is a 360-degree camera. This feature is now being offered even in much cheaper cars, and Honda has finally taken note of the same and added it to the new Elevate’s equipment array. The SUV also gets capacitive-touch-based reading lamps at the rear.
Another notable addition is the addition of disc brakes for all wheels and an electronic parking brake with auto hold function. The latter is only available on CVT variants.
Ambient lighting is another big addition. It was previously available as a dealer-level optional accessory, but is standard equipment on higher variants now.
The central touchscreen is a 10.25-inch unit, and comes with wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto. Paired with it is an 8-speaker premium audio system.
Other features include a single-pane panoramic sunroof, automatic climate control, wireless charger, rear AC vents, connected car features, level 2 ADAS and more. The level 2 ADAS package includes adaptive cruise control with low-speed follow on CVT variants, along with several other features.
The cabin offers better NVH levels than before. There is an increased use of sound-deadening material aimed at making the interior a quieter place to be in.
Same 1.5-Litre Petrol Engine
The new Elevate uses the same 1.5-litre, four-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol engine as the previous model. It makes 121PS and 145Nm, and is offered with two transmission options- a six-speed manual gearbox and a CVT.
The latter comes with paddle shifters. Honda claims fuel efficiency of 15.31kpl for the manual version and 16.61kpl for the CVT.
Honda has launched the new Elevate facelift in India at an ex-showroom starting price of Rs 11.80 lakh. Five trims are available- SV, V, VX, ZX, ZX+. The last one is a new addition to the lineup. Honda hasn’t revealed its price yet. Pre-bookings are already underway.
This is the first major update to the mid-size SUV since its introduction in 2023. India is the first market to get the updated SUV. The facelift gets a revised exterior styling, more features inside and absolutely no change in its engine.
Design: What Has Changed?
On the new Elevate, most of the styling changes are concentrated at the front end. It gets a redesigned grille section, a new bumper, and refreshed lighting, including new LED DRLs. Minor changes can also be seen in the LED headlamps. The side view remains familiar. The proportions are unchanged as well.
At the rear, the SUV gets revised LED tail lamps and a slightly tweaked bumper. These design changes differentiate the new model from the pre-facelift one and give it a fresher appearance. More importantly, these bring it closer to Honda’s latest global styling direction. The intent has been to make the design bolder, and looks like Honda has successfully done it!
10 exterior colour options are available, including three dual-tone shades. You can also choose from two cabin colour schemes.
Interior And Features
The Elevate has always had a reputation of keeping things simple on the equipment front. This feature gap widened lately with the influx of models like the second-generation Kia Seltos. The facelift tries to address this by offering a few features which were earlier offered as dealer-level accessories.
The ambient lighting is a good example. It now comes integrated into various places inside the cabin. The overall fit, finish and material quality inside have improved significantly. The Elevate now feels more premium than before. The colour scheme is another big difference. The pre-facelift used to have a tan-themed cabin. The facelift uses lighter, more pleasant colours. Also, there is an all-Black option on offer.
It continues to offer a camera-based ADAS suite with features like adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, collision mitigation braking and road departure mitigation. You also get an automatic climate control, wireless charger, sunroof, air purification system, type-C ports, capacitive touch rear LED spot lamps, and more. A first in its segment, the new Elevate offers front and rear ventilated seats.
Front seats get power adjustments- 8-way for the driver’s seat and four-way for the co-driver’s seat. The car also has front and rear parking sensors and sees the addition of a 360-degree camera. It has disc brakes for all wheels and comes with an electronic parking brake.
Engine Specifications
The new Elevate continues with the same engine as the pre-facelift model- a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol, known for its smoothness and refinement levels. The Honda City also uses the same engine. It makes 121PS and 145Nm on the SUV. Honda says the NVH levels have improved further on the new model. Two gearbox options are offered- manual and CVT.
Previously, there were reports about Honda considering a new, more localised strong hybrid powertrain for the new Elevate. These have now been proved to be mere rumours.
The New Elevate Faces A Stronger Set Of Rivals
The updated Elevate enters India’s fiercely competitive mid-size SUV segment. This space now has strong players like the new Kia Seltos, Tata Sierra, and Maruti Suzuki Victoris. Although it is awaiting a full model change, the Hyundai Creta is still the king of this segment. Other rivals are Volkswagen Taigun, Skoda Kushaq, MG Astor, Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, Toyota Hyryder, Renault Duster and Nissan Tekton.
On the product level, most of these vehicles are well-packaged and sharply priced. This is primarily because the buyers in this segment are mostly particular about having premium features in their vehicles. Safety is another major concern.
Most manufacturers follow a multi-powertrain approach in this segment. Honda, however, is an exception on this front, and comes with just the 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine. That said, it stands fairly competitive against most rivals.
The Elevate nameplate has been a fairly big success for Honda. According to the carmaker’s claims, over 162000 units of it have been sold in domestic and export markets so far. The new model will add to these numbers.