The all-new Honda Elevate has made its global debut, and could sit below the HR-V in the range, despite sharing similar dimensions.
The 2024 Honda Elevate was unveiled this week for the Indian market, ahead of an expected introduction in Japan – which could pave the way for an Australian launch.
While Honda is yet to confirm which export markets will sell the Elevate once production begins in India, it has been spied testing in Japan – ahead of a possible launch there – and is claimed to meet global safety standards.
Japanese showroom arrivals could open the door to the Elevate joining the Australian range, to sit below the HR-V, ZR-V, and CR-V in the company’s SUV line-up.
“Honda continues to see a shift in the SUV market and although we cannot discuss the release of future models, we do see opportunities for growth in the SUV segment,” a spokesperson for Honda Australia told Drive this week.
The Elevate comes in at 4312mm long, 1650mm high, 1790mm wide, and has a wheelbase of 2650mm – making it roughly the same size as the Kia Seltos.
Curiously, the Elevate’s dimensions are not far off the Honda HR-V, which is 4335mm long, 1590mm high, and 1790mm wide.
In India, the Elevate is powered by the same 89kW/145Nm 1.5-litre non-turbo petrol four-cylinder engine found in the WR-V – another small Honda SUV sold in developing Asian markets – as well as the HR-V in Australia.
Despite previous reports of a hybrid option, no such engine has been announced for India – possibly due to local laws that impose high taxes on hybrids, according to Autocar India – but leaving the door open for a hybrid option to be developed for Japan and elsewhere.
However, during the car’s unveiling, Honda did confirm there would be an electric version of the Elevate “within three years”. No additional details were provided.
Inside, the Elevate echoes other Honda designs of recent years, and features a 10.25-inch infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay, blind-spot monitoring, and rear-view camera. Wireless smartphone charging is also available.
Honda claims the Elevate “meets the global safety standards of Honda cars sold around the world”, and comes with six airbags, autonomous emergency braking, lane-keep assist, auto high beam, radar cruise control, traffic sign recognition, rear seat reminder, electronic stability control, hill start assist, and rear parking sensors, among others.
Pricing for the 2024 Honda Elevate in India will be announced in July when the vehicle goes on sale.
