Honda launches Elevate facelift in India, prices start at Rs 11.80 lakh ex-showroom

Honda has launched the facelift version of its SUV Elevate in the Indian market. The starting ex-showroom price is Rs 11.80 lakh, for the base SV variant. The company has kept the price of the base variant the same as that of the old model. A new top-spec variant, the ZX+, has been added to the line-up for the first time.

Variant-wise prices are as follows. The SV is available only with a manual transmission (MT) and costs Rs 11,80,000. The V variant is priced at Rs 12,29,000 in MT and Rs 13,79,000 in CVT. The VX costs Rs 13,93,000 for MT and Rs 15,39,000 for CVT. The ZX variant will be available at Rs 15,39,000 in MT and Rs 16,89,000 in CVT.

The top-spec ZX+ is priced at Rs 16.80 lakh, while its CVT version costs Rs 18.30 lakh. The ZX+ BLK comes at Rs 16.90 lakh for MT and Rs 18.40 lakh for CVT. The ZX+ DT variant is priced at Rs 18.50 lakh.

Some significant changes have been made to the design. The front grille now has light bars in three sections, which makes the grille look like a connected lighting setup. The tail lights at the rear have also been changed, and the front bumper design has been slightly modified. With these changes, the new Elevate looks a little more updated and attractive than the old model.

Honda has not focused only on the exterior design; it has also made a major update to the cabin features. Ventilation is provided for the rear seats. Powered front seats are also offered, with 8-way adjustment for the driver seat and 4-way adjustment for the front passenger seat. Features such as a wireless charger, a PM 2.5 filter and a 360-degree camera are also available. Front and rear parking sensors, rear disc brakes and an EPB, or electronic parking brake, are also included. The interior theme has also been changed to give the cabin a more premium feel.

A new colour, Nordic Fest Pearl, has been added to the palette. Customers can choose between dual-tone and single-tone colours. The dual-tone options are Nordic Fest Pearl, Radiant Red Metallic and Platinum White Pearl. The single-tone colours are Nordic Fest Pearl, Crystal Black Pearl, Obsidian Blue Pearl, Radiant Red Metallic, Meteoroid Gray Metallic and Lunar Silver Metallic.

There is no change in the powertrain, which was what customers had expected most. Some customers had wanted a more powerful turbo engine or a hybrid powertrain in the updated SUV, but the company has offered neither for now. It retains the earlier 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine, which produces 119bhp of power and 145Nm of torque. It is offered with a 6-speed manual and a CVT gearbox. Honda does not currently have a turbo engine line-up in India, but the company is working towards bringing more international models to the Indian market.

The Elevate is manufactured in India. The SUV, built in India, is also exported to the company's home country, Japan. The Elevate therefore remains important from the standpoint of Indian manufacturing.

Overall, although there are no major mechanical changes, the company has made significant updates to features, interior and design. With features such as rear seat ventilation, wireless charging, a 360-degree camera, a PM 2.5 filter, powered front seats and an EPB, the new Elevate has become more feature-rich. With the existing 1.5-litre petrol engine retained instead of a turbo or hybrid, the biggest change in this SUV is at the level of features and design.