Honda To Bet On SUVs/e-SUVs for India, To Open Elevate Bookings In July 2023

The planned 5-model lineup includes the Elevate getting an EV derivative too

Update (04/09/23): Honda has announced the prices of the Elevate SUV.

• Honda to revive its SUV innings in India with the Elevate this festive season.

• Apart from the Elevate EV by 2026, we feel Honda could even launch a couple more electric SUVs.

• We could even get subcompact and midsize SUVs from Honda as part of the plan.

Finally, the long-awaited Honda Elevate will be going on sale soon, an all-new SUV from the Japanese carmaker. Honda recently did the global premiere of the compact SUV in India while announcing that its bookings will be opened in July. On the sidelines of the unveiling, the carmaker revealed some of its future plans for India - an SUV onslaught.

What’s To Come?

Honda has announced that it will launch five new SUVs in India by 2030, starting with the Elevate this year. The only other confirmed model of these five is the EV counterpart of the Elevate. Although we await more details from Honda, we feel the carmaker could be eyeing the subcompact SUV segment to take on the likes of the Tata Nexon and Kia Sonet.

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We also believe that the Japanese marque could be interested in the now evolving midsize SUV space featuring stalwarts like the Mahindra XUV700 and Tata Harrier and/or Safari. There are mainly two reasons for us to think so: one is Honda’s absence in this space and the other is the segment’s rise in demand in recent years due to the versatility possessed by each of its members.

Related: How Big Is The Honda Elevate When Compared To Its Compact SUV Rivals?

That said, Honda could very well go ahead and introduce a couple of electric SUVs too as part of the upcoming 5-SUV lineup apart from the already confirmed Elevate EV. One of these electric SUVs could be a large offering, from the brand’s global lineup, to perhaps serve as Honda’s flagship offering in the country.

Honda Elevate: What's It About?

Honda is set to compete in the compact SUV segment soon with the freshly unveiled Elevate. It is the first brand-new Honda car for India since 2017 and will also be exported to other global markets. The Elevate, while being a new model from the ground up, does have some similarities with the City in terms of features and powertrains. It is slated to launch later this festive season with an expected starting price of around Rs 12 lakh (ex-showroom). Check our Elevate unveiling story to find more details of the Honda SUV.