Top 5 Things The Honda Elevate Might Miss Out On

The compact SUV will be unveiled globally in June and some dealerships have already started taking offline bookings

Honda is all set to reveal its next offering for the Indian market on June 6, and it’s going to be a compact SUV called Honda Elevate. The Elevate will mark Honda’s long awaited competition to the likes of Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos, but it is not coming with a feature list at the leading edge of comfort and technology in the mass-market. While it is expected to offer ADAS and hybrid powertrains, there are some features it will miss out on which its rivals have been flaunting for a while. Here are the top 5 things that we think the Elevate might miss out on:

Panoramic Sunroof

This was only just confirmed in a recent teaser for its unveil date that showed a top-view of the Honda Elevate, clearly showing a single pane sunroof.

Also Read: Honda Zeroes In On A Debut Date For The Elevate SUV, But Won’t Offer It With A Panoramic Sunroof

A panoramic sunroof can be a deciding factor for many buyers and other models like Hyundai Creta, Maruti Grand Vitara and Toyota Hyryder have this feature on offer. Even the Kia Seltos will get this feature in its facelifted version, which is slated to arrive later this year.

Diesel Engine

Honda only recently ditched the diesel option from its lineup in India and the Elevate will not get that either. The compact SUV segment is mostly devoid of diesel options but some of its rivals still do offer customers the choice of the torquier powertrain. 

Turbo-petrol Engine

Not only will the Elevate not offer a diesel engine, but it is unlikely to get the choice of a turbo-petrol unit either. Honda does not offer performance-oriented powertrains in India, instead preferring to add powertrains that deliver higher fuel efficiency such as hybrids. This is where the Honda Elevate will be in the minority of the compact SUV space where most models come with turbo-petrol engines.

An Impressive Display

Honda is not known for offering the segment-leading infotainment displays in India, especially in terms of size. Even the City, which got an update earlier this year, continues with its 8-inch infotainment screen, which is smaller than what its rivals offer.

Also Read: 5 Things You Can Expect From Honda’s Elevate SUV

While we do expect that the Elevate can come with a screen bigger than what’s offered on the City, it still might not be bigger than what its rivals offer. At best, it might sport a 10.25-inch touchscreen unit which is sort of the segment standard these days. Furthermore, there are rival SUVs priced at Rs 15 lakh or higher that offer a dual-integrated display setup, which might also be absent on the Elevate.

All-Wheel Drive

Among most urban compact SUVs, all-wheel drive is not as common but certainly has its appeal and is only offered by the Maruti-Toyota duo of the Grand Vitara and Hyryder. Given that the Honda Elevate falls short of its rivals in the above-mentioned features, it could have offered this drivetrain option to stand out, but it almost certainly will not.

These are all the things that we might not get to see on the Honda Elevate. However, there’s still plenty to look forward to in terms of the brand’s strengths like interior quality, premium build, crisp design and reliability. The compact SUV will be launched by August 2023 at an expected starting price of Rs 11 lakh (ex-showroom). The Elevate will be a rival to the likes of Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Maruti Grand Vitara, Toyota Hyryder, Volkswagen Taigun and Skoda Slavia.