Honda Elevate

In the highly competitive compact SUV segment, the Honda Elevate has always been the sensible and more accessible option, thanks to its well-rounded package and affordable pricing. However, for that, there was some compromise on tech and flashy features. 

In the 2026 Honda Elevate facelift (detailed launch story here), the carmaker has made an attempt to fix this by adding more tech and some flashy features, along with cosmetic changes, while keeping the price in the affordable range. 

It still competes with the likes of Tata Sierra, Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Skoda Kushaq, Volkswagen Tiguan, Maruti Grand Vitara, Maruti Victoris, and Toyota Hyryder. I've driven it from Delhi to Jaipur and here's why I think it might just be the SUV to pick if you don't really care about outright performance.

To make this traditionally styled SUV look more modern and to keep up with the evolving market trends, Honda has made some changes to the design of the Elevate. It's not radical by any means, but does help keep things a bit fresh (click here to read what has been updated from the older version).

Up front, you now get connected LED DRLs, which have dashes in the middle, similar to the ones we saw in the new Honda City.

The facelifted Elevate now gets a gloss black grille with a honeycomb pattern, and just like in the City, the Honda logo has now been moved to the bonnet. The beefed up grill along with the already very muscular hood haunches give the Elevate a very strong presence. It might not feel as sophisticated as it was before, but it isn’t polarising either.

Things in profile remain very traditional, with the same silhouette design, conventional door handles and chunky ORVMs.

Even the 17-inch alloy wheels continue as it was before, which still looks classy, but what is new is the piano black finish for the cladding which adds a bit of shine to the Elevate’s design.

I do wish Honda took this opportunity to remove that keyhole which you get towards the driver side door. Lower variants of the Honda Elevate get 16-inch wheels. 

At the back, you now get connected LED tail lamps in the form of two strips running parallel, meeting in the middle at the Honda logo.

The bumper design continues to be the same, but the piano black panel has a nice contrast with the brushed aluminum inserts. 

The Elevate facelift is available with a new Nordic Forest Pearl, Crystal Black Pearl, Lunar Silver, Meteoroid Grey, Obsidian Blue Pearl, Platinum White Pearl and Radiant Red Metallic. Some of these things are available in a dual tone too: Radiant Red Metallic, Nordic Forest Pearl, and Platinum White Pearl.

If you want to know which color is available in which variant, then read this variant-wise color story. 

For people who want to stand out, Honda continues to offer the Bold edition, which makes the car look serious with its black exterior color and glossy black wheels. 

Take a look at all the design details of the new Honda Elevate in this story.

Things inside the interior feel familiar and fresh at the same time because while the dashboard layout continues to be the same, Honda has changed the theme, which now shifts to a dual tone white and black colour treatment. The Bold Edition gets an all black theme.

There are minute styling changes too, with the wood insert making its way for a soft touch leatherette padding. You also get a dash of ambient lighting around the dashboard and door trims. I do however wish all the power window switches got illumination (back lit lighting) at night. 

Thankfully, the console beneath the central AC vents continues to get tactile knobs and physical buttons for climate control. The top half of the dashboard continues to be made-up of slightly scratchy plastics, but with the smooth leatherette inserts and the leather it seats, the cabin experience does feel premium and acceptable for the price. 

Front Seats

Ingress egress is easy and will be comfortable for the elderly too. Once inside, you will find that the seats are wide and accommodating with balanced cushioning and comfortable supports. 

Eight-way powered seat adjustment for the driver in the top-spec variant makes the front seats even more comfortable, but even without that there is a good range of adjustment and you can find a comfortable and a very commanding driving position without any difficulty. Tilt and telescopic steering wheel adjustment is offered as standard. 

The front passenger gets a four-way powered seat. There is enough space for tall people to stretch their legs out, but exceptionally tall people might find that the Maruti Grand Vitara is slightly more accommodating for them. 

Rear Seats

At the rear, knee room is among the best in the segment. A six footer can sit behind someone even taller comfortably. The floor under the seats is raised, turning it into a natural footrest. There are no complaints about headroom, either. The roof liner is scooped from the sides, creating a bit more space, but three people abreast will be a squeeze acceptable enough for short drives. The middle passenger now benefits from an adjustable headrest. 

I wish Honda offered rear sun shades with this update because with the rear seat ventilation and already existing central armrest and rear AC vents, this is a very good place to be chauffeur driven in. 

Storage and Practicality

The Honda Elevate’s cabin continues to be a practical space. The glove box size is reasonable enough for you to store a couple of 1 litre water bottles in it.

For stacking multiple phones or power banks, you get a big open space underneath the AC control panel. Underneath are two cup holders for takeaway coffee glasses. The central armrest gets some cubby space, good enough for keeping your loose bills and toll receipts. All four doors have 1-litre bottle pockets along with some storage behind them.

The rear central armrest has two cup holders, one bigger than the other, and there is also a seat back pocket behind the front passenger seat.

Boot Space

458-litres of claimed space makes the Elevate’s boot one of the biggest in the segment, but in the real world as well, this boot is equally accommodating. Even with multiple large suitcases in, it has space to spare for some couple of duffel bags and carry ons, thanks to the deep and wide area. 

There is also a 60:40 split in the rear seats, after which you can store even larger items. But do note that the seats don't fold flat, so pushing those larger items inside might be an effort.

Before this facelift, the Elevate’s feature list, while adequate, did miss some feel-good features compared to its rivals. Now, many of those features have been added to its package and here’s what they improve:

Front and rear seat ventilation: 3 levels of cooling for the seat base and back feels comfortable on a hot sunny day. Works quite silently too.

360-camera with front parking sensors: Viewing angles in the 3D mode are limited, but it does make parking and manoeuvring the car in tight parking spaces or traffic situations easier. 

Powered front seats: Makes making adjustments to the seat positioning for the front passenger slightly more convenient. 

PM 2.5 filter with AQI bar: Offers better air filtration automatically whenever the AC is switched on. 

Rear Type-C charging ports: Switches to the more modern charging port instead of the 12 V socket for rear passengers.

The rest of the feature package, including the single-pane sunroof. automatic AC vents and even the screens remain the same. The 10.25-inch Infotainment system seems like it has a bit dated user interface, but it is easy to use nonetheless. The response times and resolution are crisp and you can use it on a bright day as well. Android Auto and Apple Carplay are wireless and are easy to connect. I like the six physical buttons beneath the screen which can be used to change the brightness, volume and even switch to the home screen very easily.

The semi-digital driver’s display is classy with a digital display for the tachometer, while the speedometer continues to be an analogue dial. I found the eight speaker sound system to be good enough for regular usage. It has crispness and punchy bass at higher volumes. Although don't expect an immersive sound experience like you get in some of its rivals like the Tata Sierra. 

Other functional features like automatic climate control with rear AC vents, a wireless phone charger, a single-pane sunroof, electrically adjustable and auto-folding ORVMS, and push-button start/stop are still on offer.

Standard safety features in the Honda Elevate include 6 airbags, ABS with EBD, electronic stability control (ESC), traction control, hill hold assist, and ISOFIX child seat anchors. Front parking sensors have been added, and a 360-degree camera with a blind-spot monitor continues to be on offer. 

Tyre pressure monitoring system is part of the connected car technology and can be accessed via your smartphone. 

The ADAS kit continues to be a camera based system, but has better functionality with stop and go adaptive cruise control. So where the system used to automatically deactivate after a certain speed, it now brings the car to a complete halt and also drives off when the car ahead moves. Other features like the lane keep assist and autonomous emergency braking offer convenience when driving on well marked expressways.

The heart of the Honda Elevates powertrain continues to be a naturally aspirated 4 cylinder 1.5 litre petrol engine. There is no hybrid powertrain available, so while the engine option remains the same, Honda has improved the NVH by adding a bit more insulation to the cabin. 

* Continuously variable transmission

Here's the variant-wise powertrain breakdown of the new Honda Elevate.

Honda Elevate Drive review

The Elevates 1.5 NA petrol has always been a relaxed, refined and smooth commuter. We drove it with the CVT on our first drive experience and it is the combination to have if you are going to be driving in the city and want the convenience of an automatic in traffic. The CVT complements the engine really well. Both feel super smooth to drive as the car picks up speed linearly. And even if you want an overtake, the transmission is quick enough to react to make sure that you're in the right gear ratio and helps you make that overtake easily. 

However, things get a bit loud if you want to make overtakes at higher speeds. It doesn't mind cruising at speeds of 100 kilometres per hour, but reaching those triple digit speeds just takes some patience and time. Ask for a quick overtake while cruising and the CVT revs up really high. As a result, despite the improved insulation, the engine gets loud, but you still don’t build speeds quickly. So some planning in advance will be required if you want to be making overtakes on the highway, especially with a full load inside the vehicle. 

This has always been a powertrain that awards smooth and relaxed driving style, and it continues to do so. If driven sensibly, you can expect a fuel efficiency of around 11 to 13kmpl in the city and around 15kmpl on the highway.

Ride and Handling

The Elevate’s performance might not be plenty for some, but the ride quality is definitely plenty comfortable. Leaving Gurgaon to get on the Delhi Jaipur highway, we encountered some bad roads where it kept us comfortable. It doesn't move around too much over imperfections and road patch works, and bump absorption over speed breakers and potholes is good. But you will have to keep your speed in check over the bigger potholes, otherwise it translates some of that impact inside. 

This steering felt easy to use at low city speeds and felt confident and precise enough on the highway while making a quick lane change at higher speeds. The Elevate also feels at home sitting at triple digit speeds and highway speed limits without any issues and gives you the confidence to carry those speeds. You and your family won't have a problem with its cornering poise as well, as long as you are aware that this is a family focussed SUV.

The Honda Elevate is available in six variants: SV, V, VX, ZX, ZX+, ZX+ BLACK.

We've already done a detailed breakdown of what each variant of the new Honda Elevate offers, but you can read ahead to know about their highlighting features.

Elevate SV

• The exterior gets LED elements for the headlights, DRLs, and tail lights, but sits on 16-inch steel wheels without any covers.

• Gets dual tone ivory and black theme but with fabric seats. Misses out on Metallic inserts in various places.

• Covers all functional features with auto AC, rear AC vents, tilt and telescopic steering adjustment, driver seat height adjustment, electrically adjustable outside mirrors, and push button start/stop.

• No stereo system, but gets a 7-inch digital driver’s display and steering mounted controls.

• 6 airbags, ABS with EBD, ISOFIX mounts, hill-start assist, and rear parking sensors are offered as standard.

Elevate V

• Adds wheel covers and black tape to the B-pillar for a slightly better look.

• Features an 8-inch infotainment system with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

• Top additions include a 4-speaker sound system, rear-view camera, connected car technology, voice commands, and two Type-c rear ports.

• Rear disc brakes, electronic parking brake with auto hold are CVT specific safety additions. Rear defogger is common. 

• CVT variants exclusively feature remote engine start and paddle shifters. 

Elevate VX

• Improved design with tri-bar LED DRls, LED fog lights, connected LED tail lights, roof rails, and 17-inch alloys.

• Better looking and richer cabin gets gun metal contrasts, soft touch fabric padding with leatherette on gear knob and steering wheel, and ambient lighting.

• Feature highlights include 6-speaker sound system, auto folding outside mirrors, wireless phone charger, AQI display, auto headlights, and interior roof LED map lighting.

• The safety kit gets a lane watch camera and rear wiper and washer.

Elevate ZX

• Small tweaks like dual tone lower door garnish with black painted fenders up the styling quotient.

• Leatherette seats and soft touch leatherette padding on the dashboard and doors up the cabin’s premium quotient.

• Adds comfort features like an auto dimming inside mirror, ventilated front seats, and an 8-speaker sound system with a 10.25-inch infotainment system.

• Improved rear seats with a central armrest

• Safety kit only gets the addition of ADAS kit, including features like adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist and auto emergency braking.

Read more about the Honda Elevate ZX variant here.

Elevate ZX +

• Offers dual-tone exterior paint options for the CVT transmission variant. 

• Adds feel good features like 8-way power driver seat, 4-way powered co-passenger seat and rear seat ventilation.

• Improved safety kit with 360° camera and front parking sensors. 

• Here are more details about the ZX Plus variant.

Elevate ZX + Black

• Only brings visual changes, no feature or safety kit additions.

• Gets gloss black painted 17 inch alloy wheels along with gloss black garnish on doors and black painted door handles.

• All black cabin with gloss black door lining and AC surrounds. 

CarDekho Recommends:

• The Honda Elevate provides much better value in its mid spec variants when compared to its higher variants. If you were on a tight budget and just wanted a simple and sensible compact SUV with all the daily use features and the option of an automatic, then the one above base V variant is perfect for you. Premium from the base variant is minimal and you get a much better feature package right from the factory. 

• The ZX variant would be our recommended variant if you wanted a modern compact SUV with no compromises. It only misses out on the convenience of powered seats and rear seat ventilation, both of which are discretionary features.

Honda has really refined the recipe of the Elevate and given it the ingredients it needed to be on par with the segment. It continues to be a sensible family SUV, which prioritizes space, comfort, practicality, and convenience over everything else. 

Only if Honda added the option of a hybrid powertrain, then the Elevate’s recipe would have had that missing spice that would really blow the competition away.

Other cars to consider instead of the Honda Elevate

Kia Seltos

Reasons to consider

• More modern styling

• Option of turbo-petrol and diesel engine

• Offers more creature comforts

Reasons to ignore

• Top variants are much pricier

Here’s how Elevate facelift fairs with Seltos.

Maruti Grand Vitara/Toyota Hyryder

Reasons to consider

• More efficient hybrid powertrain

• Optional all-wheel drive

Reasons to ignore

• Slightly less premium cabin experience

• Limited boot space with hybrid variants

• No ADAS

Volkswagen Taigun/Skoda Kushaq

Reasons to consider

• Sportier styling

• More powerful turbo-petrol engines

• 5-star safety rating

Reasons to ignore

• Comparatively less comfortable

• Comparatively less rear seat space and comfort

• Slightly less premium cabin experience

• No ADAS

Tata Sierra

Reasons to consider 

• Styling looks more expensive

• Cabin feels more modern

• Better tech package with passenger display and radar based ADAS

• Option of a turbo-petrol and diesel engine.

Reasons to ignore

• Not as reliable tech package

Hyundai Creta

Reasons to consider

• Option of turbo-petrol and diesel engine

• Better material finishes and creature comforts provide richer cabin experience

• More sophisticated ADAS package. 

Reasons to ignore

• More expensive at the top end

• Ride quality relatively feels slightly firmer

Read a detailed comparison between the Honda Elevate and Hyundai Creta here.