2026 Honda Elevate Facelift Vs Kia Seltos Compared: Heart vs Brain Situation?

The Seltos and Honda Elevate have always had two various distinct identities. The Korean has always been the over achiever in this segment with a premium cabin, features galore, cutting edge technology and powertrain options for everyone. The Honda Elevate, on the other hand, has always been the sensible choice and an all rounder which focuses on family comfort more than anything else.

Now, the new Seltos has been in the market for some time now, firmly setting the benchmark for every other car, and Honda has just come out with the facelift for the Elevate. So has Honda elevated the package enough and added some desirability in its very sensible offering? Let's find out via an on-paper spec comparison.

Price

• The starting price of the Kia Seltos is slightly more affordable by around Rs 60,000, whereas at the top end, the Seltos is more expensive by around Rs 3.4 lakh.

• The delta between the top-spec variants can be mainly accounted for by the turbo-petrol powertrain and the diesel powertrain, which always carry a premium over their corresponding NA petrol engine option, along with the superior tech package.

Dimensions

• With its latest facelift, the Kia Seltos grew in size and has now become the largest car in the segment. As a result, that growth shows up in its additional length compared to the Elevate.

• Despite the length advantage, the Seltos doesn't really carry that into the wheelbase department with a difference of just 40mm.

• The Seltos is wider than the Elevate, however, the Elevate is taller than the Seltos.

• The Honda Elevate has one of the bigger boots in the segment at 458-litres. On paper, it might not have a big advantage compared to the Kia Seltos, but due to the shape of its boot, you will be able to carry larger suitcases in the Elevate much easier than the Seltos.

• Compare all the changes between the new Honda Elevate and the old Honda Elevate in this story.

Colour Options

*Also offered with optional dual-tone scheme with black roof

• Purely in terms of the colour options available, the Kia Seltos comes out as the winner with more choices.

• However, in terms of the dual-tone shades, the Seltos only offers two options whereas you get multiple shades to choose from in the Honda Elevate.

• Both SUVs offer a mix of black, white, silver, grey, red and blue colours. The Elevate gets a Black edition which features a black exterior colour and interior treatment with gloss black elements like the alloy wheels.

• In the Seltos, you have the X-Line variant, which features a matte finish for the exterior shade and a black interior with green highlights which feels sporty.

Features

• With this facelift, Honda has made the necessary changes to bring the Elevate’s feature package up to date. However, despite the improvement, there are a few feel good features that it misses out when compared to the Seltos. But then it also offers a segment first feature now.

• The Kia Seltos has a clear advantage in terms of tech where it has bigger screens, better user interface for those screens and a more advanced ADAS package. In terms of feel good features, it offers rear sun shades, branded BOSE audio system, rain-sensing wipers and a panoramic sunroof.

• The Elevate only has one advantage, which is something it has over every car in this segment: rear seat ventilation.

• By no means is the feature package of the Honda Elevate lacking in any sense, but it's just that you get a much more polished and better ownership experience with the feature package of the Kia Seltos.

Powertrain Options

^^AT= Torque converter automatic transmission, *DCT= Dual-clutch automatic transmission, ^CVT= Continuously variable transmission, **iMT= Clutchless manual

• Despite the expectation with this facelift, the Honda Elevate still doesn't offer a hybrid powertrain. As a result, it continues with the single NA petrol engine option that it had previously. In comparison, the Kia Seltos has a buffet of options including an NA petrol, a turbo-petrol, and a diesel.

• Comparing the NA petrol engines of the two cars, the Honda Elevate has the advantage with more power and torque figures, as well as a more sophisticated CVT.

• But for people who want excitement in their drives and effortless performance for long highway drives, or maybe they want a balance of both performance and efficiency, then the Kia Seltos has the turbo-petrol and diesel engines offering just that.

CarDekho Says…

If you're looking for the most premium experience and want the maximum for your money, there is no doubt that the Kia Seltos is a better package with a longer footprint, extra features, and a more mature tech package, all of which cumulatively gives you a better cabin experience. Then there are the numerous engine options that cater to the needs of different use cases, including both for people who want a fun to drive experience and for people who just want a refined cruiser.

The Elevate in no particular field is able to up the Kia Seltos, but to be fair, it isn't too far behind either; other than the powertrain department as you only have one engine option to choose from. So if you're one that travels with the entire family over long distances where you need effortless performance or better efficiency, then there is no doubt about which car to pick.

However, if your drives are mostly going to be in the city, with occasional highway usage, and you don't mind the relaxed nature of the Honda Elevate, then the entire package is pretty hard to fault. So even with the improvements made with this facelift, the reasons to buy the Honda Elevate don't really change that drastically. It continues to be one of the most sensible family SUVs at this price point and with Honda's reliability in the mix, it continues to be one of the most easily recommendable cars at this price.

Other Options To Consider

Hyundai Creta: It is one of the segment favourites with its multiple variants and powertrain options, which makes it suitable for different budgets and use cases. However, consider waiting as a new, updated model is on its way very soon.

Maruti Grand Vitara/ Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder: Direct rivals to the Honda Elevate with their NA petrol engines, but they have an advantage with their strong hybrid powertrain that offers better fuel efficiency.

Maruti Victoris: Think Maruti Grand Vitara, but more modern - same efficient and capable powertrain options, great ride comfort, but better features and safety technology that’s on par with the segment.

Tata Sierra: A car that pushes segment boundaries with its design, interior packaging, powertrains and even the tech package. Prone safety credentials are always a plus.

MG Astor: A slightly outdated offering compared to the fresher options in the segment, but it continues to be one of the most premium interior experiences. Mainly misses out on new features and powertrain options.

Renault Duster/Nissan Tekton: Possibly one of the best driving packages in the segment with a great ride comfort and dynamic ability. Second row space isn’t the best, but features and tech are on par with the segment.

Skoda Kushaq: An SUV for the enthusiasts with a turbo petrol engine right from the base variant and a chassis which is sorted at high speeds. Now offers better features and comfort for the family too.

Volkswagen Taigun: Kushaq's rewatched avatar from the Volkswagen stable is another great driver's car which can also do family duties without any troubles.

Tata Curvv: Essentially an SUV coupe version of the Tata Nexon, the Curvv is the only coupe SUV in the segment and stands out with its design. Also offers multiple powertrain options and a strong feature and safety package.