Honda Elevate SV Variant Explained: Value-for-Money Or A Compromise?
The SV variant is pricier than the base variant of most rivals. Is it worth it? Let’s find out
- Priced from Rs 11.8 lakh ex-showroom, Elevate SV pairs a 121 PS 1.5-litre petrol engine with a six-speed manual.
- Standard safety equipment includes six airbags, ABS with EBD, stability control, hill-start assist, ISOFIX and rear parking sensors.
- SV offers keyless entry, push-button start and automatic climate control, but lacks infotainment and an automatic transmission.
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Honda recently launched the Elevate facelift, which is currently the Japanese carmaker’s only compact SUV in India. The variant lineup of the Elevate starts with the SV variant, and has V, ZX, ZX Plus and ZX Plus Black, which is aimed at buyers who want the Elevate’s size, space and refined engine at the lowest possible price, and who are happy to live without the extras.
In this report, we take a detailed look at everything the Elevate SV has to offer:
Honda Elevate SV: Exterior
From the front, the SV variant boasts the same upright look with a bold grille, which makes it look muscular. The good thing is that even from the base variant, it gets LED DRLs and headlamps, and a gloss black finish on the grille. However, it misses out on the connected light bar that you only get with the higher trims.
In profile, the SV rides on 16-inch steel wheels, in place of the alloys that are offered from the VX variant onwards. You do get ORVM-mounted turn indicators, but miss out on the gloss black garnish on the lower parts of the doors that was introduced with the facelifted Elevate.
At the rear, the key highlights include a shark fin antenna, rear skid plates and a roof-mounted spoiler, all of which make the base variant look not as basic as you would expect. It misses out on the connected light bar that was introduced with the facelifted variant.
Honda Elevate SV: Interior
The SV gets the same dual-tone Ivory and Black cabin theme as the other variants, which makes the cabin look premium for the price. However, the feel-good factor is kept to the bare minimum, and you miss out on the premiumness that you get with higher variants. The dashboard and seats are finished in fabric, and soft-touch finishing is reserved for the ZX and above, so the cabin feels functional rather than premium.
The 3-spoke steering wheel carries mounted controls and offers tilt and telescopic adjustment, which is a welcome feature at this range. The driver’s seat is height-adjustable, and you also get a front centre armrest with storage and 60:40 split rear seats. These are standard across the range, so the SV doesn’t miss out on the basics.
What you do miss out on are the finer touches. The steering wheel is not leather-wrapped and has no garnish; the gear knob is also not leather-wrapped, and there is no ambient lighting. The door armrests don’t get a soft-touch pad, there are no door pocket LED lights, and the boot has no illumination lamp.
The rear centre armrest with cupholders, front seat back pockets and rear parcel shelf are also missing. The VX variant is where you get most of these premium touches.
Honda Elevate SV: Features
The SV keeps the feature list simple while covering most of the basics. You get features like keyless entry with push-button start, automatic climate control with rear AC vents, 7-inch instrument cluster, steering-wheel-mounted audio controls, and follow-me-home headlamps. The ORVMs are electrically adjustable but don’t fold electrically, and the driver-side window gets one-touch up/down operation. The front sun visors come with a vanity mirror, but miss out on illumination, and there’s a 12V power socket up front.
The most significant miss is the absence of an infotainment system and a sound system. You also miss out on automatic headlights, rain-sensing wipers, sunroof, PM2.5 air filter, wireless phone charger, and USB Type-C ports. Higher trims also get fancier features like powered seats, front and rear ventilation and as many as 8 speakers. Check out the variant-wise features explained of Elevate facelift.
Honda Elevate SV: Safety
The base variant comes with a decent safety kit. It includes six airbags, ABS with EBD, electronic stability control, hill start assist, ISOFIX child seat anchorages and rear parking sensors. Features like Level-2 ADAS, 360-degree camera, rear wiper with washer, auto-dimming IRVM and lane-watch camera are reserved for higher trims.
Honda Elevate SV: Powertrain
The SV variant comes with a sole powertrain option, featuring Honda’s 1.5-litre petrol engine, which can be paired solely with a 6-speed manual.
| Engine |
1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol |
| Power |
121 PS |
| Torque |
145 Nm |
| Transmission |
6-speed MT |
*MT- Manual Transmission
From the V variant onwards, you also get a CVT option.
Honda Elevate SV: Price Rivals
The Elevate’s base variant is priced at Rs 11.8 lakh (ex-showroom), making it the cheapest way into the Elevate lineup. The price range goes all the way up to Rs 18.4 lakh.
It rivals compact SUVs such as the Hyundai Creta, Maruti Victoris, Volkswagen Taigun, Skoda Kushaq, Toyota Hyryder, Kia Seltos, Maruti Grand Vitara, Tata Sierra, Tata Curvv and Renault Duster.
CarDekho Says
The Elevate SV is for the buyer who wants the Honda badge, a spacious cabin and a smooth engine at the lowest cost. It has most of the essentials covered, including six airbags, but it feels bare on features, and the lack of an automatic transmission limits its appeal in city traffic. If you can stretch your budget, the V variant makes far more sense with its added features and the CVT option. Would you pick the SV variant? Let us know in the comments section below.