Honda Cars India Ltd. (HCIL), leading manufacturer of premium cars in India unveiled Honda’s latest global SUV – Honda ELEVATE at a World Premiere event in India. Scheduled for launch during festive season this year, India will be the first country to manufacture and sell the All New Elevate globally. While the initial introduction of Elevate is focused on domestic market, India also aims to serve as an important export hub for the new model to other parts of the world, catering to the robust demand for SUVs globally.
Developed on the grand concept of ‘Urban Freestyler’, Elevate aims to appeal to customers with active lifestyles & a global mindset, and blends cutting-edge aesthetics with functionality to create a visually stunning, incredibly versatile, comfortable, and fun-to-drive SUV that’s ready for adventure inside and outside the city limits.
The Elevate is a mid-size SUV that features a Bold and Masculine exterior design with striking front face, sharp character lines and unique rear design which come together to create a vehicle with strong road presence. The front fascia showcases Honda’s signature grille, flanked by sleek LED headlights, while the side profile emphasizes its sporty character, and the rear boasts a distinctive tailgate design and LED taillights.
All New Elevate has been developed by Honda R&D Asia Pacific center located in Thailand to match the needs and aspirations of younger customers who are looking for status, comfort and have an active lifestyle. The R&D team in India has specifically worked on understanding potential target customers through extensive market surveys which reflect their three main motivations for purchasing SUVs including Stylish Bold Exterior design, Strong Safety package with active and passive safety and Overall Comfort when travelling Long Distances with Interior Roominess & Space.
Speaking on the global unveil, Mr. Toshio Kuwahara, Head of Regional Unit (Asia & Oceania), Honda Motor Co., Ltd. and President and CEO, Asian Honda Motor Co., Ltd. said, “India being the world’s third largest automotive market is extremely important for Honda. As the first country to launch a global model, today’s World Premiere of the all-new Elevate is a stamp of commitment of Honda’s plans and aspirations for the country. The exports from India to several regions across the globe are growing continuously every year. With high level of quality standards to deliver products that exceed expectations of both local and worldwide customers, India has become one of the most important export hubs for Honda. Moving forward to 2050, Honda strives to realize carbon neutrality and zero traffic collision fatalities involving our motorcycles and automobiles. To achieve this target, Honda aims to increase the sales ratio of Battery Electric Vehicles and Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles sales to 100% globally by 2040, including India. For safety, we continue enhancing advanced technologies including the expansion of Honda SENSING around the world and strengthening our safety education to reduce traffic accidents.”
Mr. Takuya Tsumura, President & CEO, Honda Cars India Ltd. said, “With the unveiling of the All New Elevate, we embark on a new journey with Honda’s strong product offering in the booming SUV segment in India. Honda enjoys strong leadership and popularity in sedan segments. There has been very high anticipation amongst Honda loyalists and overall market, who have been eagerly waiting for the new model. We are confident that the Elevate will further strengthen the bond with our esteemed customers and soon become our strong third pillar of business besides the City and Amaze. We have a robust product strategy to strengthen our premium play in the market and Elevate is first model among the 5 new SUVs that will be launched by Honda in India by 2030.” “Aligning with our global vision towards carbon neutrality by focusing on electrified powertrains, we will launch Honda’s first Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) based on this SUV within next 3 years in India,” he added.
