Honda is on its way to making a comeback in the Indian market, and as part of its new strategy, the brand aims to bring new and interesting cars to our market. It even has plans to bring hybrids, which have been gaining popularity among buyers lately. Like most brands, Honda will also be focusing on SUVs, and here we have a list of two such SUVs that are expected to be launched in the market soon.
Honda has been testing the Elevate for quite some time now. The Honda Elevate is currently the only mid-size SUV from the brand in India. Honda is expected to launch the Elevate facelift towards the end of September or early October. As part of the facelift, we expect Honda to offer a revised front fascia and a tweaked rear with revised bumpers and faux skid plates.
The overall design of the SUV is likely to stay the same. We may see minor tweaks to the headlamps and grille, a new set of alloy wheels, and a revised rear bumper with minor tweaks to the tail lamps. It doesn’t look like Honda will be going for connected tail lamps with this update.
On the inside, we expect Honda to offer an updated cabin. The layout of the cabin is likely to remain the same, but Honda might load the car with more features than the current version. We may see seat ventilation, a 360-degree camera, and a new colour theme for the cabin. The existing model comes with a decent number of features, like a 10.25-inch infotainment unit with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, an 8-speaker audio system, a wireless charger, a 7-inch semi-digital instrument cluster, keyless entry and push-button start, connected car technology, a rear parking camera, and camera-based ADAS.
The SUV, or the Elevate, also gets a decent number of safety features, including ADAS, or Honda Sensing as the brand likes to call it, along with six airbags, ABS, EBD, electronic stability control, and more.
The SUV will continue to use the same 1.5-litre, four-cylinder, naturally aspirated i-VTEC petrol engine that makes 121 PS and 145 Nm of peak torque. The SUV will be offered with manual and CVT gearbox options.
While Honda has shelved its EV plans for international markets, it is still on the cards for India. This is the reason why Honda officially began road-testing its upcoming 0 Alpha electric SUV in India. The test mules have been spotted several times. Honda is currently testing the upcoming EV extensively across multiple terrains, with engineers evaluating its performance under various driving conditions. This is an all-new EV developed from the ground up.
The SUV is expected to feature a boxy yet futuristic exterior design. The SUV is expected to get a very quirky design, which would give it a distinct identity from its competition. To compete with its rivals, Honda will offer the EV with features such as a large touchscreen infotainment system, a fully digital driver’s display, physical controls, ventilated seats, leatherette upholstery, a panoramic sunroof or glass roof, Level 2 ADAS, along with a long list of safety features, including six standard airbags, ABS, EBD, and more.
The Honda 0 Alpha is expected to be offered with two LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate) battery pack options, likely ranging between 65 kWh and 75 kWh. The SUV is expected to deliver a real-world driving range of around 450–500 km on a full charge.