This Is A Honda Elevate!
The Elevate is the only SUV in Honda's India portfolio. It is sold in markets like Japan, South Africa, Nepal, and Bhutan. In Japan, it is sold as the WR-V. It is a handsome SUV with a plain, uncluttered design. If you've ever found it to be boring, this new body kit would be of use.
DAMD, the popular aftermarket parts manufacturer has now announced a full-fledged body kit for the Elevate, which they call the 'WRV-Reverb'. It restyles the Japanese SUV to look like an American. This build attracted massive attention at the Tokyo Auto Salon 2025.
"Many people came specifically to see the WR-V REVERB, and I got the impression that even customers who don't usually go to the Auto Salon came to the event. In particular, many people who had felt that they liked the design of old American cars but were concerned about their durability and maintenance commented that they were attracted to the fact that they could enjoy this design on a modern car."- say the folks at DAMD.
"We received many questions from customers asking whether it was possible to replace the headlights with LED bulbs, so we decided to produce dedicated LED bulbs to coincide with the release of this product."
This parts manufacturer is known for creating products based on real user feedback.
The kit transforms the Elevate (WR-V) into a retro-styled, rugged American SUV from the 90s. More precisely, it now looks like some Jeep SUV from the past. The front fascia has been completely redesigned. It gets new grille, headlamps and bumper.
The stock vehicle's sleek LED headlights have been replaced with retro-styled, square units. A thin strip placed below the headlamps now functions as turn signal lamp. The bumper has been squared off and looks rugged. It even comes with Silver inserts and an integrated skid plate. The fog lamps are integrated into it as well.
The vehicle has also been fitted with more rugged wheels and chunkier rubber. The doors now get retro-themed, wood-like decals as well. Changes at the rear are minimal. Most details remain the same as the stock Elevate.
While this kit can be installed in all colours, Black looks particularly striking.
Deeper Into This Design
The headlamps and grille remain the core of this design. DAMD designers have drawn it with the motif of "classic American off-road vehicles, characterized by their linear design." Even the wood-like side decals have the same genes. Remember seeing wood panels on old American cars? These render a calming look to the Elevate, when viewed from the sides.
So, out of all the cars available in its segment, why was the Elevate (WR-V) chosen as the base for this project? Well, the team at DAMD says "Firstly, the price of the vehicle was low. Secondly, the side view of the stock vehicle was linear and plain, making it an extremely easy form to use as a base for customization."
While most of the modern cars and SUVs feature designs which overdo lines and creases, Honda has kept the Elevate's panels clean and uncluttered. This minimalistic approach makes it the best bet for such projects.
The Product: More About It
This 'Face Change Kit' comprises a bonnet cover, front grille, bumper, square halogen headlamps, harnesses and brackets. Special LED headlight bulb and wood-themed side decals are optional add-ons. Opting for all three would cost an estimated 3,80,000 Yen- in other words, $2,628.94 (1 Yen= 0.0069 USD)
Another Example Of Retro Conversion!
In a previous instance, we saw a design house in Indonesia design a Jimny conversion kit for the Suzuki S-Presso. GH Style announced an insane body kit which adds massive reworks to the S-Presso's front fascia with new circular headlamps, a rugged grille and new bumpers.
Face-changing seems to be a growing trend in the South East Asian countries. There is also a clear affinity towards bringing back retro themes and designs. We could see more exciting stuff in the upcoming years...