What’s Going Wrong With The Honda Elevate?

And how Honda can still fix it. First, the bad news. Honda Elevate sales have been on a steady decline. In just about a year of launch, Elevate sales have dropped from a peak of 5,685 units (in September 2023, which is the month when the SUV was launched) to 1,340 units (in July 2024).

While sales have somewhat recovered to about 1,960 units in September 2024, the Honda Elevate is still a bit player in one of the hottest segments of the Indian car market – the mid size SUV market. October 2024 was also quite average, with the SUV managing 2,149 units – a 56.6 % sales drop from previous October.

Only the Volkswagen Taigun, Skoda Kushaq and MG Astor are behind the Elevate in terms of sales numbers. We’re not even considering the Citroen AirCross here. In fact, market leaders such as the Hyundai Creta and Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara consistently go beyond 10,000 monthly units – a clear sign that there are buyers, and plenty of them. So, what’s gone wrong for the Elevate? Many things.

Where is the hybrid?

Firstly, Honda missed a party trick by not offering the strong hybrid engine in the Elevate, even as the similarly priced City sedan gets it. A hybrid powertrain would have made the Elevate appeal to those seeking high fuel efficiency along with the refinement and reliability of a Honda.

Alas, that was not to be and buyers wanting hybrids now have to opt for either the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara or the Toyota HyRyder. And those who want diesels gravitate towards the Hyundai Creta or the Kia Seltos. To sum it up, the Elevate just doesn’t have what a large part of the SUV market now wants.

The Honda SUV operates with a single engine option – the tried and tested 1.5 liter i-VTEC naturally petrol engine with 118 Bhp-145 Nm. A benchmark of its class when it first arrived, this engine simply can’t deliver the same kind of performance similarly sized turbo petrol units do. Times have changed.

While there are two gearbox options on the elevate – a 5 speed manual and a CVT automatic – again, there’s nothing worth jumping up and noticing here. It’s a no-nonsense approach that works, but only with a limited number of buyers.

Honda fans have already bought the SUV. To appeal to more buyers, the Elevate needs something more.

Secondly, what’s the Elevate’s USP? Does it have the most premium interiors, or does it offer the most space, or is is the most feature-rich offering in its class? The Elevate does many things but nothing that really makes it stand out, except perhaps great ride quality and handling. And segment topping ground clearance. But that’s not enough to sell a car, isn’t it?

This has limited the Elevate’s appeal quite a bit – targeting a narrow cross section of buyers who still want the Honda badge and the promises that come with it – refinement and reliability. For those who want something more, the competition is right there.

The Hyundai Cretas and Kia Seltos’ of this world offer design, features and a host of engine and gearbox options. For sheer solidity, there’s the Volkswagen Taigun and Skoda Kushaq. For those who want fuss free hybrids, there’s the Maruti Grand Vitara and the Toyota HyRyder.

Clearly, Honda could do with a turbo petrol engine for the Elevate, to target those seeking performance, and a hybrid powertrain targeting those who want fuel efficiency. This will put some zing back into the Elevate again, but it’s not easy to walk this road, especially considering the sheer effort of engineering that’s required.

Honda seems to be misreading India, and hoping that past reputation will help it sail through.

Thirdly, the Honda Elevate seems to be geared more towards exports than the domestic market. In fact, in 2024, Honda has exported about 23,000 units of the Elevate mainly to Japan, where the SUV is sold as the latest-gen WR-V. Domestic sales has been muted, with Honda doing less than 20,000 units in the first seven months of this year. And there has been no major recovery in August and September as well.

What this also means is that Honda seems to be doing quite well on the export front, and the incentive for them to really bring major changes to the Elevate to boost sales domestically may not be very high. We’ve seen this happen with multiple car brands – mainly foreign ones, which have only gotten weaker with time as they focus more on building in India for the world rather than for India. Honda could be going in a similar direction.

What’s next for the Elevate?

The SUV is just about a year-old in India, and given how the Japanese operate – it’s unlikely that there will be sweeping changes. A hybrid powertrain from the Honda City – but with localization – could make the Elevate more appealing to buyers.

While there’s an all-electric version of the Elevate under development – due sometime in 2026 – that’s something that may not really bring in big volumes given how electric cars are struggling in India at present. An Elevate EV, again will be late to the party unless boasting of segment leading performance and range as a slew of attractive electric cars are all set to hit Indian roads in the next year or so starting with the Maruti Suzuki eVX and Hyundai Creta EVs.

A diesel engine is clearly out of question, what with Honda ditching diesel totally. Clearly, the Honda Elevate may have to rely more on exports than on domestic sales in the next year or two.

A major facelift, along with fresh powertrain options, is what the Elevate needs to turn things around and become a more appealing choice for buyers. As of now, it’s not even in the first 3 of most buyers’ consideration as a mid-size SUV of choice. Out of sight, out of mind. Let’s hope that the wise men at Honda figure out a way ahead for the Elevate, which could otherwise become another WR-V for the brand. Just so you know, the India-made Elevate that’s exported to Japan is sold as the WR-V.