New Honda Elevate Facelift Review – Is It Elevated Enough?

The Japanese auto giant has updated the mid-size SUV with aesthetic modifications and added in-cabin amenities

This is our first-hand detailed review of the new Honda Elevate facelift. The mid-size SUV segment is among the most crowded spaces in our market. Almost every major mass-market player operates in this space to grab some part of the sales. Elevate has done decently on the sales charts since its inception back in 2023. However, the competition from the Koreans and Maruti Suzuki has been stiff. Nevertheless, to address that, Honda has upgraded the Elevate to entice new consumers. Let us delve into the details of this case.

New Honda Elevate Facelift Review – Exterior Styling

During our time with the new Honda Elevate facelift, we got to explore the vehicle thoroughly. As always, let us begin with the design. At the front, the fascia is now bolder than the outgoing model, courtesy of a big grille with a honeycomb pattern, the Honda logo has been shifted from the grille to the bonnet, there is an addition of the segmented LED DRLs connecting the sleek LED headlamps and the fog lamp housing is finished in gloss black. Moving to the rear, the Elevate now gets a proper LED connected taillamp setup, while other bits include a roof-mounted spoiler and a rugged skid plate on the sporty bumper. The side section continues to be similar to the outgoing model, apart from the gloss black panels and claddings in comparison to the matte finish earlier.

New Honda Elevate Facelift Review – Interior, Features and Safety

Now, let us move inside the cabin of the mid-size SUV. The Elevate now gets soft-touch materials on the dashboard, while the faux wood treatment has been ditched. The interior colour theme on offer this time around is black-and-white. Some of the key new features include a 360-degree camera, segment-first front and rear ventilated seats, factory-fitted ambient lighting, rear disc brakes, and low-speed follow features in ADAS. Apart from that, Honda has worked on the insulation to improve NVH levels. Things like blind spot monitoring, wireless charging and an electric sunroof continue from the outgoing SUV. Some of the top features include an 8-speaker sound system, a part-digital instrument cluster, a lane-watch camera system, front parking sensors, Level 2 ADAS, an electronic parking brake with auto-hold function, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and much more.

New Honda Elevate Facelift Review – Specs and Price

As before, the Honda Elevate facelift continues to draw power from the familiar 1.5-litre 4-cylinder naturally aspirated i-VTEC petrol engine that generates a healthy 121 PS and 145 Nm of peak power and torque, respectively. This mill can be paired with either a 6-speed manual or a CVT automatic transmission. The prices start at Rs 11.80 lakh and go up to Rs 18.30 lakh, ex-showroom. Note that a new ZX+ variant has also been added to the lineup this time around.

The variant-wise price list is here:

New Honda Elevate Facelift Review – Driving Impressions

Taking customer feedback, Honda has added insulating materials across the range to improve NVH levels of the new Elevate. In our experience of driving the mid-size SUV at high speeds, we noticed a marginal improvement in that regard. However, at high RPM, there is still some noise which filters into the cabin. Also, the mileage has dropped marginally. Apart from that, the performance remains pretty much the same as before. The silky smooth i-VTEC engine offers decent performance, both at low RPM and high-speed highway rides. As expected, however, the performance can’t be compared to some of the turbo engines some rivals offer.

Editor’s Note

The Honda Elevate facelift is a sensible update to an SUV that already had a lot going for it, particularly its naturally aspirated petrol engine, practical cabin and reassuring driving dynamics. After driving the updated model, I found that the additional features, refreshed styling and improved cabin insulation make it a more premium proposition, although the improvement in NVH levels is only marginal at higher RPMs. The familiar 1.5-litre i-VTEC engine continues to deliver smooth and predictable performance, but it still lacks the punch of the turbocharged powertrains offered by some rivals. With features such as ventilated front and rear seats, a 360-degree camera and factory-fitted ambient lighting, the facelift certainly makes the Elevate more appealing. However, whether these changes are enough to help Honda stand out in this fiercely competitive segment will depend on how buyers value comfort and refinement against outright performance. – Yatharth Chauhan, Managing Editor

Also Read: New Honda Elevate Facelift vs Old Model – What All’s New?