In what seems to be an overlapping amount of new crossovers and SUVs, Honda has just unveiled a new vehicle called the Elevate. It’s one of the brand’s three SUVs that diverge away from the traditional “R-V” naming convention–the other two being the North American-exclusive Pilot and Passport. As to where this sits in the lineup, the 2023 Honda Elevate is identical in size to the HR-V and therefore bigger than the WR-V.
In terms of design, the 2023 Honda Elevate looks sporty in the right places. The generous use of black body cladding emphasizes the car’s rugged aspirations–even if it doesn’t come with all-wheel drive (AWD), while the body and tall grille that’s flanked by slim LED headlights give the Elevate an imposing face. The side profile of the Elevate is characterized by an upright roofline and an available black contrasting roof with silver roof rails. And then out in the back, the inverted L-shaped LED taillights look similar to what the WR-V has, but with a black trim piece connecting the two lighting elements.
Inside, the 2023 Honda Elevate comes with soft-touch materials on the lower part of the dash and door panels along with a serving of faux wood trimmings. There’s also wireless charging, a color multi-information display, and a large 10.25-inch infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Unlike the HR-V, this doesn’t come with an electronic parking brake and instead uses a mechanical hand brake. It’s also expected to come with a lot of interior space thanks to Honda’s excellence in interior packaging.
Under the hood of the 2023 Honda Elevate is a 1.5-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine that’s also serving duty in the City and 1.5-liter non-turbo version of the HR-V. This means it produces 121 horsepower and 145 Nm of torque, with power sent to the front wheels via a six-speed manual or a CVT. A hybrid and even a fully-electric model will be released in India within the next three years.
The Honda Sensing suite of advanced driver-assistance tech also makes its way into the Elevate, which comes with Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS), Adaptive Cruise Control, Road Departure Mitigation (RDM), Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS), Lead Car Departure Notification system and Auto High-Beam.
Will it replace the HR-V? That is still in question. The Elevate made its global debut in India, where the vehicle was mainly developed. It will also be manufactured there, but the small SUV won’t be limited to the Indian market. Instead, this vehicle will be sold globally with India as the main export hub. This means that it might not replace the HR-V anytime soon, but if Honda decides to assemble this car in the ASEAN region, then there’s a chance it will sit below the globally-designed HR-V in the model range of Honda Cars Philippines.
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