Honda Elevate launched: What else can you buy?

Honda has launched the all-new Elevate, marking their presence in the highly competitive C-SUV segment. Based on the Honda City, the Elevate is priced between Rs. 11-16 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). Let us take a look at how the Elevate fares against its closest C-SUV rivals in terms of pricing. 

Elevate Vs Kia Seltos and Hyundai Creta

When compared to the Elevate, the Seltos may appear to offer so much more on paper with its HT-Line, GT-Line, and X-Line. But you have to consider the naturally aspirated 1.5-litre version of the Seltos, which is only available in the HT line-up. Similarly, you also have the equivalent 1.5-litre NA petrol version of the Creta. 

Pricing-wise, the HTK version of the Seltos is the same as the VX variant of the Elevate. Meanwhile, the HTX version costs marginally more than the Elevate’s ZX trim, be it manual or automatic. Then, there’s only one trim of the Seltos offering you a CVT, whereas there are three CVT variants in the Elevate. Similarly, the Creta SX manual costs around Rs. 10,000 less than the equivalent Elevate ZX. But the Creta SX automatic is almost Rs. 30,000 more than the Elevate ZX CVT. 

If we take into consideration the ADAS-equipped top-spec ZX trim of the Elevate, it offers ADAS at a lower price than the Seltos, while in the Creta, ADAS is not offered at all. The Elevate also gets eight speakers compared to the six offered in the other two. 

But the Creta and Seltos both offer larger panoramic sunroofs. Moreover, the Seltos’ higher variants have a lot more feel-good features but are more expensive. 

Elevate vs. Maruti Grand Vitara and Toyota Hyryder. 

The Zeta and Alpha variants of the Grand Vitara are Rs. 42,000 and Rs. 52,000, respectively, more expensive than the VX and ZX manual variants. This difference increases to over Rs. 80,000 and Rs. 90,000 when you consider the torque converter automatics of the Grand Vitara. Then, the price difference increases to almost Rs. 1 lakh when you compare the Elevate and the Toyota Hyryder. The automatic version of the Hyryder is over Rs. 1.25 lakh more than the Elevate ZX CVT. 

For the premium, the Japanese duo offers features like a 360-degree camera, head-up display, and panoramic sunroof. And if you are willing to spend even more, both are available with a strong hybrid powertrain as well as AWD. The two are also available with factory-fitted CNG kits. 

Elevate Vs Skoda Kushaq and Volkswagen Taigun

Lastly, we come to the European rivals to the Elevate – the Kushaq and the Taigun.  We will consider the variants powered by the 1.0-litre TSI engine of both as the bigger 1.5-litre TSI is priced out of the comparison. Considering the range-topping Taigun Topline and Kushaq Style variants, the manual variants are around Rs. 90,000 more expensive, while the (torque converter) automatics are around Rs. 1.4 lakh more expensive than the Elevate’s range-topping versions. 

Despite being more affordable, the Elevate offers ADAS, which the Kushaq and Taigun don’t have yet. These two SUVs have scored five stars in the new GNCAP test. The Honda Elevate has not been tested yet, but considering the City, which scored five stars in the ASEAN-NCAP, we expect the Elevate to score equally high. 

What else can you buy? 

Apart from direct rivals, the Elevate falls in the price bracket where you can also consider other sub-four metre SUVs like the Maruti Brezza and the Kia Sonet, along with C-segment sedans like the Hyundai Verna, Skoda Slavia, and the Volkswagen Virtus. If you want more seats, you can even consider seven-seaters like the Maruti XL6 and the Kia Carens for added practicality. Off-road enthusiasts can go for the new Maruti Jimny and Mahindra Thar as well. And if you are looking for an electric alternative, there are three from Tata’s stable and the base to mid versions of the Mahindra XUV400.