Beyond sedans and hatchbacks such as Swift and Tigor, more spacious SUVs have been taking over Indian roads after the pandemic with sales up 27 per cent in FY23. In the same era, Honda has been slowed down by losses for most quarters in the past two years, and a 32 per cent drop in sales for April 2023.
To revive its fortunes in Indian markets, the brand has chosen India for the launch of its SUV Elevate, before it hits global roads.
Racing for relevance?
Geared up for a race against Hyundai's Creta and Kia Seltos for the top spot, Elevate is Honda's hope for survival in the Indian market, where it struggles to stay relevant.
This is also the first time that Honda has hosted a global launch for a new model in India, after arriving in the country 25 years ago.
The compact SUV will also come with collision mitigation braking, lane-keeping assistance tech, adaptive cruise control and road departure mitigation among others.
The rugged model also offers tech for pedestrian protection, rear parking sensor, and lane watch, which will be supported by rear and lane cameras.
Since Honda had bounced back from losses around Diwali last year, the Elevate will hit showrooms in the festive season, although prices haven't been revealed.
