Honda Cars Philippines is in the midst of updating its lineup, as teasers circulated on social media earlier this month. With what looks like the new City and Civic on the way, the recently refreshed Elevate could also make for a promising addition to the local roster.
For the uninitiated, the Elevate is an Indian exclusive, which first launched in 2023. It is offered as a subcompact crossover, powered by a 1.5-liter engine, with options for manual and continuously variable transmissions. Size-wise, it is similar to the Toyota Yaris Cross; in terms of performance, it should act akin to the HR-V’s 119hp and 145Nm of torque.
As mentioned, it just received a facelift, with a mix of styles from its stablemates. Honda gave the Elevate the honeycomb grille from the CR-V and the light bars from the City. Overall, it doesn’t look like your typical Honda, but that may be its strongest suit.
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If brought into the local lineup, the Elevate would stand out as an alternative to the HR-V. It fits into a smaller form factor, all while looking a tad more adventurous and rugged.
The Elevate should also be a more affordable option in the overall lineup, given that it is built in India. This could be a similar blueprint to the Philippine launch of the Brio Amaze, albeit with a more exciting and better-looking car. (No offense to the Brio Amaze fans.)
We’ve seen Toyota and Suzuki begin importing select electric models from India, but should Honda do the same with an ICE crossover? Sound off in the comments section.
