Honda Elevate Gets A Bolder Look And Some Features; Is It Worth?

Honda has picked the festival season to update the Elevate SUV, a savvy move, given that this is when the bigger share of new-car bookings in India take place. Although there is no mechanical update under the bonnet (the tried-and-tested 1.5-litre i-VTEC petrol engine remains unchanged), the Elevate now features a load of interior and design updates that should make it competitive in a highly congested SUV market.

2025 Honda Elevate: What's New?

The range-topping ZX grade also now gains a premium Ivory and Black two-tone interior, featuring leatherette seats and soft-touch inserts. For those who prefer a commanding look, Honda is also introducing the new "Alpha-Bold Plus Grille", basically a broader grille as an option. It's a chunkier, more aggressive face for the SUV, and while opinion may be divided, it does give the Elevate a bit more presence in rear-view mirrors.

The ZX also receives a 360-degree camera and seven-colour ambient lighting as a pay-extra option, features that the likes of the Creta and Seltos already boast. It begins at Rs 15.51 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), which seems aggressive, although pay-extra add-ons can send the final price ballooning in no time.

The lower trims are not ignored either. The V and VX grades now forego the Shadow Beige upholstery for all-black fabric seats with ivory inserts, offering a sportier feel. These trims also receive the Crystal Black Pearl paint colour option, which will probably be popular among those who desire that sneaky appearance without breaking the bank for the ZX Black Edition. Prices start here from Rs 12.39 lakh (V grade) and Rs 14.13 lakh (VX grade).

2025 Honda Elevate: Black Edition And Signature Black Edition

If understated isn't your thing, Honda has you sorted with two Black Editions:

• The base Black Edition encompasses dark paintwork with silver/chrome trim and keeps the standard grille.

• The Signature Black Edition pulls out all the stops with a fully blacked-out appearance, black interior, and new Alpha-Bold grille included as standard. Ambient lighting in seven colours is also included.

These editions are clearly aimed at younger buyers who prefer their SUVs to look meaner and more premium. Given how popular “dark editions” have become across segments (think Tata Dark Edition, Hyundai Knight Edition, Kia X-Line), Honda’s decision feels like catching up rather than innovating, but better late than never.

2025 Honda Elevate: Features & Safety Stay Put

The Elevate maintains its comforting highlights. roomy cabin, huge boot, and 220 mm ground clearance, which are priorities for Indian roads.

On the safety side, the ZX trim with ADAS remains the best of the bunch, providing lane-keep function, adaptive cruise control, and emergency braking. Six airbags, stability assist, and additional features continue to be standard across models.

ZigSays…

Honda hasn't re-invented the wheel here, but these upgrades do serve to address customers' feedback about limited interior options. The Ivory in particular will be a welcome addition to buyers who felt that the previous Tan colour was too polarising. The Elevate still, however, fails to provide a diesel or hybrid powertrain, an option that its competitors still employ as a key selling point in this segment.

The festive facelift appears to be Honda's method of continuing to keep the Elevate fresh in dealerships, as it still counts on petrol-only propulsion. Whether that will prove sufficient to divert purchasers away from feature-loaded Korean competition, or the latest Japanese, only time will tell, but at least Honda enthusiasts now have additional variations of the Elevate to select from.

Would you purchase the refreshed Honda Elevate? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!