Honda launches mid-size SUV Elevate, announces plans to go fully electric

NEW DELHI: Japanese car maker Honda is entering the electric route by launching a pure electric SUV for the Indian market, dominated by Tata Motors and others such as MG Motor, and Hyundai, among others.

“Two-thirds of our cars in India will be electrified by 2030 and all our cars will be fully electric, powered by either battery or fuel cells,” Takuya Tsumura, president and CEO at Honda Cars India told Financial Chronicle on the sidelines of the global unveiling of its brand new Honda Elevate SUV here.

“To begin with we will launch a new electric SUV based on the Elevate in less than three years for the Indian market,” Tsumura revealed, adding that the future belongs to electric vehicles.

He said the parent company has spelt out a global road map of electric vehicles, including the growing Indian market, which is important for the growth of the company.

Kunal Behl, vice president, marketing and sales at Honda Cars said the company will launch five new SUVs in India by 2030 and the all new Elevate was the first one.

He said bookings for the Elevate SUV will commence in July and the price will be announced during the launch in September. The Elevate’s rivals include the Creta, Seltos, Kushaq SUVs, among others.

“We are confident the new Elevate will add volumes to our sales, “he said without disclosing the target. Last year, Honda Cars sold 91,418 cars, a growth of 7 per cent over the previous year.

The all new Honda Elevate will be the carmaker's third volume pillar after the Honda City and the Honda Amaze.

The Elevate can be a make-or-break product for the carmaker as it has seen volumes take a major hit in the past couple of years in the absence of new models.