Key Highlights
- Honda Elevate is the first Honda car to be exported from India to Japan.
- A shipment of 50,000 units to Japan is the highest for any automaker in India.
- Prices for Honda Elevate currently start at Rs 11 lakh in India.
Last month, it was announced that the made-in-India Honda Elevate will be launched in Japan as the WR-V. The automaker has now announced that it will ship 50,000 units of the Elevate to Japan next year. This is the first time in the history of the company that it has exported an India-manufactured vehicle to its home territory. The Elevate is Honda’s debut midsize SUV offering in India, currently priced at Rs 11 lakh.
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Honda Elevate: Honda’s first made-in-India export to Japan
Honda Elevate was launched in India back in September. Since then, the SUV has enjoyed a fair bit of success in the market. Its Japanese rebadged version, WR-V, will feature similar dimensions – 4,312mm x 1,790mm x 1,650mm, and a wheelbase of 2,650mm. The front fascia of the SUV is marked by its wide grille and sleek LED headlamps flanking it on either end. The headlamps are connected by a smooth chrome bar. The LED tail lamps at the back are connected by a light strip.
The Japanese WR-V will feature an all-black theme for its interiors instead of the dual-tone colour scheme found on the Honda Elevate. Honda has also changed the touchscreen infotainment system on the WR-V. This new infotainment system gets a remote control of its own. The Japanese SUV misses out on an electric sunroof and wireless charging but gets in-car WiFi and an anti-theft detection system.
Things remain unchanged mechanically as the WR-V is powered by the same 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine found on the Honda Elevate. This engine produces a maximum power output of 121hp and 145Nm of torque. In Japan, the WR-V will come with a CVT gearbox. The automaker also offers a 6-speed manual gearbox option in India. Manual variants of Honda Elevate offer a fuel efficiency of 15.31kmpl while the CVT variants put up a mileage of 16.92kmpl.
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Conclusion
The automaker also confirmed that the WR-V will be launched in Japan in spring 2024. Making India a strong export hub, adds the element of ‘de-risk’ in case the automaker’s offerings don’t do well in the local market. A shipment of 50,000 units in one year will be the highest that any automaker has exported from India to Japan. It will also be Honda’s biggest export batch ever since it started operations in India.
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