Made-in-India Honda Elevate to debut in Japan next year

New Delhi, Japanese auto major Honda is all set to introduce its India-made mid-sized SUV Elevate in the Japanese market next year. It would be the first instance that a product manufactured by Honda Cars India Ltd (HCIL), a wholly-owned unit of the Japanese firm, will be exported to the highly regulated Japanese market.

HCIL is rolling out Elevate from its Tapukara (Rajasthan-based) production facility.

"After its successful debut in India earlier this year, Elevate is scheduled for Spring 2024 launch in the Japanese market under the brand name WR-V," an HCIL spokesperson said in a statement.

In a first for HCIL, the model will be manufactured in India and exported to Japan, it added.

"This strategic move is a strong reflection of manufacturing capabilities of India operations and also solidifies our vision of making the country a key export hub in Honda business," the spokesperson said.

The company's Tapukara-based plant is fully equipped to take care of the domestic as well as export requirements, the spokesperson added.

HCIL introduced Elevate in the domestic market in September this year.

Starting with the model, the company aims to introduce five SUV models in the domestic market by 2030.

The company also plans to bring a battery-electric version of Elevate within the next three years.

The model is powered by a 1.5-litre petrol engine paired with a six-speed manual and a seven-speed continuously variable transmission (CVT).