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The 2026 Honda Elevate has launched in India as the compact SUV's most extensive update since it entered that market in 2023. The facelift brings a sharper exterior, a revised cabin, and a longer equipment list, plus a brand-new exterior color — Nordic Forest Pearl — that lifts the palette to seven shades across six trims. As of August 4, 2025, the updated model is reaching Indian dealerships with introductory pricing. Honda doesn't sell this SUV in the US, but it's a key part of the company's global compact-SUV strategy, and the same vehicle is sold in Japan as the WR-V.
Honda now offers the updated Elevate in seven exterior colors:
The headline addition is Nordic Forest Pearl, a dark green tone that shifts with the light and dresses up the SUV's boxy shape. Earthy, muted colors have become fashionable in India's compact SUV segment, and the new shade gives the Elevate a more upmarket appearance than the brighter finishes in the range.
Three colors — Nordic Forest Pearl, Platinum White Pearl, and Radiant Red Metallic — can be paired with a contrasting black roof. The two-tone look is restricted, though; it's available only on one trim, as the breakdown below makes clear. Indian buyers have gravitated toward black-roof SUVs in recent years, and the treatment suits the Elevate's upright stance by visually lowering the roofline.
The Elevate lineup runs from the base SV to the range-topping ZX Plus Black. Here is the complete color availability matrix:
| Color | SV | V | VX | ZX | ZX Plus | ZX Plus Black |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Radiant Red Metallic | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes* | No |
| Obsidian Blue Pearl | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Nordic Forest Pearl | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes* | No |
| Platinum White Pearl | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes* | No |
| Lunar Silver Metallic | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Meteoroid Gray Metallic | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Crystal Black Pearl | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Several patterns stand out. The base SV offers only four colors: Platinum White Pearl, Lunar Silver Metallic, Meteoroid Gray Metallic, and Crystal Black Pearl. Buyers who want the bolder shades — Radiant Red, Obsidian Blue, or Nordic Forest — need to choose the V trim or higher. The full seven-color palette opens up starting with the V.
The black-roof option is what separates the ZX and ZX Plus trims. The ZX offers all seven colors without the two-tone scheme; the ZX Plus adds the contrasting roof on the three qualifying shades. At the top sits the ZX Plus Black, a special edition with darkened exterior details, and it comes exclusively in Crystal Black Pearl. That setup is clearly designed to push buyers toward the middle and upper trims — if you want a red, blue, or green Elevate, the V trim is your starting point, and the two-tone look demands the ZX Plus.
Honda used the facelift to strengthen the Elevate's feature set. Inside, there's a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system, ventilated rear seats — a segment first in India — plus ventilated and power-adjustable front seats, ambient lighting, and an eight-speaker sound system. A digital driver display and a single-pane sunroof round out the cabin upgrades.
Safety equipment now includes front parking sensors, which are new for this update. They join six standard airbags, a tire-pressure monitoring system, and Level-2 advanced driver assistance systems. That's a strong safety roster for a compact SUV in this price class.
Honda has not touched the mechanical package. The Elevate continues with a 1.5-liter naturally aspirated gasoline engine producing 121 PS (119 horsepower) and 145 Nm (107 pound-feet) of torque. Transmission choices are a six-speed manual or a CVT. Claimed fuel economy is 15.31 km/l for the manual and 16.92 km/l for the CVT — approximately 36 and 40 mpg in US measurements.
Pricing for the 2026 Elevate runs from Rs 11.80 lakh to Rs 18.40 lakh at the introductory ex-showroom rate, which in India means before on-road taxes and registration fees. In US dollars at current exchange rates, that's roughly $13,500 to $21,000. For perspective, the smallest Honda SUV in American showrooms, the HR-V, starts in the mid-$20,000s. These introductory prices are often time-limited, so Honda may revise them after the launch window closes.
The Elevate faces a packed field in India, including the Kia Seltos, Maruti Grand Vitara, Hyundai Creta, Skoda Kushaq, Toyota Hyryder, Volkswagen Taigun, Nissan Tekton, Renault Duster, and Maruti Victoris, along with coupe-style rivals such as the Tata Curvv and Citroen Basalt.
The Elevate isn't sold in North America, but it's far from an India-only model. Honda ships the same vehicle from its Indian plant to Japan, where it carries the WR-V badge. That export flow makes the Elevate a genuine global product, even if its closest US cousin — the HR-V — goes its own way.
The HR-V comparison is telling. The American HR-V is bigger and runs a 2.0-liter engine with 158 hp, while the Elevate sits a class below with a smaller footprint and a more efficient powertrain. The Elevate's equipment list adds another layer to the story: ventilated rear seats and Level-2 ADAS in a car priced under $21,000 show how quickly features are migrating to budget-oriented markets. US buyers often wait years for similar equipment to appear on mainstream Honda models.
The paint program is also a glimpse of global design trends. Black roofs and muted green shades have become winning formulas in emerging markets, and Honda's decision to spotlight Nordic Forest Pearl suggests the company expects that taste to keep growing. If the color catches on, don't be surprised to see related tones surface on Honda vehicles in other regions. For now, the Elevate remains a compelling preview rather than an import prospect — whether a version of it could ever make financial sense in the US, where small SUVs have crept upward in size and price, is a different question entirely.
The 2026 Elevate facelift plays it safe where it matters, but the new palette and the strategic placement of the black-roof option give buyers real choices within the six-trim lineup. Seven shades is a solid range for a compact SUV, and Honda has kept the colors classy rather than gimmicky. For anyone following Honda from the US, the Elevate is a window into how the automaker builds and positions small SUVs for the rest of the world. Which of the seven colors would you choose?
