Comparison: Honda Elevate vs Kia Seltos

Kia is one carmaker that legitimately cracked the competitive Indian automotive market. Within just a few years since it started operations in India, the Korean brand has risen to fame and is currently the fourth-largest carmaker in India. Kia began its innings in India with the Seltos, a fantastic SUV that is hard to fault. The Seltos is a jack of all trades and it offers exactly what a customer expects from a midsize SUV priced under Rs 20 lakh. Ever since the Seltos started dominating the market, various other carmakers followed suit with their midsize SUVs, and the latest to follow that trend is the Honda Elevate. 

The Elevate is a crucial product for Honda as the Japanese carmaker has a lot riding on this India-specific midsize SUV. However, this segment is tightly packed with SUVs such as the Hyundai Creta and the twin SUVs from Volkswagen and Skoda – the Kushaq and the Taigun. With the stringent BS6 emission norms kicking in, Honda had to discontinue a major chunk of its portfolio and the brand currently has just 3 models on sale in India including the Elevate. Since the Seltos is the benchmark SUV in this segment, we find out how the Honda Elevate fares against it when pitched on paper. 

Honda Elevate vs Kia Seltos: Dimensions

Up until now, we’ve only seen pictures of the Honda Elevate as the SUV is yet to be officially launched with the prices still under wraps. But, we do know how the Kia Seltos looks in the flesh as it is one of the most popular SUVs on the road. In contrast to the Seltos, which is an average-sized SUV in the segment with decent road presence, the Elevate sits higher at 1650mm and comes with a larger wheelbase of 2650 mm as opposed to the 2610 mm of the Kia. However, where things really matter are the impressive 220 mm of ground clearance and the 458 litres of boot space in the Honda Elevate. 

On the other hand, the Kia Seltos is the longest and the widest here, but the margin is minimal and nothing substantial enough to be a deal-breaker. 

Honda Elevate vs Kia Seltos: Engine & Transmission

Things are interesting when you compare the Honda Elevate and the Kia Seltos and their powertrain options. The Kia Seltos is currently available with a 1.5-litre petrol and diesel engine option. The acclaimed 1.4-litre turbo petrol engine has been discontinued for now but it is expected to be substituted by the addition of a new 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine. The 1.4-litre was discontinued as it was not RDE compliant (Real Driving Emission). Honda is only offering a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine option for the new Elevate. This is the same engine as the Honda City and it develops 121 PS and 145 Nm, which makes it more powerful than the Kia’s 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine that produces 115 PS and 144 Nm. 

Both SUVs also offer the option of a manual and an automatic CVT gearbox. The Honda Elevate misses out on a diesel powerplant option which the Kia offers with the 1.5-litre turbo diesel engine that dishes out 115 PS and 250Nm of twist. When Kia reintroduces the turbo petrol engine option, it will be the more powerful SUV in this comparison. With the Kia, you also get a whole host of options to choose from while Honda is sticking to just one petrol engine, albeit a proven one.

Honda Elevate vs Kia Seltos: Features & Comfort

As far as the basics are concerned, the Kia Seltos and the Honda Elevate are right up there as they both offer cruise control, a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a music system, a sunroof and a climate control system. The Honda offers a fully-digital 7-inch driver’s display while the Kia only supports an analogue display with a digital central readout. But, look at the big picture and it is obvious that the Kia is the more feature-loaded SUV here. It gets an 8-speaker Bose sound system, heads-up display, ventilated seats, tyre pressure monitoring system, powered driver’s seat, air purifier, drive modes, Type C charging ports and a 360-degree camera. All of these features are missing in the Honda Elevate.

Honda Elevate vs Kia Seltos: Safety Features

Since the Honda Elevate is a relatively new SUV, it is yet to be tested by the Global NCAP.  The Seltos scored 3 stars in this crash test and until the Elevate’s results are out we cannot arrive at a definitive conclusion. Looking at the safety features on offer, both these SUVs are tightly matched. The essentials –  6 airbags, ESC, ABS, traction control, auto headlamps, auto wipers, rear parking camera and hill-hold assist are present in both the SUVs. Honda has gone one step ahead and equipped the Elevate with a whole ADAS tech. These features include a collision mitigation braking system, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, auto high beam, etc. So overall, the Honda takes the lead here as it offers ADAS which the Kia misses out on.

Honda Elevate vs Kia Seltos: Price Comparison

The Kia Seltos is priced from Rs 10.89 lakh to Rs 19.65 lakh (ex-showroom). Kia has got the pricing spot on for the Seltos right from the start and the same can be inferred from its popularity. Honda is yet to unveil the prices of the Elevate but we expect it to be priced from Rs 12.00 lakh to Rs 17.00 lakh. Since the Elevate is only offered with one petrol engine, it is expected to undercut the top-end Kia Seltos in terms of pricing as the latter comes with two engine options which might also increase to three with the introduction of the new 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine. For the prices of the Honda Elevate, we, unfortunately, have to wait till August 2023. 

Summary

Four years ago, when Kia launched the Seltos in India, it was projected to be an instant success, thanks to its styling, equipment and powertrain options. Even after four years, the Seltos continues to be a strong player in the midsize SUV space, attracting a substantial number of takers. Its design has aged gracefully, and the SUV still offers some nifty features that the competition hasn’t been able to match. This coupled with the endless powertrain options – three engines and four gearbox options (including the turbo) makes the Kia Seltos an important SUV in India. It maintains its exceptional qualities and stands out as a well-rounded SUV that does everything faultlessly. 

Honda has always eyed a share of the midsize SUV space, and the Elevate could help the Japanese brand achieve this goal. Although the Honda Elevate misses out on a diesel engine and some important features, it showcases its competence as an SUV with a robust engine and a wide range of safety features. It also promises a luxurious cabin with class-leading space and a cavernous 458 litres of boot space. The pricing is the last piece of the puzzle and provided Honda gets that right, we are looking at a potential winner.