Speaking to our sister publication Autocar Professional on the sidelines of the launch of the all-new Amaze, Honda Cars India President and CEO Takuya Tsumura, has confirmed that an Elevate-based EV will be launched in India in 2026. This will be Honda’s first full-electric model for our market, but it will have a different nameplate and design.
Three electrified Hondas arriving in 2026-27
“We will be introducing three electrified models in 2026-27. One will be a battery-electric vehicle based on the Elevate and there will be two more as well. We can say all three models will be hybrids or full-electric vehicles. As part of the global company’s policy, we are going to keep introducing and increasing the ratio of electrified vehicles,” said Tsumara.
Earlier this year, we had exclusively reported that Honda Cars is working on a compact electric vehicle project named ACE. The ACE — which stands for Asian Compact Electric and is based on the Elevate — is expected to be ready by 2026 and almost 50-70 percent of the vehicles produced in India will be exported to key overseas markets, including Japan.
It is, however, important to note that by 2026, most other rival brands will have advanced significantly in their own electrification journeys. Tata Motors, MG and Mahindra already have got an early lead, and Hyundai, Maruti and Toyota are entering this space in 2025 with their respective mid-size electric SUVs.
More hybrids in the pipeline too
Honda was the first carmaker in India to offer a strong-hybrid powertrain with the City, but that didn’t really go mainstream as the brand would have hoped for.
The management noted that, for its next electrification phase in India, EVs will be more critical than strong hybrids considering the implementation of CAFÉ 3 norms that come into effect in 2027. “That is why we decided to start with an EV based on the Elevate. But other future lines with have hybrid technology as well,” Tsumura said.
Among plug-in hybrids, strong hybrids, and range extenders, Honda sees strong hybrids as more relevant in the current context of the Indian automobile industry. The management, however, did not disclose additional details of the plan for the hybrid lineup.
Honda to shift focus on SUVs
While maintaining its commitment towards the sedan segment with plans for product updates going forward, Honda Cars' primary focus will be on SUVs. “The market shift is more towards SUVs. That is why we decided to put more models on the SUV side. By 2030, we will have five models,” said Tsumura.
While Honda has managed to get a foothold in the midsize SUV segment with the Elevate, its overall market share in India has dropped to below 1.5 percent, down from 2.4 percent in 2022-23. This decline was largely due to the shrinking demand for its core strength – sedans.
When asked about the delay in putting more SUV models into the market, Ryuto Shimizu, Director of Marketing said, “At the moment we are making the Indian customers wait a little bit more. But from 2026-27, we will be able to give good news regarding models and new powertrains. It is just about a matter of time.”
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