Honda is about to enter the highly-popular mid-size SUV segment in our market where it will find the likes of Skoda Kushaq waiting to compete.
This blog shortlists 5 reasons why you could wait for the upcoming Honda Elevate instead of buying the Skoda Kushaq right away. Honda might be late to the party but it comes all guns blazing. The already established and successful City sedan will ensure that a lot of key components and mechanicals are borrowed by the SUV to make it attractive already. On the other hand, Kushaq is solely responsible to turn the fate around of the Czech carmaker in India. Let us see what key features the Honda SUV will possess to give it an edge over the Skoda SUV.
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Why Choose Honda Elevate over Skoda Kushaq
1. Hybrid Powertrain
Honda has announced that the Elevate will share its powertrains with the City which means that there will be a 1.5-litre Atkinson cycle strong hybrid engine powering it. It will be good for 109 hp and 253 Nm of peak power and torque. More importantly, in the City sedan, the mileage figures stand at an impressive 26.5 km/l. We could expect something similar with the Elevate too.
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2. ADAS Features (Honda Sensing Technology)
Similar to City, the Elevate will also boast the Honda SENSING ADAS functions which include things like Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS), Adaptive Cruise Control, Road Departure Mitigation (RDM), Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS) and Auto High-Beam. Apart from that, there will be 37 connected car tech features further enhancing convenience.
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3. Best-in-Class Refinement
Honda cars are known for great refinement which has particularly been the case with the i-VTEC petrol engine of the City since time immemorial. Since there will be this petrol mill on offer, we can safely assume that the refinement levels will be among the best in the segment. Occupants could assume that the ride will be quiet.
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4. Wider Sales and Service Network
Honda has been in the country for decades now and has a better sales and service network compared to Skoda. In fact, it was a pain point for Skoda for a long time and things have started to change only recently after the VW Group introduced the India 2.0 strategy. But for now, you are more likely to find a Honda dealership and service centre around you than Skoda.
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5. High Reliability
This is not something specific to Honda as an accomplishment but the fact that Skoda Kushaq has been plagued by the dreaded EPC issue for a long time now. Numerous owners reported being stranded on the roads due to the SUV suddenly displaying an EPC error and refusing to start. There is also the curious case of the DQ200 DSG transmission from Skoda that could be a bit notorious for throwing up problems. It uses two dry clutches enabling quick gearshifts but has high wear and tear as a result.