It takes just one look at the Elevate to understand Honda’s changed approach to the hyper-critical SUV segment in India on which the company’s fortunes rest. This all-new midsize SUV is a daring departure from Honda’s philosophy of designing low-slung cars (and SUVs) and, true to its name, the Elevate has elevated proportions, standing tall at a height of 1,650mm with a class-leading 220mm of ground clearance.

Whilst jacking up the stance may seem like a sacrilegious move for the engineering purists at Honda who want to make cars as hunkered down as possible in the pursuit of better dynamics, history has shown that though sleek SUVs hug the road better, they don’t necessarily hug customers’ hearts. The unsuccessful BR-V and the capable but insignificant CR-V were both low-slung, lacking the SUV image Indian buyers hanker for.