Comparison: Honda Elevate vs Skoda Kushaq

It’s well established that the rise of midsize SUVs in India has come at the expense of the midsize sedan segment. While Hyundai has benefitted the most from this shift, Honda has lost big time as it has always dominated India’s midsize sedan segment with the City. What added to Honda’s woes further was the absence of a midsize SUV in its portfolio. 

That’s precisely why the new Elevate SUV is such an important car for Honda. That the company chose India for the global unveiling of the Elevate shows there’s a lot riding on this Honda SUV. But given that it arrives at a time when the midsize SUV segment has several options, can the Elevate carve out a niche for itself?

We try to answer that question by comparing the Honda Elevate with one of India’s most underrated midsize SUVs, the Skoda Kushaq. The Elevate and Kushaq are similar in that they share their platforms with the City and Slavia, respectively. For other points of similarity and differentiation, read on as we compare the two SUVs across different parameters. 

Honda Elevate vs Skoda Kushaq: Dimensions

In terms of dimensions, the Honda Elevate is the clear winner, though its win is skewed by the fact that the Skoda Kushaq (along with its cousin, VW Taigun) is quite compact by midsize SUV standards. The Elevate is bigger than the Kushaq on every measurement save for the wheelbase where the Skoda SUV enjoys a microscopic 1 mm advantage. The Honda Elevate also gets a 220 mm ground clearance, the highest in this segment, while the 458-litre boot space is second only to the Citroen C3. 

In real life, this means the Honda Elevate would be a more comfortable five-seater than the Skoda Kushaq. The Skoda, owing to its compact dimensions, is only comfortable for four people. Overall, the Elevate should offer better headroom and shoulder room than the Kushaq while legroom would be in the same ballpark. As for boot space, the Honda SUV’s extra 73-litre volume can easily gobble up a couple of large backpacks.

Also read: Comparison: Honda Elevate vs Kia Seltos

Honda Elevate vs Skoda Kushaq: Engine & Transmission

The Honda Elevate shares its powertrain with the City, meaning it gets only a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated 4-cylinder petrol engine. Producing 121 PS and 145 Nm, this engine is paired with either a 6-speed manual or a 7-step CVT. On the City, this engine offers excellent refinement and tractability, making it a joy to drive in cities and on highways. Moreover, being naturally aspirated means there’s no turbo lag while the 4-cylinder configuration ensures power delivery is vibe-free. These advantages should flow to the Elevate SUV as well. 

Those are also precisely the issues with the Skoda Kushaq as it offers a choice of 3-cylinder and 4-cylinder turbocharged engines. Don’t get us wrong, the turbo lag on both engines is masked well while the 3-cylinder unit is quite refined even when you rev the socks off it. But Skoda’s engines are a notch below the Honda engine’s smooth and responsive nature. 

Also read: Comparison: Honda Elevate vs Volkswagen Taigun

But where the Kushaq is likely to smoke the Elevate is performance. The 1.0-litre engine (115 PS) might be down on power compared to the Elevate’s engine (121 PS) but it bridges that gap with an additional 33 Nm of torque. In real life, this should translate to better outright as well as in-gear acceleration for the Kushaq. That performance gap will be yawningly wider with the Kushaq’s 1.5-litre engine as it produces an impressive 150 PS and 250 Nm. 

The Skoda also offers a wider range of transmission options with a 6-speed manual, 6-speed torque converter automatic, and a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic, the latter only with the 1.5-litre engine. The Elevate pulls one back with its CVT gearbox which scores higher on convenience. But overall, on the powertrain front, the Skoda Kushaq comes across as better than the Honda Elevate.

Honda Elevate vs Skoda Kushaq: Features & Comfort

The Honda Elevate and Skoda Kushaq are closely stacked in terms of features and comfort, save for a vital miss by each. For instance, the Kushaq’s infotainment maxes out at 8 inches. That’s right, you won’t get a bigger unit even if you pay for it, which is all the more bizarre as the Kushaq initially did offer an optional 10.25-inch unit. Honda has been rightly criticised in the past for skimping out on equipment, a mistake it has corrected with the Elevate by offering a 10.25-inch infotainment unit. 

But the company can’t be let off the hook just yet as it doesn’t, just like with the City, offer ventilated seats with the Elevate. As with larger infotainment systems, ventilated seats aren’t a gimmick as they make the driver’s life easier in the car, especially when navigating slow-moving urban traffic.

Those misses aside, there’s little to separate the Honda Elevate and the Skoda Kushaq. But because the Honda SUV is more spacious, we’d reckon it’d likely score higher than the Kushaq in overall cabin comfort. 

Also read: Comparison: Honda Elevate vs Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder

Honda Elevate vs Skoda Kushaq: Safety Features

The Honda Elevate is yet to be launched in India or any other market. This means a crash test rating is far off the horizon. However, as it’s built on the same platform as the 5th-gen City, we expect it to do well in crash tests. For those of you wondering how, the 5th-gen Honda City scored a 5-star rating in ASEAN NCAP crash tests. And though both GNCAP and ANCAP are similar, the former updated its testing protocol last year. 

This is important because the Skoda Kushaq was recently tested under the updated GNCAP protocol and scored a flying 5 stars, making it the safest midsize SUV (alongside the VW Taigun) in India. So, until and unless the Honda Elevate undergoes a crash test, the Skoda Kushaq walks away with the safety crown here.

Yes, the Honda Elevate does get an advanced ADAS suite with features such as auto emergency braking, collision warning, lane keep assist, and other driver alert mechanisms. While Skoda would do well to equip the Kushaq with ADAS, a proven and safer structure scores over an untested one in our view, especially for a family car. 

Also Read: Comparison: Honda Elevate vs. Hyundai Creta

Honda Elevate vs Skoda Kushaq: Price Comparison

Although Honda did a global reveal of the Elevate SUV in India, the company hasn’t announced its prices yet. But judging by the City’s prices, we estimate the Honda Elevate pricing to fall in the Rs 12 to 18 lakh range, ex-showroom. Honda traditionally doesn’t offer too many trims on its cars and the Elevate is unlikely to break that convention. 

It’s the opposite with the Skoda Kushaq though as it’s available in 20 trims including special editions such as Lava Blue and Monte Carlo. These higher-end variants of the Kushaq skew the price advantage towards the Elevate, though one can say for sure only after Honda reveals the Elevate’s prices. 

So, assuming the honours for price are equally split, which among the Honda Elevate and Skoda Kushaq is the better midsize SUV? From the specs, the Elevate will likely be more comfortable, practical, and a better city car than the Kushaq. The Skoda, on the other hand, should easily outperform the Elevate while also offering proven safety. In other words, choosing the right SUV between these two is more a function of what you prioritise in a car. And for any lingering doubts, there’s always a test drive to help you make the right decision.

Honda Elevate vs Skoda Kushaq: Summary

With the Elevate, Honda finally seems to have made its first and possibly winning play in India’s midsize SUV segment. However, because of how much time Honda took, the Elevate has its work cut out with strong competition from Hyundai, Kia, MG, Citroen, Volkswagen, Maruti Suzuki, Toyota, and of course, Skoda. We hope that with this Honda Elevate vs Skoda Kushaq comparison, you have a fair idea of the better midsize SUV for you.