Made-in-India Honda Elevate to debut in Japan

New Delhi: Japanese auto major Honda is all set to introduce its India-made mid-sized SUV Elevate in the Japanese market next year. It would be the first instance that a product manufactured by Honda Cars India Ltd (HCIL), a wholly-owned unit of the Japanese firm, will be exported to the highly regulated Japanese market. HCIL is rolling out Elevate from its Tapukara (Rajasthan-based) production facility. "After its successful debut in India earlier this year, Elevate is scheduled for Spring 2024 launch in the Japanese market under the brand name WR-V," an HCIL spokesperson said in a statement. In a first for HCIL, the model will be manufactured in India and exported to Japan, it added. "This strategic move is a strong reflection of manufacturing capabilities of India operations and also solidifies our vision of making the country a key export hub in Honda business," the spokesperson said. The company's Tapukara-based plant is fully equipped to take care of the domestic as well as export requirements, the spokesperson added.