Honda Elevate vs Kia Seltos vs Volkswagen Taigun: One Segment, Different Approaches

Honda’s first attempt at cracking the compact SUV market came back in 2016 with the first-gen BR-V. That model, while seeing good initial demand, did not survive past 2020 with sales seeing a sharp decline over the years. The Elevate however is a different animal with Honda basing its latest SUV on the City platform rather than on a small car platform as its predecessor. And while in isolation, Honda has done a commendable job with its SUV, we see how it compares with its rivals.

The Elevate’s main competitor is the Kia Seltos. Fresh off a facelift, the Seltos is the segment benchmark offering both performance and features that few can match. Also in contention is the Volkswagen Taigun – car&bike’s 2022 Car of the Year – and what is VW’s first attempt at a locally developed SUV for the Indian market. Here we compared the Elevate CVT with the Seltos 1.5 turbo DCT and the Taigun 1.0 TSI AT (similar price bracket).

The Design Philosophy

Honda has taken the tried and tested route with the Elevate in terms of design. The boxy proportions, flat nose, large grille and upright design are all traditional SUV design elements and aid in giving the Honda a notable road presence. The design certainly lends the SUV a macho look that will draw eyeballs, it feels that Honda has played it a little too safe with the design.

The Seltos goes for a flashier design that will draw eyeballs. Of the three cars here, it certainly has a design more akin to Indian tastes with revised light clusters, bumpers and alloy wheel designs certainly freshening up the look. The Seltos is also offered in three different lines - Tech Line, GT Line and X Line with each also getting some styling differences from the other.

The Elevate follows the tried and tested SUV design while the Seltos ups the glam quotient; Taigun looks the part of a typical VW SUV.

The Taigun meanwhile comes across as the typical Volkswagen group SUV - taut surfaces, compact proportions, and an overall fuss-free look. It’s not the showiest SUV of the trio but it’s a design that many will agree will age well as the years pass. This particular Curcuma Yellow colour also feels unique when compared to the other models, giving the Taigun a more playful appeal.

At 4,221mm long, 1,760 mm wide and 1,612 mm tall, the Taigun is also the smallest SUV here – not just in looks but in dimensions too except for the wheelbase. The VW has the longest wheelbase of the three at 2,651 mm. The Seltos is the largest on paper at 4,365 mm long, 1,800 mm wide and 1645 mm tall. It however has the shortest wheelbase at 2,610 mm. The Honda sits in the middle at 4,312 mm long, 1790 mm wide and 1650 mm tall. In terms of wheelbase, its just 1 mm shorter than the Taigun.

The Honda however has the largest boot at 458 litre followed by the Seltos and Taigun at 433 litres and 385 litres respectively.

All About the Interior

The cabin too is a space where Honda has played it safe and sensible with the design. The dashboard is quite straightforward with notable elements including the large free-standing central touchscreen, faux wood inserts and large swathes of soft-touch material. The tan leather upholstery adds a feeling of space and an all-important premium feel. 

Elevate's cabin feels premium and is both spacious and comfortable though it lacks some features.

The Honda also has the best seats of the lot. The front seats offer good support and are well padded while the rear also offers plenty of room to allow the chauffer driven to stretch out.

Speaking of the Seltos, the GTX+ variant with us here has some eye-catching details inside the cabin. The biggest draw is the single-pane twin-screen display atop the dashboard that adds to the SUV’s premium feel. The black leather upholstery with white inserts and stitching adds an element of sportiness to the cabin though the black soft-touch leather on the dashboard blends in with the plastics. Overall fit and finish is quite good.

GTX interior colour scheme adds sporty feel to SUV though front seats are not the most comfortable.

In terms of seating comfort, the Seltos’ front seats feel quite stiffly padded and won’t be the most comfortable over long journeys. At the rear meanwhile, there is ample amount of space and there’s enough in terms of features to keep passengers happy and comfy.

The Taigun’s cabin looks a bit dull in comparison. There is little fuss in the design with everything neatly laid out on the dashboard but plenty of hard plastics all around. The cabin lacks the use of soft touch materials in many places though one can’t complain about overall fit and finish. One small gripe however is the touch-sensitive air-con control that need you to take your eyes of the road to use. 

Taigun interior is quite plain in comparison though well laid out; touch sensitive air-con controls not the most intuitive to use on the move.

On the seating front, the Taigun’s front chairs score well for comfort and are the only ones here to offer electric adjustment for both driver and passenger (height included. Seltos only gives it for the driver. Elevate to neither). There’s a good amount of legroom in the rear too though seating three abreast is tight.

Speaking of variants, Kia has once again gone to town with variants spread across a wide price range. There are as many as 22 variants to pick from. The turbo-petrol is only offered with the top variants with lower variants getting a less powerful 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol mill. The Taigun can be had in five variants – Comfortline, Highline and Topline with the 1.0 TSI and GT and GT Plus with the 1.5 TSI. The Elevate meanwhile is available in four variants.

Hitting The Road

On the road, it becomes abundantly clear that Honda has focused on comfort. The familiar 1.5-litre i-VTEC engine develops decent levels of power (119bhp and 145Nm) but it’s not what you’d call potent. As with all Honda units, the 1.5 mill loves to be revved though the CVT gearbox does show some rubber band effect – the engine spins hard but the buildup of speed is not proportional – at high revvs.

Elevate offers a comfortable ride and rounds out bumps well; SUV best for being driven sedately.

The suspension set-up errs on the softer side rounding out bumps quite well though it also means that body roll is more pronounced. But that said, as a cruiser, this SUV performs well. The steering is also the most feelsome unit here though this isn’t a SUV to be driven spiritedly. The brakes (Disc at front, drum behind) also perform well.

The Taigun feels the most driver-centred of the trio. The 1.0 TSI may be the least powerful at 113 bhp but the 178 Nm of peak torque from 1750 rpm means you can quickly get a move on. The TSI unit works best when pushed hard – peak torque stays till around 4,500 rpm and peak power kicks in at 5,000 rpm. There’s of course a more potent 1.5 TSI unit (147bhp and 250 Nm) on sale as well for those who want even greater performance but costs 3-4 lakhs more.

Seltos offers sharper performance and a well-sorted ride though steering and brake feel detracts from the experience.

Moving to ride and handling, the Taigun gets a stiffer suspension set-up making it feel planted both at high speeds and through the corners. And while it irons out bumps well enough you do feel a thud over sharp ruts and deeper potholes. The steering feel is best described as neutral with adequate feedback to drive the SUV keenly. The brakes too have adequate bite though the pedal does feel a little spongy.

Taigun will reward keen drivers though the stiffer suspension means you feel more of the road imperfections.

Coming to the Seltos, the 1.5 T-GDi turbo petrol mill puts out a solid 158 bhp and 253 Nm. Paired with the 7-speed DCT the turbo-petrol mill allows the Seltos to build up speed both quickly and smoothly with little let-up in power. The performance however is let down by the steering and brakes. The former feels artificially weighted and lacks feedback while the latter, despite being an all-wheel disc set-up, lacks bite. If the turbo/dual clutch doesn’t work for you, Kia offers a number of powertrain options. The turbo-petrol is available with a 6-speed iMT too. There’s a 1.5 diesel offered with either an iMT or 6-speed torque converter and there’s also a naturally aspirated 1.5 petrol offered with a 6-speed manual or CVT gearbox.

Feature Packed

It’s when it comes to features where the Seltos stands above the rest. Kia has tried to appeal to the buyer’s sense of value by throwing “everything but the kitchen sink” at you. In this GTX+ variant, you get dual-zone climate control, ventilated front seats, a panoramic sunroof, electric adjust driver seat, a 10.25-inch touchscreen, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, connected car tech, a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, Bose sound system, auto headlamps and wipers, 360 degree camera, selectable drive modes and traction modes, blind spot monitor and Level 2 ADAS functions.

Seltos is the priciest SUV here but packs in a lot of kit including Level 2 ADAS.

The Elevate meanwhile also packs in its fair share of features but misses out on bits such as ventilated seats, a powered driver seat and a 360-degree camera. The Honda Sensing suite also isn’t as extensive as Kia’s ADAS features.

The Taigun‘s equipment is a bit of a mixed bag getting you all the essentials but missing out on some over-the-top features. While it gets bits such as a 10-inch touchscreen, wireless Android Auto and CarPlay, electric adjust front seats (driver and passenger) and ventilated front seats there is no option for ADAS functionality, 360-degree camera or a blind spot camera.

Elevate gets all the basics right and you also get ADAS functions.

Jack Of All Traits

When seen in isolation the Honda Elevate makes a strong case for itself. It will appeal to those wanting a comfort-oriented SUV that can be used everyday. It’s quite well equipped and at Rs 15.99 lakh (ex-showroom), this top-end CVT doesn’t hit the pocket as hard as well which will appeal to the more budget-conscious buyer. Prices for the SUV range are in the Rs 10.99 - 15.99 lakh (ex-showroom) bracket.

All three SUVs hold appeal to different sets of buyers though Kia offers the most bang for your buck.

The Taigun meanwhile is best for buyers wanting to drive themselves. It’s got all the essentials and will reward drivers with its keen performance. The SUV however is on the pricier side with this Topline 1.0 TSI AT set to set you back a cool Rs 17.60 lakh (ex-showroom). Go for the larger engine and this rises to Rs 19.36 lakh (ex-showroom) for the top-end 1.5 TSI DSG. On the whole, the Taigun will cost you between Rs 11.62 - 19.36 lakh (ex-showroom).

If you are looking for a SUV where you want to do it a bit of both the above, then the Seltos is a sensible solution. Yes, it is not perfect but in terms of comfort, performance and features it offers the best blend of the three. At Rs 19.99 lakh (ex-showroom) for the GTX+, the fully loaded model is certainly pricey but then you do have a full range of more affordable models to pick from as well. The Seltos has up to 22 variants to pick from (including engine, gearbox and trim level) with prices starting at Rs 10.90 lakh (ex-showroom).