The new Honda Elevate has arrived in South Africa! Here’s how much you’ll pay for what will effectively replace the WR-V…
The new Honda Elevate was recently confirmed for South Africa and has now officially hit the market. See pricing details below…
The Elevate effectively replaces the WR-V in Honda Southern Africa’s range. For the record, just a single unit of the WR-V (which launched here in November 2020) was registered in SA in January 2024, suggesting local stock has already virtually run dry.
So, how much will this new crossover cost you in Mzansi? Well, the local Honda Elevate range comprises just 2 derivatives at launch. The line-up kicks off with the Elevate 1.5 Comfort, priced at R369 900 – that’s R27 400 above the entry-level Toyota Urban Cruiser (R342 500) – and fitted with a 6-speed manual gearbox as standard.
For those not keen on rowing their own gears, the Japanese firm’s local division also offers the Elevate 1.5 Elegance CVT, which is priced from R429 900. This variant, of course, employs a continuously variable transmission (CVT) rather than a manual cog-swapper.
For further pricing context, note the similarly sized Hyundai Creta currently runs from R469 500 to R522 500, while the Kia Seltos costs from R465 995 to R561 995 (though the latter does also offer turbodiesel and turbopetrol engine options).
As a reminder, the outgoing WR-V range likewise comprises a pair of derivatives: the WR-V 1.2 Comfort (R320 800) and the WR-V 1.2 Elegance (R363 800), each standard with a 5-speed manual gearbox. While the new Elevate is clearly more expensive than the WR-V, it’s also quite a bit larger.
Measuring 4 312 mm from nose to tail (and with a wheelbase of 2 650 mm), the newcomer is a considerable 313 mm longer than the WR-V. In addition, the Elevate offers higher peak outputs than the WR-V’s 66 kW/110 Nm 1.2-litre motor, with its naturally aspirated 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder DOHC i-VTEC generating 89 kW at 6 600 r/min and 145 Nm at 4 300 rpm.
Revealed in June 2023, the Elevate is based on the Ballade platform and built alongside that sedan (which is also known as the City) in India. Interestingly, it’s the first Indian-built Honda product to be exported to Japan, where it – rather confusingly, we might add – wears the WR-V badge.
The Elevate’s interior features an 8-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability, while the range-topping Elegance derivative gains a wireless charging pad, a 7-inch digital instrument cluster and a sunroof. A multi-view camera is also fitted. The Elevate’s luggage compartment can swallow a claimed 458 litres, while ground clearance comes in at 199 mm. The Elevate is further equipped with 6 airbags as standard.
The Elevate is a welcome addition to Honda Southern Africa’s passenger-vehicle stable considering the brand’s top seller locally in 2023 was the Amaze, which managed just 1 034 units (or only 87 units a month). The BR-V was next on 687 units, followed by the outgoing WR-V (675 units), Fit (434 units), HR-V (183 units), CR-V (161 units), Ballade (120 units) and Civic (90 units).
How much does the Honda Elevate cost in South Africa?
Honda Elevate 1.5 Comfort – R369 900
Honda Elevate 1.5 Elegance CVT – R429 900
The new Elevate ships with a 5-year/200 000 km warranty and a 4-year/60 000 km service plan (with intervals of 15 000 km).
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