The Honda Elevate has touched down in South Africa and we attended its local media launch in Cape Town. Is the new small crossover good enough to mix it with the best?
What is a Honda Elevate?
The Honda Elevate is a handsomely styled and smartly equipped compact family car that rivals the Chery Tiggo 4 Pro, Haval Jolion, Suzuki Grand Vitara and Toyota Urban Cruiser, as well as the Kia Seltos and Hyundai Creta… We could name even more small crossovers, but you get the picture: this bustling new-vehicle market segment is packed full of models… and they’re all vying for your hard-earned cash.
When you inspect South Africa’s top 10 best-selling vehicles and ignore bakkies, you’re left with vehicles that are priced below R600 000. Our price-sensitive market is crying out for value-for-money compact family cars that tick as many boxes as possible; a primary requirement is that they have “that SUV look”.
Enter the Honda Elevate; built in India, the newcomer is 4 312 mm long, has a 2 650-mm wheelbase and claimed load-bay capacity of 458 litres. The Japanese brand’s local division has suffered dwindling sales (the 87 units-a-month Amaze budget sedan was its bestseller) due to a limited, ageing model line-up…
However, an influx of new products may help Honda South Africa’s cause (the halo effect of the Civic Type R is not all-conquering). So, following the introduction of the boutique HR-V small crossover and updated Fit compact hatchback, the Minato-based brand has cued up the all-new CR-V family car and this: a neat-as-a-pin small crossover that retains Honda’s core values and offers good value for money.
Considering local new-car sales trends, the Elevate is arguably exactly what the brand needs in Mzansi.
What’s on offer?
The Honda Elevate is available in 2 trim grades: Comfort and Elegance. Both derivatives are powered by a 1.5-litre naturally-aspirated 4-cylinder petrol engine that produces 89 kW/145 Nm. The Comfort comes with a 6-speed manual gearbox, while the Elegance has a continuously variable transmission (CVT).
In terms of claimed fuel economy, the self-shifting (automatic) CVT is said to be the least thirsty of the duo; it has a claimed consumption figure of 6.1 L/100 km, as opposed to 6.7 L/100 km for the manual.
What’s the Elevate like to drive?
We only drove the CVT-equipped 1.5 Elegance during our evaluation drive. The main benefits of a CVT are ease of use and optimised fuel efficiency, and the Honda Elevate’s transmission didn’t disappoint. Yes, you will hear that typical CVT drone when you flatten the accelerator pedal (to summon maximum thrust). Still, in everyday driving conditions, you are unlikely to use more than a 3rd of the long-pedal’s travel. Best of all? Our test unit indicated an average consumption of 6.9 L/100 km – that’s impressive.
The engine is typical of contemporary Honda powerplants: it delivers the bulk of its power and torque from the middle of the rev range. At no point did the Elevate feel short of urge and we were 3 up in the vehicle with legendary SA photographer Rob Till (who shot these images) sitting in the back! The acid test, however, will be at Highveld altitudes with a full complement of passengers and cargo on board.
Honda has fitted gearshift paddles to the steering wheel (so that a driver may simulate manual gear changes if they like), but don’t bother with those: the CVT does a fair job of hustling the Elevate around.
The Elevate’s 17-inch alloy wheels (shod with 215/55 tyres) facilitate a very forgiving (pliant) overall ride quality with excellent noise suppression. The comfort-oriented suspension setup is as you’d expect from a small crossover, not least 1 produced with the Indian market (where roads are worse than ours) in mind.
In light of that, we were surprised by the lack of pronounced body roll; could the Elevate’s setup be a bit stiffer/sportier than it needs to be, perhaps? Even if so, some customers may appreciate the “planted” driving experience. Ground clearance, meanwhile, is a claimed 220 mm and those plump (generously sidewalled) tyres will prove useful when the Honda needs to traverse gravel or poorly maintained roads.
Cabin space and features?
The Elevate looks a bit, well, dumpy, but it’s surprisingly spacious inside and the load bay is sufficiently capacious. To illustrate our point, the author (who is 1.9 meters tall), could complete the sit-behind-yourself test (in other words, he could sit comfortably behind the driver’s seat when it’s set up for him).
The build quality of the cabin is a mixed bag, which is not too surprising at this price point. Critically, the majority of contact points feel substantial and reasonably padded… The Elevate may be positioned as a value-for-money small crossover targeted at urban-based buyers, but it does feel suitably upmarket.
Despite the fitment of an infotainment system with a sizeable touchscreen, Honda has, to its credit, not dispensed with conventional switchgear, and the fascia buttons look smart and feel quite satisfying to use. The latest in connectivity is virtually compulsory in brand-new cars and the Elevate brings wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay to the party, as well as a 12V socket and a pair of USB ports up front.
It’s immediately apparent that the model’s standard features list is long – there’s absolutely no notion that you’re obligated to pay more for the “fancy” version because the entry-level spec is bare-bones.
The Comfort trim grade isn’t meagre – it incorporates automatic climate control, LED headlamps, keyless entry, and an 8-inch infotainment touchscreen. Safety-wise, it comes with ABS with EBD, electronic stability control and dual front- and side airbags. Elegance adds an electric sunroof, wireless charging pad, LED fog lights, auto headlight functionality as well as additional airbags, bringing the total to 6.
How much the Honda Elevate costs in SA (Feb 2024)
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).
| Honda Elevate 1.5 Comfort | R369 900 |
| Honda Elevate 1.5 Elegance CVT | R429 900 |
Summary
The Honda Elevate is a solid effort from the Japanese brand. This small crossover segment is (still) booming and, seeing as the latest HR-V is more of a trendy/boutique proposition, Honda desperately needed a model to compete in the (forgive us) bread-and-butter compact family car sub-segment.
First impressions of the newcomer are quite favourable. We’re impressed with the Elevate’s combination of talents, plus its value-for-money proposition – especially of the entry-level 1.5 Comfort, which debuts at just under R370k. Chinese brands are still relatively fresh on the scene; for more conservative buyers, having a legacy brand name (and -badge on the grille) undoubtedly counts in the Elevate’s favour…
