The new Honda Elevate – a crossover based on the Ballade platform and built in India – has finally been confirmed for South Africa. Here’s what you can expect…
It was only a matter of time, wasn’t it? Yes, the new Honda Elevate has finally been confirmed for South Africa, with its local launch date set for the 2nd half of February 2024.
Revealed back in June 2023, this new crossover 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.
Here in South Africa, the Elevate is poised to compete against the likes of the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Toyota Urban Cruiser and Suzuki Grand Vitara, though it’s not yet clear exactly where Honda Southern Africa will position the newcomer in terms of pricing.
So, in broader terms, where will it slot in within Honda’s crossover line-up? Well, the new Elevate measures 4 312 mm from snout to rump and has a wheelbase of 2 650 mm. That makes it 313 mm longer than the WR-V but 178 mm shorter than the BR-V. It’s also worth noting the Elevate is quite similar in size to the HR-V, which measures a mere 33 mm longer.
The Elevate’s luggage compartment can swallow a claimed 458 litres, while ground clearance comes in at a fairly handy 220 mm. As you might have guessed, the Elevate employs the same DOHC i-VTEC engine as the Ballade on which it’s based.
That means power comes from the Japanese firm’s familiar naturally aspirated 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder petrol motor, which delivers 89 kW and 145 Nm to the front axle via a 6-speed manual gearbox or a continuously variable transmission (CVT). SA-spec figures are, of course, yet to be confirmed.
In India, the Elevate ships with items such as a 7-inch digital instrument cluster, a centrally sited 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen (with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay) and a rear parking camera. A sunroof is furthermore available in that market. We’d speculate the SA-spec version will ditch the brown trim seen in the images for black instead.
There’s also a raft of driver-assistance features, like adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning and automatic high-beam assist on offer in India. Other standard safety features on the Indian-spec model include 6 airbags, ABS with EBD (and brake assist), vehicle stability assist and hill-start assist.
The Elevate will be 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 WR-V (675 units), Fit (434 units), HR-V (183 units), CR-V (161 units), Ballade (120 units) and Civic (90 units).
Related content
Facelifted Honda Fit (2024) Price & Specs
