The Honda Elevate recently arrived in South Africa and it appears to be getting some positive reviews from the local press, but how does it stack up against Toyota’s segment stalwart the Urban Cruiser and the top-selling Chery Tiggo 4 Pro?
The entry-level crossover and compact family car segments are hugely competitive. Chinese brands’ models, such as the Chery Tiggo 4 Pro and Haval Jolion are dominating offerings from more established brands such as the Toyota Urban Cruiser, Volkswagen T-Cross and Suzuki Grand Vitara.
Honda, however, has introduced its new Elevate to the South African market where it has replaced the outgoing WR-V in the Japanese firm’s local line-up. Honda has been struggling to compete against newer products from rival brands, but along with a growing consumer appetite for affordable and well-specced compact SUVs, Honda is hoping that the new Elevate will find favour with local buyers.
How then does the new Honda Elevate compare against segment top-seller, the Chery Tiggo Pro 4 and the tried-and-trusted Toyota Urban Cruiser?
The main aim of this article is to help you, the consumer, make an informed buying decision. To help you do this, we will provide you with the need-to-know information and insight based on available vehicle information and our experience with the cars in question.
This article will cover key aspects including Exterior Styling, Performance & Efficiency, Interior Execution and Features, Dimensions & Practicality, as well as Pricing & Warranty details.
If, at the end of this article, you are still undecided as to what to buy, you are more than welcome to reach out to us for advice via X, Facebook or Instagram. Our experienced test team will gladly assist you.
What To Buy: Honda Elevate vs Toyota Urban Cruiser vs Chery Tiggo 4 Pro
Exterior Styling
Honda Elevate
The Elevate comes to market with an overtly boxy look and stout stance. It features a large, upright grille, contoured bonnet, plus LED headlights (with daytime running lights) and -taillights. The newcomer gains some ruggedness thanks to the plastic cladding around the squared-off wheel arches and skirting.
The base Elevate 1.5 Comfort rides on 16-inch steel wheels (clad with wheel covers), while the range-topping 1.5 Elegance derivative rides on 17-inch alloy wheels as standard.
Toyota Urban Cruiser
The Toyota Urban Cruiser adopts a sleek front-end design with a split grille design with an upper and lower section. Chrome trim adds a degree of sophistication to the design and the slim double Daytime Running Light (DRL) strips give the Urban Cruiser a unique look. The projector headlight units are positioned below the DRLs and are finished with chrome garnish.
The base 1.5 XS derivatives ride on 17-inch steel wheels (clad with turbine-inspired wheel covers), while the range-topping 1.5 XR derivative gains black-lattice 17-inch alloy wheels.
Chery Tiggo Pro 4
The Chery Tiggo 4 Pro perhaps adopts the boldest front-end design with a large studded grille and, on the 1.5T Elite, LED headlamps with DRLs. The Tiggo 4 Pro, in line with the segment trend, also features rugged all-around plastic cladding. The Tiggo 4 Pro is offered with 16-inch alloy wheels in LiT, Urban and Comfort trim, while the range-topping Elite derivative rides on 17-inch alloy wheels as standard.
All 3 of these cars offer attractive styling in their own right and as styling is subjective/a matter of taste, you will have to decide for yourself which one you like the most. Let us know which look you prefer!
Performance & Efficiency
This article will compare similarly-priced, high-specification derivatives from each model range. See the full specification comparison here or you can use our handy Car Comparison Tool to compare a variety of car models side-by-side.
| Honda Elevate 1.5 Elegance | Toyota Urban Cruiser 1.5 XR | Chery Tiggo 4 Pro 1.5T Elite | |
| Powertrain | naturally-aspirated 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol | naturally-aspirated 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol | turbocharged 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol |
| Power Output | 89 kW | 77 kW | 108 kW |
| Torque Output | 145 Nm | 138 Nm | 210 Nm |
| Transmission | CVT | 4-speed automatic | CVT |
| Fuel Cons. (claimed) | 6.1 L/100km | 6.1 L/100km | 6.8 L/100km |
Honda Elevate
The Honda Elevate offers good overall performance and is claimed to have frugal fuel consumption. The Elevate accelerates comfortably to highway speeds and its continuously variable automatic transmission CVT (with steering-mounted “shift paddles”) is one of the better units available in this segment.
Because the Honda has a naturally aspirated engine, buyers should expect a performance reduction of around 15% at altitude (Gauteng), which will be most apparent when the vehicle is fully loaded with luggage and occupants. This characteristic will also apply to its non-turbocharged Urban Cruiser rival.
In terms of efficiency, the Elevate returned a fuel consumption figure of below 7 L/100 km when we drove it, which in our opinion, makes the Elevate more fuel-efficient than the Urban Cruiser and Tiggo 4 Pro.
NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) is well suppressed from entering the cabin and the Elevate delivers a very forgiving ride quality, while exhibiting minimal body roll while cornering.
Overall, the Elevate’s performance doesn’t disappoint.
Read our Honda Elevate Launch Review for more information
Toyota Urban Cruiser
As an urban runabout, the Urban Cruiser (the cousin of the 2023/24 #CarsAwards category winner, the Suzuki Grand Vitara) is difficult to fault. Even though its outputs are comparatively lower than those of the Honda, the Toyota’s performance is adequate (average) for general use. Like the Elevate, the Urban Cruiser’s performance will wane at altitude, so buyers will have to factor this into their buying decision.
When we reviewed the Urban Cruiser for a comparison with the Grand Vitara, it consumed more than 7.5 L/100 km in manual guise (the automatic version was thirstier still). However, its ride quality is admirable, courtesy of a comfort-oriented suspension setup and refinement benefits from good NVH suppression.
Read our Toyota Urban Cruiser Launch Review
Chery Tiggo 4 Pro
Top-spec derivatives of the Tiggo 4 Pro are powered by a turbopetrol engine that delivers comparatively higher outputs, so they will perform better at altitude and deliver more urgent acceleration when needed.
The Tiggo 4 Pro’s ride quality is average – while fairly comfortable on smooth roads, a lack of sufficient damping does become evident on poor surfaces where the jolts and vibrations can be felt in the cabin.
And whereas the Chery offers perkier performance, that does come at the expense of fuel efficiency. When we tested a 1.5T, it returned figures above 8.5 L/100 km – not ideal for a model in this segment.
With the above in mind, the Honda Elevate appears to deliver a better balance between performance and economy than its rivals. Let’s see how it fares in terms of interior execution!
Read our Chery Tiggo 4 Pro Review
Interior Execution and Features
For this comparison, we will highlight the standard features for the range-topping derivatives in each of the respective model ranges. See the full comparison here!
| Honda Elevate 1.5 Elegance | Toyota Urban Cruiser 1.5 XR | Chery Tiggo 4 Pro 1.5T Elite | |
| Infotainment system | 8-inch touchscreen | 7-inch touchscreen | 10.25-inch touchscreen |
| Digital Instrument Cluster | 7-inch TFT display | Analogue dials | 7-inch digital cluster |
| Android Auto / Apple CarPlay | Yes, both | Yes, both (wireless) | Yes, both |
| Bluetooth, Voice Control, USB, | Yes to all, 2 x front USB ports | Yes, but no voice control, 1 x front USB port | Yes to all, 2 x front + 1 x rear USB |
| Wireless Charging | Yes | No | No |
| Rear View Camera | Yes | Yes | Yes, 360-degree surround view |
| Steering Adjustment: Rake / Reach | Yes, both | Yes, both | Yes, both |
| Cruise Control | No | Yes | Yes, adaptive |
| Air Conditioning | Yes, automatic climate control | Yes, automatic climate control | Yes, automatic dual-zone climate control |
| Panoramic Sunroof | Yes | No | Yes |
| Upholstery / electric seats | Artificial leather, manual seat adjustment | Fabric, manual adjustment | Artificial leather, manual adjustment |
| Front / Rear Park Distance Control | Rear only | Rear only | Rear only |
Honda Elevate
The Elevate’s cabin adopts an uncomplicated design approach, which is to say it’s neat and classy, but lacks a bit of flair. A mix of both hard-wearing plastics and soft-touch materials are used throughout the cabin and the perceived build quality is indeed very good. The tactile quality of the switchgear is also impressive. Honda is known for solid build quality and the Elevate lives up to that expectation.
As far as standard features are concerned, the Elevate 1.5 Elegance derivative comes well-specified, but it would have been near-perfectly equipped if it had a cruise control function. Cruise control is an odd omission, because it would be very handy on longer trips. Wireless smartphone charging, however, is a welcome feature. The safety specification is fairly comprehensive too, with a total of 6 airbags fitted.
Toyota Urban Cruiser
Like the Elevate, the Urban Cruiser adopts a basic, but functional cabin design with good ergonomics. The Urban Cruiser’s infotainment touchscreen is mounted vertically on top of the dashboard and also features a mix of hard and soft materials with good general build quality.
Even if it features fabric instead of faux leather upholstery, the top-spec 1.5 XR is reasonably equipped, but nice-to-have features, such as wireless charging and a sunroof are, however, not available.
Chery Tiggo 4 Pro
When it comes to overall feature value, the Tiggo 4 Pro is tough to beat in 1.5T Elite trim. Unlike the Elevate and Urban Cruiser, the Tiggo Pro 4’s cabin adopts an upmarket, fashion-forward design with plush, stitched leather surfaces, a larger infotainment screen and a digital instrument cluster.
The Chery’s standard feature list is also mightily impressive when compared to those of its Japanese rivals. Features such as adaptive cruise control, a 360-degree camera and additional safety features are typically found on more expensive models. Perceived build quality is also good.
Chery’s strong standard feature value is one of the reasons why the Tiggo 4 Pro is currently the best-selling compact family car in South Africa…
Dimensions & Practicality
| Honda Elevate | Toyota Urban Cruiser | Chery Tiggo 4 Pro | |
| Length | 4 312 mm | 4 365 mm | 4 318 mm |
| Width | 1 790 mm | 1 795 mm | 1 831 mm |
| Height | 1 650 mm | 1 635 mm | 1 662 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2 650 mm | 2 600 mm | 2 610 mm |
| Kerb Weight | 1 259 kg | 1 165 kg | 1 364 kg |
| Ground Clearance | 199 mm | 210 mm | 180 mm |
| Load Capacity | 458 L | 353 L | 340 to 1 100 L |
Summary
While these 3 models are similarly sized, the Honda Elevate stands out with its longer wheelbase, which ultimately translates into more legroom for rear passengers as well as luggage space. With its rear seatback Note that the Elevate also offers significantly more luggage space than its rivals at 458 litres.
It’s also worth pointing out that the Urban Cruiser has the most generous ground clearance which is useful for traversing over gravel surfaces while the Tiggo 4 Pro offers only 180 mm which will limit its ability to tackle trickier unsealed surfaces.
Pricing & Warranty
Pricing is accurate as of March 2024.
| Honda Elevate | Price | Toyota Urban Cruiser | Price | Chery Tiggo 4 Pro | Price | |
| Entry | Elevate 1.5 Comfort manual | R369 900 | Urban Cruiser 1.5 XS manual | R342 500 | Tiggo 4 Pro 1.5 LiT manual Tiggo 4 Pro 1.5 Lit auto Tiggo 4 Pro 1.5 Urban manual | R279 900 R314 900 R308 900 |
| Mid | Tiggo 4 Pro 1.5 Comfort | R345 900 | ||||
| Top | Elevate 1.5 Elegance CVT | R429 900 | Urban Cruiser 1.5 XR manual Urban Cruiser 1.5 XR auto | R342 500 R382 900 | Tiggo 4 Pro 1.5T Elite manual Tiggo 4 Pro 1.5T Elite auto Tiggo 4 Pro 1.5T Elite SE | R355 900 R386 900 R408 900 |
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Buy a used Chery Tiggo 4 Pro on Cars.co.za
What To Buy: Is the Honda Elevate worth a closer look?
The Honda Elevate offers a strong combination of performance and economy, standard features, as well as practicality, but its buying proposition is eroded due to its premium over its Japanese and Chinese rivals. At the time of writing (March 2024), the top-of-the-range 1.5 Elegance CVT (automatic) derivative cost R47k and R43k more than its Urban Cruiser 1.5 XR auto and Tiggo 4 Pro 1.5 Elite rivals respectively.
Nonetheless, the well-made, if slightly conservative, newcomer makes a compelling case for itself, at the very least prospective buyers should be encouraged to book a test drive at their local Honda dealer.
Buyers in this segment are price-sensitive and seek value for money. Chinese brands such as Chery and Haval are gaining significant market share simply by offering well-specified cars at hugely competitive prices that rival brands aren’t able to match. To illustrate our point, even the lavishly-equipped 1.5T Elite SE Tiggo 4 Pro flagship (R408 900, in March 2023) is more affordable than the top-specced Elevate.
Legacy brands with a proven track record of reliability, however, still command strong demand and products such as the Toyota Urban Cruiser and Suzuki Grand Vitara are likely to continue to sell strongly.
As always, we advise buyers to do their research on Cars.co.za and reach out to us if you require any further information or advice.
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