Honda has introduced a new model to the crossover circuit, in the form of the Elevate. We got familiar with the Japanese manufacturer’s latest compact SUV.
Having had the opportunity to drive the Honda Elevate on launch, around Cape Town’s peninsula, and very soon after receiving the car on test, I parted ways with the new compact SUV feeling familiar with exactly what is on offer in the latest entry to the crossover market.
The new Honda Elevate is a value-packaged vehicle, that stands out for its build quality, comfort and styling, and may be found lacking only for those looking for an engine that packs a bit more punch.
Sharing its platform with Honda’s Ballade (sedan), and powered by the brand’s well-known 1.5-litre naturally aspirated engine, the Elevate enters the equation with a certain level of familiarity to complement the more contemporary styling cues and design choices. Customers can choose between the entry-level Honda Elevate 1.5 manual (R369 900) and the Elevate 1.5 Elegance CVT (R429 900), and the vehicle is sold with a 5-year/200 000 km warranty and 4-year/60 000 km service plan.\
The Elevate is a good-looking car – I would argue one of the better-looking, actually, in its segment. The compact SUV features a prominent grille, enhanced by a chrome strip connecting LED headlamp units, and exclusive to the top-of-the-line Elegance variant are additional chrome embellishments on the door handles and decorative roof rails and a sunroof. This premium model is equipped with 17-inch alloy wheels, a step up from the 16-inch steel wheels that come standard on the Comfort version.
Inside the cabin, Honda must get kudos for the simple but stylish interior design. You don’t get the sense that they have tried to do too much, at the expense of quality. The dashboard and instrument cluster are well-laid out, sturdy and built with high-quality plastics. The inclusion of manual climate and volume controls is a great choice, and the synthetic leather used on the steering wheel and seats is soft to the touch and comfortable and does not feel “plasticky”.
The Elevate is 4 312 mm long, 1 750 mm wide and 1 650 mm tall, with 199 mm of ground clearance, which is on par with its contemporaries. We had the opportunity to put the interior space to the test when I lifted four friends to a birthday recently, packing the car with five adults. Reports on rear leg space were positive, nobody’s heads were nearing the roof, and the rear air vents stood out as a welcome standard feature for the rear passengers given we were greeted with a hot day for the drive to Hout Bay.
While the Elevate wins points for comfort and practicality, filling it with five people exaggerated the effort that the vehicle has to make when asked to push out power. The 1.5 naturally aspirated engine has to work quite hard to pump out its 89 kW (@ 6 600 r/min) and 145 N.m (@ 4 300 r/min) and the continuously variable transmission, in its fight for fuel economy, fights the driver in the upshift. The paddles on the steering wheel are more for tactile effect than effective artificial gear control.
It is not every day your compact crossover is packed with five adults, and once at cruising speeds the engine and transmission become less of an issue. Just expect steep hills and high-speed overtaking to prove more challenging.
Despite the Elevate’s less powerful engine, the ride quality is wonderful and it must be noted that when driving around the city, this proves more of a consideration than the power of the car. Steering is precise and well-weighted, the suspension is well-tuned and the cabin noise is low, thanks to the sound-deadening materials that Honda package their new models with.
It is also, of course, efficient. After the week of testing which included driving time balanced between short city dashes and longer drives from the City Centre to Hout Bay and Stellenbosch, the Elevate returned a figure of 6,8L/100km. The claimed consumption for the CVT is 6.1 L/100km, while the manual is said by Honda to do 6.7 L/100km.
The Honda Elevate 1.5 CVT offers a comfortable and refined driving experience and marks an important addition to the segment from the Japanese manufacturers. Characterised by a forgiving ride quality, simple layout, robust build and subtle but striking contemporary design cues, the new compact SUV should offer stiff competition to its crossover contemporaries.
Honda Elevate 1.5 CVT at a Glance
- Price: R429 900
- Engine: 1.5-litre, four-cylinder, naturally aspirated
- Transmission: CVT
- Power: 89 kW @ 6 600 r/min
- Torque: 145 N.m @ 4 300 r/min
- Fuel consumption: 6.1 L/100km (claimed); 8.8 L/100km (tested)
- Rivals: Volkswagen T-Cross; Toyota Urban Cruiser; Chery Tiggo 7 Pro; Haval Jolion