We had an opportunity to drive the All New Honda Elevate, which excusing the pun, looks to elevate Honda back onto car buyers minds. This one was a revelation, and we drove it around the Cape Peninsula, couldn’t have been a more fitting dramatic backdrop, to experience this model.
Honda has introduced a fresh new face in their local SUV range: the All-New Elevate, which looks to have great exterior styling, impressive features and the drive that we experienced indicates that Honda can now have a model that competes in the highly competitive SUV segment of the South African Passenger Car market.
Having made its Global Debut in June 2023, the Elevate is Honda’s All-New Global mid-size SUV, designed and developed by Honda R&D Asia Pacific, and manufactured by Honda Cars India Limited. This latest addition to Honda’s stable of SUVs demonstrates all the essential attributes of dynamism, bold styling, comfort and safety that Honda SUVs are renowned for.
The Honda Elevate, developed under the grand concept of ‘Urban Freestyler’, has been designed to integrate into various lifestyles and fulfil individual customer requirements through offering consumers a product that appeals through desirability, functionality, and usability.
The All-New Honda Elevate will be available in two derivatives – Comfort and Elegance – and is equipped with Honda’s 1.5-litre DOHC i-VTEC petrol engine generating a power output of 89kW @6600rpm and torque of 145Nm @ 4300rpm. This new 1.5-litre powertrain is powerful and efficient with a claimed fuel consumption figure of just 6.1L/100Km*. We will have to have a longer test period to see if this is actually achievable.
The transmissions are a 6-Speed Manual Transmission for the Comfort grade, and a Continuously-Variable Transmission (CVT) for the Elegance grade. The drive was enjoyable, more so in the auto, and the cvt gearbox was not whiney, and cornering was good on very tight bends. Up the hills it has sufficient power without being a racer.
Exterior Styling.
It has a large grille, which gives it an assertive look. Both derivatives are equipped with LED lighting all-round (headlights & taillights), with distinctive daytime running lights above the headlight cluster. The Elegance grade additionally gains LED front Fog lights as well as automatic headlights.
Viewed from the side, the new Elevate’s styling is impressive. It sports bold, square wheel arches that are accentuated by the design lines on the body panels above them. The Elegance grade further stands out thanks to colour coded lower door garnish and striking 17-inch dual-tone Alloy wheels, while the Comfort grade is equipped with 16-inch Steel Wheels. Its a looker for sure.
In the Cabin.
It has a good premium feel inside, and the soft touch materials used lend themselves to this feel. An electrically controlled sunroof in the Elegance is very cool. Loads of interior space front & rear, and the boot area has 458L . The Comfort comes in upholstery, and the Elegance in leather.
The Elevate model range includes a host of comfort and convenience features as standard, including automatic air-conditioning, smart keyless entry with walk-away locking*, rear parking sensors and a multi-angle reverse parking camera.
A 8 inch infotainment screen gives all info needed and the Apple Carplay and Andriod compatibility is a must have. Bluetooth is included and can be controlled via remote controls on the steering wheel. Passengers can also enjoy their favourite playlists through Honda’s new high-quality audio system, with 4 speakers available on the Comfort model and a total of 6 speakers on the top of the range Elegance.
Safety.
The All-New Elevate range features a suite of safety technologies designed to ensure the safety of its passengers as well as others who may be involved in a collision.
The Elevate incorporates Honda’s proprietary Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure technology that forms the foundation for excellent passive safety performance, enhancing occupant crash protection.
With the ACE™ body structure, a network of connected structural elements distributes crash energy more evenly throughout the front of the vehicle, reducing the forces transferred to the passenger compartment.
The Elevate further features front, side and curtain SRS Airbags on the Elegance grade, while the Comfort derivative offers 2 front SRS Airbags.
Pricing.
Elevate 1.5 Comfort Manual R 369 900
Elevate 1.5 Elegance CVT R 429 900
*All prices inclusive of VAT
Service Plan: 4-year / 60,000km
Service Intervals: 1-year / 15,000km
Warranty: 5-year / 200,000km
Roadside Assistance: 3-year AA roadside assistance
Summation.
The Honda Elevate has hit the right notes in re- establishing itself with car buyers. And many die-hard Honda owners now have an SUV that they can purchase and enjoy. Good looks, good spec and a great drive feel, is the order of the day.