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Honda was recognised as one of the pioneers of the SUV in the early 2000s, particularly with the CR-V in the South African landscape. Since then, other variants of their SUV formula have come about. The compact crossover (B Segment) market has been abundant recently, and the Elevate has come to play in this field.
Related: Honda Elevate (2024) First Drive Review
The Elevate was initially unveiled in June 2023, manufactured in India and developed by Honda R&D in Thailand. This vehicle is marketed as the 'Urban Freestyler', so it is the kind of vehicle that does it all and has a cool appeal doing it, too. We had the Elevate in Elegance trim.
Styling
Looking at the Elevate, the vehicle has boxy elements to its overall design. There are noticeable trapezoidal shape themes to the vehicle elements, like the glass expanse and exterior trim pieces. The design has boldened features, such as the evident creases found on the bonnet stretching to the rear windows. In front, the fascia has a handsome look with its rounded rectangular grille flanked by slim rectangular LED headlights topped with a chrome brow. Below this is a small air dam and plastic faux bash plate. Along the side, pronounced wheel arch lines and body cladding are present, housing the 17-inch dual-tone wheels found on the Elegance trim. The light bar, trapezoidal rear window and sizeable concave housing for the numberplate highlight the slightly protruding rear. The boxy styling of the Elevate makes this vehicle easy to drive as its front corners are clearly visible, making judging distance in parking situations and the like more straightforward to manage.
Honda Elevate colours and price guide
Space & Interior
Tying into the boxy elements of the exterior, the Elevate is roomy inside as far as compact crossovers go, with ample leg, head and shoulder room around the cabin. The cavernous 458-litre large boot area is well executed and should manage the weekly family duties just fine. The driving position is elevated, as you'd expect with vehicles of this nature, but you don't tend to feel like a van driver, considering the height of this scribe. Interior materials are a mixed bag, on the one hand, the leather seats found in the Elegance model are comfortable with supple enough eco friendly-leather material. Meanwhile, the leather on the steering wheel feels harder than the seat leather. Apart from this, the cabin has harder charcoal plastics on the dashboard and door cars but padded leather in the common arm resting areas.
How reliable is the Honda Elevate?
Comfort & Convenience
The Elevate has the basic foundations of comfort in that switchgear is easy to access and not a fuss to use. Simple is best, and it's welcome here. While the ride quality of the Elevate is decent, the noise factor from road, wind and engine noise can be dialled back slightly. Cruise control would be welcome in this vehicle as well. The Elegance trim comes with a partially digital instrument cluster, but unfortunately, our screen had visual artefacts, though it didn't disrupt the cluster operation. Infotainment-wise, the Elevate comes with an 8-inch infotainment touchscreen that works well with a bespoke to the Elevate boot-up sequence. The system is Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatible. The sound quality of the 6 speakers is adequate.
Performance
Powering the Elevate is a 1.5-litre petrol i-VTEC engine producing 89kW and 145Nm sent to the front wheels via a CVT transmission in the Elegance variant and a 6-speed manual in the Comfort variant. The drivetrain in operation is fine with sufficient power delivery. The CVT transmission operates without a fuss, though it tends to hang on a step in some situations and could be more responsive. The Elevate handles well and goes swiftly on the open road. The suspension tuning errs more on the softer side for comfort, but it's not so soft that it isn't confident on the road. Around town, the turning circle for parking ease is great for this vehicle.
Honda Elevate vs Toyota Urban Cruiser vs Kia Sonet: Which one has the lowest running costs?
Fuel Economy
The Elevate has a claimed fuel consumption of 6.1 /100km; in our time of testing, we managed around that figure for a combined cycle.
Is the Honda Elevate a petrol or a diesel?
Safety
You'll find the following standard safety equipment in the Honda Elevate:
- Front Airbags (Comfort).Side and curtain additionally in the Elegance variant.
- ISOFIX Child Seat Anchors
- Stability control
- Traction control
- ABS
- Rear view camera
- Hill Start Assist
Is the Honda Elevate expensive to maintain?
Price
The Elevate purchase price includes a 4-year/60 000km service plan, a 3-year AA Roadside Assist, and a 5-year/200 000km warranty.
| Model | Price (incl. VAT) |
| Honda Elevate Comfort | from R371 000 |
| Honda Elevate Elegance (Tested) | from R430 800 |
Competitors
- KIA Sonet
- Haval Jolion
- Hyundai Venue
- Renault Duster
- Mazda CX-3
- Volkswagen T-Cross
Verdict
The Elevate slots itself decently in Honda's SUV lineup. It does what it says on the tin but could use some specification adjustments, like introducing cruise control for example and some cabin noise suppression. Other than those, you wouldn't go wrong with this vehicle to handle your daily duties.
