Honda SA is aiming to lift its sales in the local market with the introduction of an all-new SUV called the Honda Elevate. We attended the national ride and drive event to learn more.

The small SUV space is chock-full of contenders at the moment. This is especially true for the circa-R400 000 segment. You have options from every quarter. There are the up-and-coming Chinese, the competitive Koreans, established Japanese and ever-present Germans. You can just about throw a dart at a world map and choose an option from that region.  

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Crossing Borders

The Honda Elevate is an all-new nameplate for the SA market. As it is introduced, the WR-V (that was launched here in 2020) bows out of the local listings. The Elevate is not, according to Honda SA, a replacement for the WR-V, but in practice it is.

The Elevate is made in India like so many products sold in SA. It is quite interesting in that it is the first model made in India that is sold in Honda’s home market of Japan.

Chunky Appearance

The Honda Elevate is a chunky looking model. It has a bluff nose with oversized central intake. The lights, flanks and tail all carry the same squared-off motif. It also has a high metal-to-glass ratio, perhaps to give it an air of solidity.

The little SUV, or crossover if you prefer, measures a smidge over 4,3 metres long and a little under 1,8 metres wide. It is far smaller up close than the images suggest. However it is larger than rivals such as the Hyundai Venue.

Sombre Interior

Honda has taken a conservative approach to the interior treatment of the Elevate. The colour palette, certainly for SA versions, is dark and the layout is simple. The trade-off is that everything is quite intuitive. There is the, now expected, touchscreen interface, with all forms of connectivity. In addition, such niceties as climate control, electric windows, auto-dimming mirror, rear-view camera and many others, are all standard 

Those exterior dimensions, particularly the wheelbase, help to create a roomy cabin. My co-pilot, at over six feet tall, found the rear cabin spacious enough for him to fit behind his own driving position. The boot space, too, is more than spacious. With a quoted 458 litres of volume, the luggage area puts many larger car’s to shame in this regard. It is worth noting, however, that the fuel tank size is just 40 litres. 

Two Derivatives

The Honda Elevate is available in two derivatives: Comfort and Elegance. The key external differentiator is the wheels. 16-inch steel rims and wheel caps are fitted to the Comfort versions. Whereas Elegance derivatives come standard with two-tone 17-inch alloys.

1,5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engines are fitted to both guises of the Elevate. This unit develops 89 kW and 145 N.m of torque. If you prefer a six-speed manual then you have to go for the Comfort option. Elegance versions are fitted solely with a continuously-variable transmission (CVT).

A Quick Drive

We shared driving duties with a fellow scribe on the SA launch of the Elevate. The pre-planned route took us around the Cape Peninsula, which allows one to experience a variety of roads and conditions. Our first impression is that the Elevate rides well. The suspension does a good job of deal with most road conditions. Chucking it through corners reveals body roll and a tendency towards understeer, ideal for a car of this kind.

We were given an Elegance version to drive, so we had the CVT to deal with. The engine in the Elevate needs to be revved to get any decent pace out of it. Doing so reveals a transmission that is, perhaps, better suited to a turbocharged application. The combination is fine when at steady speeds, but can irk when you need to speed up or overtake.

Summary

Honda has been relegated to being one of the fringe brands in SA. It sits with the likes of Mazda and co, brands that the SA car-buying market knows well, but their sales volumes have tumbled over time. The Elevate will play an important role in the brand’s line-up as it will offer buyers a known quantity at a competitive. However, with a flurry of new players in the space, only time will tell if the Honda name still holds the weight it once did.

Honda Elevate Pricing

Elevate 1.5 Comfort Manual                       R369 900
Elevate 1.5 Elegance CVT                         R429 900