[Omkar]

Honda Elevate Review

Honda Elevate Pros

• Smart styling with the right amount of muscle and clean lines
• Reliable and proven 1.5L i-VTEC engine is rev-happy & delivers adequate performance
• Pick between a slick 6-speed MT for some engagement or a super-smooth CVT Automatic for effortless urban commuting
• Superbly tuned suspension! Comfortable ride quality with sorted handling
• Clean interior design with good cabin space. Has a big 458L boot too
• Honda's proven reliability and after-sales service should ensure a fuss-free ownership experience
• Safety features include ADAS Level 2 tech, 6 airbags, hill start assist, lane watch assist, ISOFIX and ESP

Honda Elevate Cons

• 1.5L NA offers satisfactory performance, but the competition offers way more powerful turbo-petrols and faster dual-clutch automatics
• CVT is great for urban commuting but out on the open roads, it's more suited to a sedate driving style
• No diesel or hybrid powertrains on offer. Competition offers both for those with high-running. We can't figure out why the City's wonderful Hybrid system wasn't adapted for the Elevate
• Lots of missing features by current standards. You don't get auto wipers, ICE with a subwoofer, a 360-degree camera, a powered driver seat, ambient lighting and more
• Lacks the feeling of "contemporariness" or the "wow" factor, be it in styling, powertrain, features & technology
• Honda Sensing ADAS system is intrusive at times on the highway; requires the driver to adapt to it and be comfortable using it

This review has been jointly compiled with Vid6639. Thanks to him for the expert observations!

Introduction

It’s been a while since 8 manufacturers competed in a single segment. The C2 crossover segment is where all the action is and Honda’s latest offering aims to get a piece of the action. It is called the Elevate and it’s based on the same platform that underpins the Honda City. It competes against the likes of the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Maruti Grand Vitara, MG Astor, Skoda Kushaq, Toyota Hyryder and VW Taigun. The competition is fierce and Honda has taken its time to come up with a car that is capable enough to face it. But is Honda too late to the party? Or will this newcomer manage to steer away a bunch of customers from the well-established players in the market? Only time will tell. Meanwhile, we got to spend a day with the Elevate in Udaipur, and there’s a lot to talk about. So, let’s get right to it.

Powering the Honda Elevate is a 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder petrol engine producing 119 BHP @ 6,600 rpm and 145 Nm @ 4,300 rpm. It is mated with either a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed CVT. That should tell you that Honda isn’t offering a wide variety of powertrain options that manufacturers like Hyundai and Kia offer. But the 1.5L engine is what has made a bunch of people Honda loyalists in our country. It would’ve been nice to see a hybrid powertrain as an option, but unfortunately, that’s not the case. That being said, Honda has revealed that they will be introducing an electric version of the Elevate in 3 years.

Honda Elevate Price & Brochure

Honda will launch the Elevate sometime in September and we will have a detailed price list then. Since this is a segment that is heavily contested, we hope that Honda prices the Elevate aggressively. Kia’s recent launch of the Seltos facelift at an attractive price tag will surely have an impact on the Elevate’s price.

[Omkar]

Exterior

Design & Styling

The Elevate’s styling can be described as distinctive. You most likely won’t mistake it for any other car and it stands out on its own. The overall design language is clean and focuses more on straight lines rather than curves. And while some might deem it boring, the design will surely age well.

The Elevate has a bold front look with a straight and squared-off face. Then you have the big grille which accentuates the bold look. In the side profile though, the Elevate does look like a stretched-out hatchback. Move to the rear and the straight lines continue here as well. Overall, the design is clean and would most likely not offend anyone.

In terms of dimensions, the Elevate measures 4,312 mm in length, 1,790 mm in width and 1,650 mm in height. It has a wheelbase of 2,650 mm and the front and rear tracks are identical at 1,540 mm.

Build Quality, Fit & Finish

Since the Elevate is based on the City, the build quality is similar. There is a bit of flex in the panels, while the gaps are consistent overall. All in all, the build is pretty solid and doesn’t feel light and flimsy. The doors close with a reassuring thud and have a decent heft to them. Even in terms of fit and finish, various elements on the car are well placed and didn’t feel misaligned.

Wheels & Tyres

The top-end ZX variant of the Honda Elevate is equipped with 17-inch dual-tone alloy wheels shod with 215/55 section tyres. Lower variants are fitted with 16-inch wheels shod with 215/60 section rubber.

Ground Clearance

The unladed ground clearance of the Honda Elevate is rated at 220 mm which is more than enough for day-to-day driving conditions. For reference, the ground clearance of the Skoda Kushaq / VW Taigun is 188 mm, the Hyundai Creta / Kia Seltos is ~ 190 mm and that of the Toyota HyRyder / Maruti Grand Vitara is 210 mm. We took the car over some off-the-road patches and the car didn’t scrape anywhere.

Standard & Extended Warranty

Honda hasn’t revealed any specific information regarding the warranty of the Elevate yet. However, we can safely assume that like other Honda cars, the Elevate will also get 3 year / unlimited km warranty. You can also avail an extended warranty for 2 years. Also, with Honda’s Anytime Warranty, you can get coverage of 1 year / 20,000 km additionally till the car has done 10 years / 1,20,000 km. As always, we strongly recommend you take the extended warranty without a second thought.

Maintenance

Details of the service intervals are yet to be disclosed. There haven’t been a lot of complaints from Honda owners regarding service bills being obscenely high, and you can expect the same to be the case with the Elevate. Honda has a very nice cost of maintenance calculator on their website and we hope that the details of the Elevate would be updated on it soon.

Honda has partnered up with Allianz Assistance and Europe Assistance to offer roadside assistance packages that range from Rs. 1,842 for 1 year to Rs. 6,314 for 5 years (as of August 2023).

Safety

Crash test rating has become a deciding factor for many customers in India. The Elevate, however, hasn’t been crash tested by GNCAP or Euro NCAP. While Honda seems confident that the Elevate will perform well at the GNCAP, it will be interesting to see the results. Honda claims that the Elevate uses optimized frame part placement that helps disperse front collision forces over a wider area. In terms of features, the Elevate is equipped with 6 airbags, ISOFIX child seat anchors, hill start assist, rear parking sensor, lane watch assist, vehicle stability assist, and traction control. It is also equipped with Honda Sensing ADAS tech which uses a front wide-view camera that provides driving assistance. Note that the system isn’t equipped with a RADAR and is only camera-based. It has features like collision mitigation braking system, lane keeping assist (72 km/h and above), auto high beam, road departure mitigation system (65 km/h and above), adaptive cruise control and lead car departure notification system.

Interior

Cabin Design & Quality

Inside the Honda Elevate’s cabin, you are greeted by this black and tan interior which gives a great first impression. This shade of tan is on the darker side and manages to look subtle and classy. Similar to the exterior, the cabin design also has a lot of straight lines and is void of curvy elements. You will notice bits from other Honda cars in the cabin. Overall, the design is conservative and will age well.

You won’t find any soft-touch elements here, but there are plenty of tan leatherette inserts all over the cabin which feel good to touch. The quality of plastics is satisfactory and parts don't feel cheap. Unlike some of the modern cars where physical switches are being replaced by touch-sensitive controls or the functions are integrated into the touchscreen, the Honda Elevate gets switches for some of the basic functions. The switchgear feels good to use and should last for a good amount of time.

Space & Comfort

The Elevate's floor is set at a good height which makes ingress and egress pretty easy. You can walk into the car without much difficulty. On the inside, there’s a good amount of space for 4 adults to travel comfortably for long distances. A fifth passenger would feel cramped in the rear seat.

The leatherette-wrapped seats provide good comfort. They’re broad and give good overall support and while the cushioning is a bit on the softer side, it’s not so soft that it will be uncomfortable over long drives. At 5’10”, I found the under-thigh support to be good and the side bolstering also provided good support in the corners. There’s no adjustable lumbar support, but like some of the other Honda cars, some might the default lumbar support to be excessive (Vid6639 surely did). But apart from that, these are some nice front seats and give you a very cozy feel while driving.

Driving Position & Ergonomics

As you might have noticed by now, the Elevate has a high bonnet. You can see almost the entire bonnet from the driver’s seat which is something a lot of the new drivers will appreciate. Overall visibility is good, but the rear visibility is just about acceptable and it’s best if you depend on the reversing camera.

If you’ve been in a Honda car before, you won’t take much time getting accustomed to the controls. You get a 3-spoke leather-wrapped steering wheel which is nice to hold. The buttons on the steering wheel are easy to reach and so is the hornpad. The steering has height and reach adjustment with a decent range. Vid6639 who is 6’1” tall found the driving position to be tight. What Honda has done is limit the to & fro adjustment range of the front seat in order to optimise the rear legroom. So, while someone who’s of my height (5’10”) found it comfortable, Vid6639 had to push the seat all the way back and even then, he found it to be uncomfortable.

Cabin Storage

There are a fair number of storage spaces in the Elevate’s cabin. The door pockets are accommodating and the centre console can hold quite a lot of stuff too. There are a few open storage spaces next to the manual parking brake and you also have a small storage area underneath the centre armrest. The glovebox is average-sized but doesn't get a cooling vent or illumination. The rear passengers get seatback pockets with useful smartphone holders to keep their stuff.

Air-Conditioning

We got to drive the Elevate in Udaipur where the weather was quite pleasant given the monsoon season. During our time with the car, the A/C performed extremely well and managed to keep the temperature comfortable. We never had to use Honda’s super effective ‘Max Cool’ function. The Elevate gets an inbuilt PM 2.5 air filter.

Features

Unique & Noteworthy Features

This is a segment in which manufacturers focus a lot on features. We’ve seen Hyundai and Kia load their cars up to the brim with features. While Honda has done a fair job to equip the Elevate, it does miss out on a few features. You get a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment head-unit with wired and wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity. You also get a wireless charging pad, auto LED headlamps, lane watch assist, frameless auto-dimming IRVM, 7-inch MID, Honda Connect (connected car features), 60:40 split rear seat and walk away door lock. While this list is good enough for most people, compared to what some of the other cars offer in this segment, there are many glaring omissions. Features like rain-sensing wipers, 360-degree camera, ventilated seats, height adjustable front seatbelts, auto down windows for passengers, electric adjustment for driver seat, panoramic sunroof, 3-point seatbelt for the fifth passenger, onboard navigation, Type-C USB charging port, glovebox cooling & illumination and ambient lighting have been left out.

Audio System & Sound Quality

As mentioned above, the Elevate comes with a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system. The touchscreen is responsive and smooth to operate. Getting through the menus is seamless and the interface is very user-friendly. You also have physical buttons at the bottom for quick menus and audio volume control.

The system is paired with an 8-speaker audio system (4 speakers + 4 tweeters) and is surprisingly good. You get clear vocals with minimum distortion even at very high volume levels. You can always set up the equalizer to your liking, but even in a flat setting, you will appreciate the sound quality.

Rear Passengers

Rear Seat Comfort & Space

Just like the front, getting in and out of the rear seat isn’t very cumbersome. The bench is placed slightly lower than we’d have liked, but it’s not uncomfortable by any means. Once in the rear seat, you will notice that you have a slightly reclined backrest angle which is comfortable. Unfortunately, you cannot adjust the rear seat recline angle. The seat base offers a fair deal of under-thigh support, but I (5’10”) would have liked some more of it.

Talking about space, as mentioned earlier, Honda has limited the front seat range to optimise the rear seat space and it shows. Sitting in the rear with the driver seat adjusted to my driving position, I had more than enough knee room. Even with the front seat pushed all the way back, my knees weren’t touching the back of the front seat. Like in the City, the floor curves upward under the front seat giving a footrest-like feel. The headroom is plentiful even for tall passengers. Since the Elevate doesn’t have a sloping roofline, the headroom isn’t compromised. The wide headrests are adjustable and comfortable to use. Additionally, the rear passengers get a parcel tray, A/C vents and a 12V charging socket.

Boot Space

The Honda Elevate has a boot space of 458 litres. The boot opening area is wide and the loading lip is also set at a comfortable height. Overall, the boot space is very usable, and it can be expanded by folding down the rear seatbacks. For reference, the Hyundai Creta & Kia Seltos have a boot space of 433 litres, the Toyota Hyryder and Maruti Grand Vitara have a boot space of 373 litres, and the Skoda Kushaq and VW Taigun have a boot space of 385 litres. Bag hooks on both sides and a single halogen light have been provided.

[Omkar]

Driving the Honda Elevate 1.5L Petrol MT

1.5-litre, 4-cylinder, DOHC, naturally aspirated i-VTEC petrol engine makes 119 BHP @ 6,600 rpm and 145 Nm @ 4,300 rpm:


Powering the Honda Elevate is the same 1.5L engine that does duty in the Honda City. It’s a familiar engine to most of us and one of the few enjoyable naturally aspirated engines still available at the moment. However, if you are looking for a more powerful and exciting engine, the turbocharged engine options from VW-Skoda (148 BHP) or Hyundai-Kia (158 BHP) are definitely the ones to go for. They make a lot more power and are mated to fast dual-clutch automatics. Some are even available with a manual transmission and are fun to drive. But with almost everyone focusing on forced induction, a naturally aspirated engine from Honda comes as a breath of fresh air (pun unintended). However, if you've driven the previous generations of the 1.5-litre NA engine, you will notice that the recent emission norms have curbed the free-revving nature of the engine ever so slightly. It is still enjoyable, but you miss out on the eagerness of the old engine.

Start the engine and you will immediately appreciate the refinement levels. You don’t get any vibrations on the steering wheel or the pedals while the engine is idling silently. Slowly release the clutch pedal and off you go. The clutch is light and the travel range isn’t very long. Getting off the line is a smooth affair, and this is something you will appreciate in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Shifting gears is convenient and you can drive at city speeds with ease. What’s noteworthy and different from the Honda City is that the first two gears are noticeably shorter. This means that you will be upshifting earlier than you would in the City. The engine pulls strongly from ~2,500 rpm and this means that closing the gap to the vehicle in front and keeping up with the traffic is an easy affair.

Get on the highways and you can truly experience the entire rpm range. We all know that Honda engines have been rev-happy and the Elevate is no different. Put your foot down and the engine pulls strongly till the redline. It is very linear in the way power is delivered and you won’t find a flat spot anywhere all the way to 7,000 rpm which is when the rev limiter kicks in. The fuel cut-off at the rev limiter is sharp and you will get a jerk which is why hitting the redline isn’t something you would be doing that often. As mentioned earlier, the gearing is shorter than the City. The maximum speed you can do in the first gear is 48 km/h while that in the second gear is 82 km/h (City is ~ 100 km/h). The amount of torque available at low rpms is adequate. You can manage to pull the engine from as low as 20 km/h in third gear and go all the way to 120 km/h. You can cruise at 120 km/h in 6th gear with the engine running at 3,200 rpm or at 100 km/h at 2,600 rpm. Downshifting to fourth gear is necessary if you want to overtake quickly. At the end of the day, if you enjoy driving a naturally aspirated engine with a manual transmission, you will feel right at home and have fun with this engine.

The 6-speed manual transmission is also one of the nicer units around and has well-defined gates. It’s sure slotting and the throws aren’t long. You can move through the gears with ease. The clutch is very light and easy to operate in the city. It is snappy though, meaning you have to make conscious efforts to drive the Elevate smoothly.

Noise, Vibration & Harshness (NVH)

One of the things that is associated with a free-revving naturally aspirated engine is the way it sounds when being revved hard. We went in expecting the Elevate to sound nice and sporty like most Honda engines but were quite disappointed the moment I floored the pedal. Unfortunately, while the engine characteristic is rev-happy, it does not sound nice when it is being revved hard. It sounds strained and not something you would enjoy when you are pushing the car in the higher reaches of the power band. That said, the engine is very refined and silent when being driven sedately. Honda claims to have done a lot of work to increase the refinement levels of the Elevate. This includes spray foam application to the structure and insulating the frame parts to soundproof the cabin. The engine and transmission mountings also get additional weights to reduce vibrations.

Wind and road noise starts creeping into the cabin at 100 km/h. At 120 km/h, it is just about manageable.

Mileage & Fuel economy

The ARAI-rated fuel efficiency of the Honda Elevate is 15.31 km/l for the 6-speed MT and 16.92 km/l for the CVT variant. While these figures seem optimistic, we all know that real-life numbers are very much affected by driving style. We will wait for some ownership reports to have a clearer idea.

Bonnet gets insulation underneath. Sad to see that the panel has been left unpainted on the inside though:


Air intake gets a resonator below to reduce engine noise:


The Elevate has a fuel tank capacity of 40 liters and is E20 petrol compatible:

Suspension

Ride Comfort

The Elevate uses a McPherson strut suspension at the front and a torsion beam setup at the rear. Start driving the Elevate and soon you will notice that the suspension setup is in fact a highlight of the car. At slow speeds, the suspension is absorbent and you can glide over bad roads without much drama. Small to medium-sized potholes are handled very well. However, there is an underlying stiffness to the suspension which is evident by the jiggly ride when driving over a broken patch of road. There’s a noticeable amount of body movement as well. What works in the favour of the Elevate is the long suspension travel. It helps absorb even large-sized potholes. Unexpected potholes taken at speed are also handled well and the car doesn’t lose its composure. The suspension goes about its job silently too.

Handling & Dynamics

As mentioned earlier, there is an underlying stiffness to the suspension which aids the handling characteristics of the Elevate. Straight-line stability is good, and the passengers won’t even notice when the car is doing triple-digit speeds. Vertical movement over highways is very much kept in check and there is no floaty feeling on the expressways. Even when seated at the back you can feel the car is composed and comfortable at speed. Expansion joints don’t unsettle the car and the Elevate maintains its composure. On long highway bends, you can carry good speed without slowing down much. The Elevate will hold its line without breaking a sweat.

Get on some twisty ghat section and this is where the suspension setup is very enjoyable. With a steering that feels connected, you can turn in precisely into a corner. The front end also feels very responsive while turning in and you can carry some good speed out of a corner. Despite having an upright stance, the Elevate does not feel very top-heavy. There is some amount of body roll, but it’s never unnerving and you can hold a tight line without much effort. In continuation of the previous point, there’s very little understeer and the Elevate masks its size well to feel very car-like to drive. Quick direction changes and even back-to-back corners are handled without making the driver feel nervous at any point. Our car was equipped with 215/55 R17 Bridgestone Turanza tyres which are comfort-oriented. Yet, they managed to provide good grip on slightly damp roads. With the 6-speed MT and a wide power band, pushing the Elevate on twisty roads was a lot of fun.

Steering

The electric power steering in the Elevate is a very user-friendly unit. It has a turning radius of 5.2 meters which should make taking those 3-point turns easier. The steering is light at city speeds which a lot of the owners will appreciate. As you build up speed, it weighs up and has enough weight for highway driving. It feels very connected and direct. However, enthusiasts will want more feedback from the steering.

Braking

The Elevate gets ventilated disc brakes at the front and drum brakes at the rear. They have a strong bite and perform as expected and you can shed speed effectively without much drama. When tried some emergency braking, the Elevate didn’t lose its composure and stopped in a straight line. The pedal feels nice and progressive.

[Omkar]

Honda Elevate Exterior Images

In times when everyone is going for an edgy or curvy design, Honda has gone for a clean design. It is boxy and very straightforward. The big, imposing radiator grille looks like something straight from an American muscle car:


Rear also has a lot of straight-line elements and looks very simplistic:


In profile, the Elevate does look more like a stretched-out hatchback than an SUV. Honda hasn’t gone overboard with the plastic cladding to enhance the SUV look. The straight roofline (not sloping) and squared-off wheel arches add a bit of character to the car:


Clean and simplistic design language will appeal to many. The build quality is similar to that of the Honda City and is satisfactory:


The Elevate measures 4,312 mm in length, 1,790 mm in width and 1,650 mm in height. It has a wheelbase of 2,650 mm and a ground clearance of 220 mm. Turning radius = 5.2 m:


Big octagonal radiator grille carries the "H" badge in the middle. It is blanked out for the major part and lets in air only from a small area below. The top of the grille has a thick chrome strip that runs wide and into the headlamps. Bumper houses an air dam and a faux skid plate:


Automatic LED headlamp clusters have a twin-pod setup with DRLs at the top:


Small fog lamp sits low on the bumper in an unusually large housing. See the hole on the black plastic part below? It directs air into the wheel wells:


Underbody gets a healthy amount of cladding. And it’s not just at the front; the underbody protection extends to the middle section of the undercarriage. Honda claims that this has been done to increase aerodynamic efficiency:


High bonnet gets prominent creases on the sides. It’s almost flat and provides a good reference point from the driver's seat:


The Elevate gets a camera-based Level 2 ADAS system:


ORVMs come with integrated turn-indicators. Left ORVM also gets the lane watch camera:


Chrome door handle is similar to what you get in the City. Keyhole should’ve been integrated into the door handle:


17-inch dual-tone alloy wheels have a nice design and are shod with 215/55 section tyres. The front wheels get ventilated disc brakes while…


…the rear wheels get drum brakes:


The Elevate gets a regular sunroof. It must be noted that Kia recently launched the Seltos facelift with a panoramic sunroof. Rear section of the roof is ribbed and carries a sharkfin antenna:


A closer look at the design elements of the split tail-lamp:


As is the case with most cars these days, the Elevate gets connected tail-lamps. The middle portion of the red strip connecting the tail lamps however is not illuminated. You get the ‘Elevate’ badge on the left and the ‘i-VTEC’ badge on the right of the tailgate. The bumper houses reflectors and rear parking sensors. Note that the towing point is located below the bumper in the middle:


Apart from the blue colour of our test car, there was also this orange shade which also looked very nice in person. More details on the colour options of the Elevate will be revealed at the launch:

[Omkar]

Honda Elevate Interior Images

Black dashboard with a leatherette insert running across it. Design is simple yet elegant and the quality of materials used is good. Ergonomics are well sorted and all the controls are easily reachable:


From the driver's seat, you can see the bonnet. Even with the seat set at a low height, you can still manage to see the edges of the bonnet. Overall frontal and side visibility is good:


Steering wheel is shared with the City. It is nice to hold and adjustable for height and reach:


Buttons for the infotainment system, MID, telephony and voice commands are placed on the left spoke, while buttons for cruise control, adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist are placed on the right spoke:


Just like the Honda City, the Elevate also gets a part digital part analogue instrument cluster. The speedometer is analogue and you get a 7-inch full-colour MID:


The digital MID displays a lot of information like fuel consumption, trip meter, outside temperature, G-meter, and more:


You have the option of customising the display. You can even access the ADAS-related functions with the buttons. The ADAS system can be intrusive at times while driving on highways. The driver needs to adapt to it and be comfortable using it:


CVT variant gets plastic paddle shifters for going through the steps:


Left stalk controls the functions of the front and rear wipers, whereas the right stalk controls the headlamps and front foglamp. While automatic headlamps have been provided, automatic rain-sensing wipers have been left out:


Switch for activating the lane watch camera has been placed on the right stalk:


Side A/C vents get thick brushed silver borders on the sides and bottom. Notice how many different materials have been used in this area:


Switch to turn off the traction control and the headlamp leveller are located below. Dummy buttons are an eyesore:


Black engine start / stop button sits behind the steering wheel on the right-hand side:


On the left-hand side, you have a switch to adjust the brightness of the MID:


Doorpad carries the dashboard theme and gets leatherette and silver inserts. Door pockets can hold a 1-litre bottle and some other knick-knacks:


Panel around the switchgear feels very mediocre and not premium at all. Also, only the driver window gets one-touch up/down functionality:


Leatherette-wrapped front seats are comfortable to sit on and provide good side and under-thigh support. Lumbar support, however, is excessive and you might find it irritating over long drives:


The front passenger seat is set pretty high. Note that the front seatbelts are not height-adjustable. For most people, the standard seatbelt height will be comfortable:


Manual levers to adjust the backrest angle and seat height. Honda has restricted the front seat's fore & aft adjustment range for providing more space at the back. This means that people taller than 6 feet would find the front seat to be cramped even with it pushed all the way back:


Thin pedals are well spaced out. You don’t really get a proper dead pedal. Instead, there is a rubber pad that’s stuck on the floor:


The CVT variant gets a slightly more pronounced dead pedal:


Release levers for the fuel flap and the bonnet are placed on the right side of the footwell:


Auto-dimming IRVM is wide enough to cover the entire rear windshield, but the small rear windshield, wide rear headrests and the thick C-pillars restrict the view. Better to rely on the reversing camera:


The center fascia has a tablet-like touchscreen head-unit at the top. Some of the bits are shared with the Honda City:


10.25-inch touchscreen has physical buttons at the bottom for adjusting screen brightness, volume, back and home functions and power:


Touchscreen has a customisable display, and you can have two or three sections. It has wired and wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity. It is very slick to operate and the interface is very user-friendly. Audio quality is surprisingly good and most owners won’t find a reason to complain:


You can adjust various audio functions and even the lane watch settings. Reversing camera has multiple display modes and you also have the lane watch assist. The quality of these cameras isn’t up to today’s standards:


Central A/C vents have a simple design. Physical buttons to operate the climate control system are welcome in times when these functions are being integrated into the touchscreen:


Wireless charging pad is placed below the climate control unit with a 12V power outlet on the left and 2 regular USB ports on the right:


Two cupholders are located at the base of the centre fascia:


6-speed MT lever with a leather-wrapped gear knob, brushed silver inserts and leather boot. Gear console is finished in piano black:


CVT also gets a leather-wrapped gear knob, silver inserts and leather boot along with a piano black console:


Both MT and CVT variants get a manual handbrake. There’s a small open storage space underneath the handbrake - perfect to place your wallet:


Centre armrest isn’t adjustable for height or reach. Underneath the armrest is a small storage box:


Passenger side of the dashboard gets a faux wood panel just above the leatherette insert:


Glovebox is average-sized and doesn’t get illumination or ventilation. Glovebox lid doesn’t have a soft opening action:


Roof bezel consists of map lights and sunroof controls:


You get 6 airbags on the Elevate. These include dual front airbags, side airbags and curtain airbags:


Regular sunroof manages to let enough light inside the cabin:


Same old Honda key. CVT variant gets a remote start function:


Rear doorpads get the same theme as the front units. Door pockets also can hold a 1-litre bottle and other knick-knacks:


Rear seat is comfortable for two adults. A third one would be a tight squeeze here. It gets two adjustable headrests and a lap belt for the middle passenger with ISOFIX child seat anchors on both sides:


Seatback is set at a nice recline angle. However, it is not adjustable. Here’s Vid6639 (6’1”) seated behind his driving position. Notice that he has pushed the front seat all the way back to be able to drive. As you can see, there’s still a bit of knee room. Under-thigh support is less for someone of his height, but shorter folk would find it to be just adequate. There’s a good amount of headroom since the roof doesn’t slope downwards:


Here’s a look at the maximum and minimum legroom available:


As is the case with the Honda City, the floor curves upward underneath the front seat to form a footrest of sorts:


Centre armrest is set at a nice height and also houses two cupholders. It doesn’t get a strap, so it’s always a pain to pull it out when it’s folded into the backrest:


Seatback pockets have additional slots that can hold 2 smartphones:


Rear A/C vents get one common air volume controller, but their directions can be adjusted individually:


No USB port at the rear. All you get is this 12V power outlet:


458-litre boot is one of the largest in the segment. Boot opening is pretty wide and the loading lip is also set at a comfortable height:


Rear seat is split in a 60:40 ratio which allows selective folding if you need to carry a combination of cargo + passengers. Folding the rear seatbacks gives you a lot more cargo space. The seatbacks do not fold completely flat though:


Single light on the left and bag hooks on both sides:


Tools are placed neatly in a Styrofoam case underneath the boot floor:


Spare wheel is a 16-inch steel wheel shod with 215/60 section tyre:


Usually, you find a nice string with a proper hook to hang the parcel tray. This just feels cheap:


Disclaimer: Honda invited Team-BHP for the Elevate test drive. They covered all the travel expenses for this driving event.

[Omkar]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line.

[Flash777]

Great Review! Right on cue.

[abhkop]

Thank you Omkar for the detailed review.

I must say, the product offer is underwhelming. This product would have been a great hit in the mid 2010's.

[TorqueSteer]

Great review as usual. Now I hope Honda will get the pricing right. IMHO this is Honda's make or break car for Indian market. Everything is on how well and competitive Honda will price this. I think pricing should be tad below Seltos. On par with Seltos, might not get good sales. Priced above Seltos, DOA.

[Shreyans_Jain]

Great to see an actually exhaustive review of a relevant car after a long time. While everyone knew the car is lacking is features and that performance is average, the suspension seems to a pleasant surprise. This seems to be the first Honda in a long long time where they have actually got the ride and handling balance spot on. The fact that they seem to have fixed the continuous vertical movement that plagues the City is a step in the right direction.

Now, everything comes down to pricing. New Seltos HTX CVT costs 18.75L on road here in Faridabad, and is better equipped than Elevate. This is the benchmark. Problem is, City ZX CVT already costs 18L +, without considering the small discounts. Honda needs to pull a rabbit out of its hat here.

[Bhodrolok]

Good review as always but I fail to see why would someone get this over the Koreans or the Germans?

It's neither loaded to the gills, nor is it proven safe with great performance. Looks a very middling offering which might do some numbers due to brand recall but doesn't bring anything exciting to the segment.

[AYP]

My thoughts on the Elevate-


1. It looks good. For a long time, I couldn't put my finger on the vibes this car was giving me, but then someone mentioned this in an earlier post on the preview thread, the XC40. The front of course doesn't give a Volvo vibe but a more butch Land Cruiser/Lexus vibe. Overall, the car looks smart. Understated yes(except for the front grill) but smart nonetheless.

2. The interiors also have the same understated feel. In lot of ways, I had the same feeling when the Kushaq was launched. Understated but not offensive. Doesn't wow you like the Seltos does. I like the positioning of the wireless charger unlike the City.

3. The engine, well, is only gonna compete with the lesser of the engines offered by the competition. Forget Turbo, not even the Hybrid is coming.

These aren't the decision you make when launching such an important product. It is good to know though that they have got the dynamics on point.

4. There is some cost cutting vis-a-vis the City like no central headrest at the rear, auto-up only for the driver etc. But I guess these measures have been taken so as to minimise the premium vis-a-vis the City.

On the other hand, Honda is already not giving us any 'stand out' feature like Panoramic sunroof, ventilated seats, heck, not even a 360 camera or auto wipers. In the absence of these features, the previously stated missing features which are present in the City could have been offered. The dual led projectors though, is a nice touch and should be highlighted. In fact, at a personal level, the dual projectors are a stand out feature for this car since most of the competition offers either LED reflectors or a single LED projector. These projectors though, do look a lot like reflectors(Are the other reviewers getting it wrong? Team-BHP hasn't mentioned the type of throw, i.e. projectors or reflectors).

5. Lack of features- Customers in this segment have come to expect a lot of features. And when I say features, I mean features like Panoramic sunroof, ventilated seats, 360 camera etc. The Elevate has none of these which might put off a large chunk of people. And we already know that it is going to come with a single NA petrol option and the AT is going to be a CVT, thus excluding a large chunk of the enthusiasts. So who is gonna buy this car? The Honda and Japanese loyalists?

6. While there were conflicting news about the platform of the Elevate, it is safe to say that this is based on the City and is for all practical purpose, the SUV version of the City.

My question to the mods-

1. What's up with the speed markings on the speedometer? Marked only till 180? This maybe a personal peeve of mine or whatever but I'd rather have a car with the speedo marked till 220 than 180 even if the car has an 800cc engine. And here, we are talking about a car with a 1500 cc engine which has the potential to reach these speeds. I am not suggesting driving at those speeds but this is something I just can't unsee. You may call this my fetish and I wouldn't mind it at all but it is what it is. Is the speed limited to 140 or something like the Brio platform cars? If not, what could be the reason for offering different speedo markings in the Elevate vis-a-vis the City?

2. Are the LED headlights projector type or reflector type?

[uditanshh]

Thank you fellow BHPians for the great review as always.

The car seems to a well thought out vehicle with strong fundamentals and no flashy nonsense features. Based on how the previous gen City, Jazz, and Amaze had performed in the crash tests, it is no doubt that the Elevate too would have a good GNCAP rating.

Now everything depends on how well HCIL prices this car. If they price it a tad below the Korean twins, then this vehicle surely has the potential to propel Honda back to their glory days.

[07CR]

Exhaustive review. Thanks!

So the car is down in equipment, performance and gearbox in a comprehensive way. IMO the interior simply doesn't look like a 20L car, and is a major downer for me. Other major negative was the RPMs the car cruises at. 2600 RPM for 100 kph and 3200 RPM for 120 KPH is too high. For instance the Seltos cruises at 1800 RPM for 100 KPH and 2200 RPM for 120 KPH. Heck even my 1.0 Litre Sonet cruises at 2200 RPM at 100 kph.

I liked the exterior looks. The flat bonnet gives it a very commanding frontal appearance compared to the other competition. Also pleasantly surprised that the ride quality is good. How good would you rate the ride quality vis-a-vis a Duster?

Pricing will be extremely critical here as there is no USP in this car. Seltos HTX IVT costs 19.69L OTR in Pune. It's way more loaded than the Elevate, and the engine and transmission remain on par. City ZX CVT is priced at 18.8L, so I am guessing Honda would command a premium of atleast 1L for the SUV form factor. That puts it above Seltos HTX IVT pricing. They need to really undercut the Seltos HTX IVT in terms of pricing or it's simply a DOA product.

[rGT]

Going by the review, it seems to be a no-nonsense, practical and reliable machine, that looks good, is relatively safe, decently equipped with the features one would need, nothing more, nothing less, and is decent to drive as well. There is a good volume of customers who prefer the above factors over large touchscreens and other bling and gizmos.

The key to its survival in the Indian market, IMO, is it's pricing, as the above set of customers is arguably the most value conscious of the lot. It HAS to be priced lower than its competitors for it to find buyers. If that happens, it has every probability to snatch away potential Hyundai/Kia 1.5 NA buyers, maybe even potential VAG 1.0 TSI buyers.

Hopefully, Honda acts sensibly here.