Honda Elevate in person: 10+ observations from a customer's perspective

The build quality feels a level below its Korean rivals. The difference is the same as that between the Honda City and Hyundai Verna.

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Got to see the Honda Elevate at Harmony Honda showroom in Chandigarh. The car is one of those used at the media drive at Udaipur. It was a ZX CVT variant. After having read the review on Team-BHP and having seen the reviews from the media drive, below are observations from a customer perspective.

Please note: I have not covered often repeated things like lack of panoramic sunroof, electrically adjusted seats etc.

1. Front of the car looks distinct from other cars in the category. Front appears imposing and gives the car a good SUV character.
2. The car would have a good road presence. Probably, if not the best, among the best in the segment.
3. The suspension travel is probably more than average, as when four passengers sat in the car, the car sank noticeably. This may hint towards a softer ride as mentioned in the reviews.
4. View on all sides from the driver's seat is great. Driving position felt better than some main rivals.
5. Ergonomics wise car looks well thought through, especially for the driver seat.
6. Quality of the infotainment display is much better than City’s smaller and older display. Rear camera quality is also better than the City’s.
7. Front seats do not travel as far back as they do in other rival cars. This may pose some challenges for very tall drivers.
8. Overall, front-seat experience is good.
9. All the seats are quite comfortable in terms of cushioning.
10. Ingress and egress is easy on all sides.
11. As you open the rear door, you feel that there could be some more space (width-wise). Compared to Creta, the back bench width is noticeably lesser. For two people, it’s a joy to sit on those well-cushioned seats but three would be uneasy, definitely, for long travels. The width of the back bench felt lesser than even City’s. Knee room and headroom for the back seat are enormous. Definitely class leading.
12. Overall, in terms of comfort, for two people, the back seat is very comfortable but there is also a feeling that you are sitting in a smaller car than what Elevate appears from outside. Cabin color scheme and low outside lighting at the showroom could be one reason for this feeling.
13. Build quality feels a level below Korean rivals. The difference is the same as that between City and Verna. Please note that build quality in terms of thickness of exterior metal has nearly negligible bearing on the overall safety rating of the vehicle, which is rather determined by the structural design and stability.

Overall, the experience was slightly underwhelming compared to what I had expected (because of the lack of roominess on the back bench). If one is not a Honda fan, then there is hardly anything except a unique front facia that can make a deal on the first interaction with Elevate. Let's hope drivability makes up for the lack of other things. That we will get to know by the last week of August.

Deliveries and test drives:

Another dealership in Chandigarh confirmed that the first tranche of 19 cars will be received by the dealership starting August 19. Of this lot, 2 are test-drive vehicles and the rest are for sale. However, sales will commence only after launch, which is expected around September 02. Prices will also be revealed by then. Tentative prices are quoted in the range of 11 to 16 ex-showroom.

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