FIRST DRIVE: Honda Elevate

FIRST DRIVE: Honda Elevate

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The compact crossover segment is awash with solid, mostly well-specified contenders that make entering the segment lucrative and vital for the bottom line and market share. It is also equally daunting since buyers are simply spoilt for choice and value-for-money prospects hinge heavily on the buying decision. Honda is fashionably late to the party in this space, but late is better than never. 

Launched in picturesque Cape Town this week, right off the bat, it is a good-looking thing. Loosely based on the Ballade and BR-V platforms, the Indian-built contender boasts a square-jaw-like front end, a boxy passenger cell that lends the cabin a very roomy atmosphere, and a clean, if slightly generic, rear end that is reminiscent of the Hyundai Venue, one of its main rivals. All in all, a handsome looker that should curry favour with throngs of compact crossover punters. 

Good optics aside, the Elevate comes in two flavours: Comfort and Elegance, both powered by the company’s proven 1.5-litre i-VTEC, making 89kW and 145Nm. The transmission is a 5-speed manual for the Comfort model and a CVT for the Elegance specification. It is the latter derivative that we managed to sample at launch, and it managed to cover the basics well. The engine is unpretentious and felt fair driving at the oxygen-rich, sea-level altitude of the Cape, but the CVT is not Honda’s finest moment.

It incessantly whines when you need immediate power delivery to negotiate inclines or clear slower-moving traffic, and I have a distinct feeling that this particular engine and transmission combination might not be the best marriage on the rarified-reef of Gauteng, if our experience of the marque’s HR-V model, which shares a similar engine layout, is anything to go by. That aside, the Elevate rides well on smooth surfaces, but the quality does deteriorate somewhat on undulating roads, sending some unwanted jolts into the cabin. 

One of the model’s USPs is its space and ample leg and headroom, while the boot measures a cavernous 458 litres, thanks to the vehicle’s overall dimensions. These count a length of 4.3m, a height of 1.79m, and a width of 1.65m, all conspiring to make this one of the roomiest models in the segment. The cabin’s user interface is functional at worst, and everything is logically placed with a build quality rating that is good with little in the way of squeaks and rattles. Sure, some materials and plastics feel cheap, but the overall impression is solid tactility and hard-wearing items. 

The lack of cruise control is a bit of a letdown on the otherwise good specification level, such as the six airbags and ESP in its safety arsenal, to name a few. A good product for the most part, the Honda Elevate is a worthy addition to this fiercely competitive yet popular segment. 

Arriving this late to a market that is already awash with competitive rivals such as the Chery Tiggo4 Pro, Kia Sonet, Hyundai Venue, Haval Jolion, Toyota Urban Cruiser, Suzuki Grand Vitara, and VW T-Cross, it has its work cut out for it. 

Should you buy one, then? I would say it's worth being placed on your shopping list, and it would also be worthwhile to sample the above-mentioned competitors before voting with your wallet. 

Pricing: 

Elevate 1.5 Comfort Manual: R369,900

Elevate 1.5 Elegance CVT: R429,900

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