Honda Elevate First Drive Review: Another Hyundai Creta Rival Or Something Special? Watch

Certain games have a big reward on the other hand. Things are similar with the mid-size SUV segment too. It is the most-heated car segment in the Indian market with a total of 7 rivals. Now, Honda Elevate is joining it with the intent to help the brand make profits. The mid-size SUV is the company’s first-ever attempt in this space, and it has a big aim to fulfil. The Elevate is developed in India and is being manufactured in India itself. Thus, it can be assumed to be an India-friendly product. But is it good enough to give sleepless nights to the likes of the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, and Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara? Well, read on to find out.

Watch Honda Elevate Review:

Honda Elevate Review - Design

The Elevate is based on the Honda City’s platform with endless tweaks. It now sports an SUV silhouette, which is nothing but upright. The nose is straight and in-your-face kind. It features a larger squarish radiator grille, topped with a thick-horizontal chrome ribbon, separating the rather high-set bonnet. The Elevate looks neat with its slim LED headlamps, and triangular fog lamp housings, breaking the visual bulk. The scuff plates aren’t very chunky either.

A set of 17-inch machined-finish alloy wheels, chunky roof rail, and body-coloured cladding add some drama to the side profile. Otherwise, the sheet metal is largely free from any sharp creases. The window area feels large, and the rear windscreen rakes sharply. All of these elements make it look a tad-bit sporty. The Elevate has an imposing road presence, but it is on par with its rivals in terms of dimensions. It is 4,312 mm long, 1,790 mm wide, and 1,650 mm tall.

The rear fascia seems to have taken inspiration from the Indonesian-spec WR-V. The L-shaped wraparound LED tail lamps are connected to each other via a reflector unit. However, it doesn't have a lightbar, which isn’t a deal breaker. Also, the rear bumper gets a silver scuff plate, which eliminates the sense of bulk from it. Overall, the Elevate has a rather minimalistic approach to the design that isn’t loud by any means.

Honda Elevate Review - Cabin

The dashboard layout of the Honda Elevate is designed to seek attention in tonnes. Following the suit of simplicity like the exterior, it is largely simple. However, Honda has used leather trimming and faux wood inserts on it to make it feel premium. Also, the black-brown colour combination further accentuates the overall appeal of the cabin. The steering wheel comes from the City, and so does the instrument cluster. Taking centre stage is a large 10.25-inch infotainment unit, beneath which sits the climate control panel.

The centre console gets cupholders and a wireless phone charger. The latter has a large cavity. Thus, smaller phones keep sliding all around the charging pad. The space on the Elevate is in abundance. The seats too are the best in the business. And hauling 4 occupants with their luggage will be a breeze with 458L boot space.

However, the Elevate disappoints with its feature list. The front seats are neither powered nor ventilated. The sunroof is small, unlike the panoramic sunroofs offered by its rivals. Also, the rear seats get only two headrests and two 3-point seatbelts. Middle occupants will be secured with a lap belt only. Making up for these absentees is the sheer space and comfort offered by the Elevate.

Honda Elevate Review - Performance

The Elevate is powered by the 1.5L i-VTEC engine. The 4-cylinder, naturally-aspirated petrol engine has been in existence in our market for long. It has made us smile in the Honda City and did an identical job here too. The 121 PS and 145 Nm of max output is the highest in the segment for a 1.5L NA petrol motor. The rev-happy nature of the motor makes the driver push it all the way to the 7,000 RPM redline. The act is amplified by the sweet sound of the engine and its top-heavy power curve. The low-end grunt is just adequate, while the mid-range is usable. It is the top-end surge that makes the car go fast.

With this nature of the engine, it is evident that the 6-speed MT is the more fun gearbox of the two. The CVT should be better left to those looking to drive the car sedately for the most part of their lives. For the remaining time, they can use paddle shifters to have some good moments. The steering wheel on the Elevate feels apt at its job. It isn’t too sharp, but offers the right amount of feel and feedback to the driver. The suspension setup is calibrated to deliver a balance of ride comfort and handling. It can absorb bumps and undulations, while the strong rebound lets some of it creep in the cabin. Going around corners isn’t scary on this rather high-sitting SUV, which boasts a segment-leading 220 mm ground clearance.

The Elevate gets Level-2 ADAS tech too, which works on the basis of a camera. There are no radars attached to this system. Resultantly, it fails to work accurately in darker conditions. However, in broad daylight scenarios, the system is free from glitches. It offers safety systems like lane-keeping assist, emergency braking, adaptive cruise control and more.

Honda Elevate Review - Verdict

Addressing the elephant in the room is impossible, as of now. After all, Honda hasn’t announced the prices yet, but the Elevate is expected to be priced rather competitively. While the Elevate doesn’t have a strong feature list on its side, its spacious and premium-looking cabin will play as its strong USP. Similarly, outshining the design is its road presence. On the whole, the Elevate is a fun car with the stick shift that will help you hoot around like a maniac. Buy it with the CVT, you’ll be happily done with a smooth engine-gearbox combination. Although, we still feel that the option of the strong-hybrid power plant is certainly missed on a rather sensible package.