Honda Elevate : The Honda Elevate is a game changer for the Japanese carmaker in India and signals the Japanese car manufacturer’s foray into the cutthroat compact SUV category.
This is a well thought out compact crossover that embodies Honda’s philosophy of engineering for the Indian market and offers a balanced package that tends to prioritise practicality over driving pleasure.
Design Philosophy
“The new Elevate is a design concept that displays an unprecedented combination of Honda’s global design language and the characteristic SUV package that is conducive to Indian factors and circumstances.
At the front, it wears bold, chrome-accented grille and led head lamps with daytime running lamps which weaves its own look and doesn’t look overtly aggressive.
The profile is characterised by the well-crafted silhouette, 208mm of a ground clearance, squared wheel arches and discreet lines and creases, complimenting the power built of the car, there are no drama, but no drama are actually needed.
The backside treatment harmonises the front look with wraparound LED taillights linked with a chrome strip demonstrating space and futurism.
Where rivals might choose a more overt approach to adding style, the Elevate’s subtle sensibilities should lend it greater longevity in the showroom – Honda designs tend to favor timeless looks over current fads.
Cabin Experience
Climb into the Elevate and it is Honda’s legendary effective use of space that is most apparent. Despite its small crossover proportions, the cabin boasts impressive rear leg and headroom, in fact it’s comparable with cars from the next class up.
The considered packaging also provides a near flat load floor resulting in improved comfort for central rear seat passengers and a 458-litre boot which is capable of swallowing all the family’s luggage without compromise.
The depth of the dashboard is intended to promote airiness for an open and expansive feel as a whole, and is designed according to Honda’s human-centered design philosophy with a tiered structure that positions functions where the driver can easily see and use them.
Physical climate-control buttons are also supplemented by the 10.25-inch touchscreen, maintaining an agreeable mix of tactile convenience and modern simplicity.
The beige-and-black colorway contributes to the feeling of airiness, while leatherette upholstery on upper trims supplies a luxurious appearance.
Performance Dynamics
Powering the car is Honda’s silky smooth 1.5-liter i-VTEC petrol engine that is good for 121 hp and 145Nm. This engine does not have a turbo to give it added boost but it is linear in delivery and predictable which is good for city.
Either a precise 6-speed manual transmission enjoyably delivering a solid shift action or CVT automatic contribute to driving pleasure, the CVT optimising efficiency with stepped ratios when the going gets harder and ensuring the “rubber band” effect often associated with this type of transmission is reduced.
And there’s Honda’s excellent chassis tuning to thank for the Elevate’s road manners, thanks to a suspension calibration that successfully balances ride comfort with body control.
The MacPherson struts at the front and largely space-saving torsion-beam construction at the rear do indeed soak up road ripples without the body bouncing around too much on turn in.
Electric power steering serves up even weighting and adequate feedback, and feels natural behind the wheel in just about every driving situation.
Feature Set
The power-cruiser Honda has endowed the Elevate with a modern feature-set to keep up with modern expectations.
Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, automatic climate control, a single-pane sunroof, wireless charging and a digital instrument cluster are among the offerings on upper trims.
The Honda Connect telematics system adds remote capabilities, while the Honda Sensing ADAS suite, offering collision mitigation braking, lane keeping assist, road departure mitigation, adaptive cruise control and automatic high beam assist, is another significant safety booster that’s a real feather in this car’s cap in this sector.
Pros and Cons
Advantages
Interior space utilization and comfort as never seen before
The most polished powertrain with the best NVH control
The very best in class ADAS safety components
Balance of ride and handling ideal for most; optimum for base L trim.
Good overall visibility for city driving
long term reliability that Honda is known for
3 year unlimited km warranty
Limitations
One engine available, only a few power junkies will be interested
Ventilated seats, for instance, are not available in the segment2541_:* despite the segment presence of this feature* 10.100_ * Features.
Competitors offer slick panoramic sunroof; Hyundai offers only a small sunroof.
Some lag from the infotainment system
Costs more than some feature-packed competitors
High-mileage users may be put off by lack of diesel option
More basic versions lack some desirables features
Honda Elevate: Market Positioning
The Honda Elevate segment is a red hot one, where the market is crowded with well established players, but the car has its place cut out through Honda’s brand name and clever engineering.
Instead of being a race to stack spec lists or price tags, Elevate represents a more holistic approach: a mix of space, comfort, anhedonic life, and long-term happiness.
For any buyers who value how a car drives, the comfort it offers passengers, and how well it’s engineered above spec-sheet numbers, the Elevate looks like a very appealing proposition.
It’s a living embodiment of Honda design philosophy – focussing on the elements that add to everyday usability to deliver the sort of driving experience that never leaves you short of performance.
A lot of groups of consumers had a compromise for Honda, not because the also-rans were good cars, but because you sacrifice nothing with an Elevate and in a market where practical is (almost) always part of the mix, but so often that brings with it tedium, Honda didn’t have a strong argument for a purchase until the Elevate rolled into town in a ball of snow.
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