The Honda Elevate has always taken a relatively straightforward approach to the mid-size SUV formula. Rather than chasing flamboyant styling or an overwhelming list of gimmicks, it has relied on its upright stance, spacious cabin, proven petrol engine and reassuring driving manners to appeal to buyers seeking a dependable family SUV. With the new Elevate, Honda Cars India has chosen to build on these strengths while addressing some of the areas where the original model could have done with more flair.
The updated Elevate arrives with a more assertive exterior, a significantly enhanced cabin and a broader selection of convenience and safety features. Highlights include a redesigned grille, connected LED tail lamps, ventilated front and rear seats, 360° camera, power-adjustable front seats and an expanded Honda SENSING driver-assistance package that now includes ‘low-speed follow’ on CVT variants.
Importantly, Honda has retained the familiar 1.5-litre i-VTEC petrol engine, offered with a six-speed manual or a CVT automatic. This is an evolution rather than a mechanical reinvention, with the emphasis firmly on improving the ownership and everyday driving experience.
The result is an SUV that seeks to look more contemporary and feel more premium. The question is whether these enhancements give the Elevate enough fresh appeal to strengthen its position in a super-competitive segment.
t2 drove the CVT version of the new Elevate at the invitation of Honda Cars India from a little beyond Gurgaon to a little short of Jaipur on both back roads and expressways with four passengers and their luggage to get a sense of the SUV.
ON THE OUTSIDE
The original Elevate’s upright proportions and clean, squared-off design gave it a traditional SUV character. The new model takes that approach a step further, adding a bit of visual heft without altering its silhouette. Up front, the redesigned grille is the most prominent change. Complemented by gloss-black upper mouldings and a lower front garnish, it tries to give the SUV a more imposing face. The Honda emblem now moves up on to the bonnet and there’s a new three-bar LED DRL along with a new LED headlamp cluster. The gloss-black treatment extends to the lower front garnish, side and fender garnishes, and rear lower bumper garnish.
On the flanks the highlight is the new 17-inch dual-tone alloy wheel design, and the 360° camera unit under the ORVM. At the rear, the connected signature LED tail lamp is arguably the most noticeable addition. Its full-width design visually broadens the tailgate and lends the SUV a more modern appearance, bringing it closer to current styling trends. Honda has also introduced the new Nordic Forest Pearl colourway that looks particularly good with a Crystal Black Pearl roof.
Crucially, Honda has retained the Elevate’s practical dimensions, particularly the 220mm ground clearance that’s very useful on broken roads and over larger speed breakers.
ON THE INSIDE
The cabin is where the updated Elevate makes some of its most significant improvements. Honda has tried to add a more premium atmosphere and a richer equipment list to the original model’s space and practicality.
The new ivory-and-black dual-tone cabin now has soft-touch as well as piano-black finishes to create a more upmarket environment. Wraparound ambient lighting adds a contemporary touch, while electrostatic-touch LED cabin lights and an illuminated passenger-side vanity mirror bring welcome detail to everyday use.
Probably the biggest addition is ventilation for both the front and rear seats. Ventilated seats have become an increasingly desirable feature in India’s hot climate, and the Elevate now has four of them. The driver gets an eight-way power-adjustable seat (it is very supportive), while the front passenger receives a four-way electrically adjustable seat. Leather upholstery further enhances the cabin’s appeal. There is a single pane sunroof that does its bit to add to a sense of openness.
On the dashboard, the 10.25-inch floating touchscreen supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, alongside Bluetooth, USB connectivity and WebLink.
The interface also integrates functions such as the 360° camera, compass, calendar and customisable shortcuts. It retains a bunch of buttons for easy access to functions. The climate control unit just below it, too, gets buttons to operate it. The other screen, a digital-analogue instrument cluster incorporates a seven-inch full-colour TFT display and is a no-nonsense white-on-black affair that’s super legible in any light.
On the charging port front, there are two at the back, a wireless charger and a couple more up front. The eight-speaker audio system does a competent job. Another smart inclusion is the air quality display, PM2.5 monitoring and automatic clean-air function that are especially relevant for polluted urban areas. Meanwhile, the 360° surround-view camera, front parking sensors and rear parking assistance take much of the stress out of manoeuvring the Elevate in cramped spaces.
ON THE GO
Under the bonnet, the new Elevate retains Honda’s familiar 1.5-litre i-VTEC DOHC naturally aspirated petrol engine. It makes 121ps and 145Nm. We were driving the CVT, which is pretty smooth and has none of the lag of older CVTs. One can also get it with a six-speed manual. The CVT comes with seven-speed paddle shifters too.
As mentioned earlier we were driving with a full complement of passengers and their luggage. And while the power and torque might not seem super impressive on paper, on the road we didn’t find it short. Of course, overtaking on two-lane state highways takes a bit of judgement, but, one can always stomp on the accelerator and the SUV goes into kick-down mode and pushes out more power. It comfortably does expressway speeds of 119kmph (we were using the cruise control and keeping it just below 120kmph to avoid the incessant beeping) with the engine ticking over around 3,000rpm and seems like it can go on all day. The car we were driving had 18km on the odometer when we started, so it was not as if the engine had already bedded in. The only crib is that it gets a bit noisy past 3,500rpm or so.
Ride is good and passengers stay insulated from most bad surfaces. Body roll is well controlled.
The CVT is smooth in its response to throttle inputs and there isn’t any sense of lag. There are paddle shifters too and one can move through ‘gears’, all seven of them, but it is almost entirely unnecessary to use it. We would have liked a shot at the manual, but it wasn’t available. Honda claims a certified fuel efficiency of 15.31kmpl for the manual and 16.61kmpl for the CVT versions of the Elevate.
The Elevate’s 2,650 mm wheelbase and 220 mm ground clearance are good for both higher speed highways as well as broken and speed breaker (vehicle breaker?) strewn back roads and on longer journeys, as we found out. Honda says the new model offers a quieter and more comfortable driving experience with better sound and vibration deadening. While the Elevate is mostly quiet, some engine and tyre noise still seeps in at higher speeds.
The Honda SENSING ADAS suite includes collision mitigation braking system, adaptive cruise control, road departure mitigation system, lane keeping assist, lead car departure notification system and auto high-beam. On CVT versions, the addition of low-speed follow is particularly useful in congested traffic, helping the adaptive cruise-control system follow the vehicle ahead at low speeds.
The safety package also includes six airbags, ABS with EBD and brake assist, vehicle stability assist with agile handling assist, hill start assist, ISOFIX child-seat anchorages and an emergency stop signal. All-wheel disc brakes are specified for CVT variants and there is electric parking brake with Auto Brake Hold for convenience.
THE CALL
The Honda Elevate is now the SUV it should always have been. It had the fundamentals in place but was somewhat let down by the absence of some bells and whistles that the competition was throwing in. With most of those bases covered, the competitive coefficient has been upped significantly. Throw in prices ranging from ₹11.80 lakh to ₹18.40 lakh (ex showroom, Delhi), and suddenly the deal starts looking rather sweet. As for cribs, we don’t have a major one.