Honda Elevate: The Indian SUV market is buzzing, and Honda has now entered the game with a product tailor-made for our market — The Honda Elevate.
The mid-size SUV is Honda’s response to tough competitors such as the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, and Maruti Grand Vitara.
But instead of jumping aboard bandwagons, the Elevate keeps things simple, practical, and in line with Honda’s core competencies: reliability, ease of use, and a pleasant driving experience.
Not all competitors lean toward fancy tech or turbocharged fun, though, and the Honda Elevate offers a more pedestrian family-focused SUV experience, with plenty of room, a well-behaved engine and hassle-free ownership.
Clean and Upright SUV Design
The Honda Elevate embodies an aggressive, more refined design. Standing tall and boxy, it embraces its SUV identity.
The front-end gets a bold grille which is flanked by sharp LED headlamps and LED DRLs. Aesthetically, the design is crisp and unadorned, with squared-off wheel arches, sharp shoulder lines and little use of chrome.
Back there, the Elevate is also a modern design with LED tail-lamps and a connected light bar.
It has a decent SUV profile with a ground clearance of 220mm and that helps when you are up against bad roads, speed breakers and a little bit of off-road.
The Elevate rolls on 16 or 17-inch alloy wheels, depending on the trim level.
Its design may not be quite as head-turning as that of some Korean rivals, but it epitomizes Honda’s philosophy of timeless styling — something that endures through the years.
Spacious and Practical Interior
Step into the Elevate and you’re met with a well laid out, user friendly cabin.
The dashboard layout is uncluttered, the upper section is soft to the touch, faux wood trim adds a touch of class and upscale materials are used properly: there’s a sense of flair without going overboard.
Mounted high on the dash and measuring 10.25 inches diagonally, the infotainment touchscreen supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (wireless for both).
Beneath that, there are physical controls for the air conditioning system — a thoughtful addition for those who don’t like touch-sensitive controls.
The front and rear seating comfort is great. Honda has long been associated with efficient use of interior space and the Elevate follows the theme.
The back seat has plenty of leg and headroom, so even the gaggliest of flossers should fit just fine. It has a flat floor and a wide bench that accommodates three adults in back, a rarity in this segment.
There’s also a large 458-litre boot, one of the best in the segment and big enough for a family’s weekend luggage.
Engine and Performance
Powering the Elevate is the trustworthy 1.5L i-VTEC petrol engine that has been around for a long time for Honda’s other vehicles.
This 1.5-litre naturally aspirated motor churns out 121 PS of power and 145 Nm of torque and is available with a 6-speed manual as well as a CVT automatic.
The engine note is smooth, refined and offers a linear power delivery. It’s not the sportiest SUV in its class, but without question the most driver-friendly, especially around town.
The automatic transmission we felt was the better suited automatic gearbox for our traffic and city driving needs.
As for the fuel efficiency, the 2019 S-Cross manual has an average fuel consumption of roughly 15.3 km/l 10 kpl, whereas same for the CVT can be up to 16.9 km/l 10 kpl, which is not bad at all for a petrol-driven SUV.
Performance enthusiasts may not be too happy with the fact that there’s no turbo-petrol or diesel to choose from, but for something to be used every day for a regular family, the i-VTEC’s smoothness and reliability more than compensate.
Ride Quality and Handling
With the Honda Elevate, it provides a very neutral type of ride tuning which has been tuned for comfort but does not degrade the handling.
It rides over potholes and nasty pavement with rare degree of disturbance felt by passengers.
It soaks up undulations in silence, and high-speed stability is remarkable for a car of this size.
The steering is light at low speeds for easy parking and weights up enough at higher speeds to instill confidence.
It’s not sporty in feel, the Elevate, but it’s still predictable and composed in corners, and that suits it for family driving.
Features and Technology
Honda has given the Elevate a healthy blend of the practical and the contemporary:
10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system
“Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
7-inch digital driver display
Electric sunroof
Push-button start/stop
Rear camera with dynamic guidelines
Cruise control
Automatic climate control
The highest trim also features Honda Sensing (Watch Honda Sensing test)! An advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS) package can include the following:
Lane-keep assist
Adaptive cruise control
Collision mitigation braking
Road departure mitigation
Not all of the features compare with some offered by Korean competitors, like a panoramic sunroof or ventilated seats, and in general Honda has put useful tech first, not gimmicks.
Safety
The Elevate has a rather long list of safety features:
6 airbags (in higher variants)
ABS with EBD
ESC (Electronic Stability Control)
Hill start assist
Rear parking sensors and camera
Adaptive Drive Assist (ADAS) on certain trims
The car is quite solid and on the road the Elevate feels stable. Honda’s reputation for robust mechanicals has certainly won a lot of customers.
Pros of Honda Elevate
Highlights Advanced and dependable 1.5L i-VTEC power plant
Sensible, roomy cabin with plenty of boot space
High ground clearance (220 mm) for Indian roads
Silky CVT auto, very urban-friendly
ADAS features in top variants
Balanced ride and handling
Good after-sales service and trust in the brand
Cons of Honda Elevate
No diesel or turbo-petrol engine on offer
Missing some segment-first features, such as 360-degree camera, ventilated seats
Basic rear camera quality
Exterior design is a tad staid
No all-wheel drive or hybrid version so far
Honda Elevate: Final Verdict
The Honda Elevate: A practical, spacious and feature-packed SUV designed with the Indian family in mind.
Not the most feature-rich and flashiest SUV out there, but it gets the fundamental right: comfort, driveability, space, and long-term peace of mind.
If you’re after a city SUV that’s a fairly stress-free daily driver, that’s backed by a mostly defiant brand, that delivers almost no compromises in quality and comfort, and that deftly denies the beige-mobile status of many of its rivals, it’s a worthy box-ticker on your short list.
It might be staid, but it’s also clever — and sometimes, clever is as much as you want in a family car.