Driving impressions: Honda Elevate 1,5

Honda SA is back to its best in terms of packaging, build quality, value-for-money and efficiency with a new entry to the hotly contested compact SUV market. Ian McLaren for CAR tested the vehicle at its launch.

- Ian McLaren

Sharing a platform with the modern Ballade sedan, the new Elevate is a vital new product for Honda South Africa as it hopes to both claw back lost market share but also reconnect with an otherwise loyal local customer base. The Elevate is also the first Indian-assembled product set to be exported to Honda’s home market, a fact that places pressures of its own on overall build quality.

The Elevate is 4 312mm long, 1 750mm wide and 1 650mm tall, which matches the size of the popular Toyota Urban Cruiser. The Honda has a slightly longer wheelbase compared with its Suzuki-based rival and boasts 199mm worth of ground clearance.

Mated with the brand's familiar naturally-aspirated (not turbocharged) 1,50 engine, the Elevate is offered with a six-speed manual transmission in entry-level Comfort guise and a CVT (automatic) gearbox in flagship Elegance specification.

WHY IS THE HONDA ELEVATE SIGNIFICANT?