Our three-month test has been a versatile showing from Honda’s new compact crossover. Behind the wheel for the majority, Marius Boonzaier details the good, the bad and the ugly in this final report.
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Time spent: Three of three months
Distance covered: 2 456 km
Average fuel consumption: 7.43 L/100 km
We like: Comfortable seats; supple ride quality; generous standard specification
We don’t like: Cruise control a noticeable omission; wind noise at motorway speeds
Arguably positioned towards young-ish professionals with kids (although having offspring, to the disappointment of an elderly aunt, remains undecided for my future), the Elevate and I seemed a would-be perfect match. And it was. Over its three-month stint in CAR’s long-term test fleet, the Elevate did an admirable job of fitting in with my mostly city-focused lifestyle.
However, during the extended test period, the Elevate wasn’t confined to Cape Town and its surrounding suburbs. Following this year’s memorable SUV Shootout, I headed back to the Northern Cape to visit a car enthusiast friend in Calvinia. Following the weekend, one of the latter joined me on the journey back to Cape Town. En route, as the quaint Karoo town disappeared in the Elevate’s rear-view mirror, he mentioned several likes and dislikes he had of the Honda. He commended the Elevate’s well-bolstered seats, spacious cabin (fore and aft headroom are 850 mm and 880 mm, respectively) and luggage compartment (340 litres), and its supple ride quality. Despite its high centre of gravity and boxy in design, the Elevate’s taut chassis setup allowed it to remain impressively composed under hard cornering. The 199 mm of ground clearance was also appreciated; both in town, where patchy road repairs had thrown up some unexpected divots and ruts, and when traversing a gravel road further afield.
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One of this flagship model’s most appreciated features is the reverse-view camera system. The setup offers drivers the choice of three feeds on the eight-inch touchscreen. The wide-angle view is especially handy, allowing you to keep an eye out for approaching vehicles when reversing out of a parking bay. The infotainment system further incorporates Apple CarPlay and Android Auto screen mirroring, which relays tunes over a six-speaker sound system, and there’s a handy wireless smartphone charging mat in the centre console. On the safety equipment front, the Elegance-grade model features six airbags (front, side and curtain), as well as Isofix child-seat anchorages.
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Our only dislikes were the omission of cruise control, which, in a package at the Elevate’s price point should be standard fitment, and engine drone when spirited throttle inputs were required for overtaking manoeuvres. During the latter, the Elevate’s CVT would remain fixed on a step for too long. As a result, the fuel consumption increased by a fair margin when travelling on the open road. However, in town, where there’s little in the way of overtaking, it was quite the opposite. Here, the transmission “shifted” through its seven steps in a fuss-free fashion, and while I didn’t quite manage to match Honda’s claimed figure (6.1 L/100 km),. The 7.34 I managed was still respectable. A brief spell of stormy winter weather also unearthed a chink in the Elevate’s armour. Although the interior seems well-insulated against road and tyre noise, strong gusts of from the Southeaster saw noticeable wind noise permeating the cabin, especially around the A-pillars and side mirrors.
Getting reacquainted with a vehicle (for a long-term test) that has previously been put through our stringent road test regimen is always a pleasure, and the Elevate was no exception. In a segment where it faces more than a dozen competitors, the Elevate is a worthy consideration for families looking for a tall-riding crossover/SUV with solid build quality, a generous amount of standard convenience and safety kit, oodles of space, and a comfortable ride; all at a palatable price point. In addition, there is no denying the appeal of a naturally aspirated Honda engine and, notably, the standard warranty spanning five years or 200 000 km.
Find the full report in the September issue of CAR Magazine.
