It might be a blink, and you might miss update, but the new Honda Elevate has surely become a better vehicle. In a sea of SUVs that promise you everything but the kitchen sink, the Elevate comes across as a breath of fresh air. Take the panoramic sunroof, for example. Something that everyone seems to offer, but a feature that is not used much over a period of time, unless you want to commit the larceny of your children popping out of it…but to be fair, Honda has added quite a few new features, all of which make the Elevate more accomplished than it already is.
Let us start with the exterior. The LED DRLs now have a connecting strip in the front and back, and thankfully they have not gone in for Chinese-style illuminated logos. The black cladding on the side looks good, as does the new design for the 17-inch alloys. A new 360-degree camera has been added, and we like the way the ADAS Level 2 features have been tuned for India, which the company calls Honda SENSING. This includes a very convenient feature called low-speed follow for the adaptive cruise control. You also get around 220 mm of ground clearance, which is sensible for a country like India, and 458 litres of boot space means you can carry your mother-in-law’s luggage as well.
The interiors also get subtle but useful upgrades. You have new ivory-black upholstery, though you can get full-black interiors with the Black Edition. With a 2,650 mm wheelbase, there is enough space at the back, though fitting in three adults in the back might involve some dexterity lessons. Two are comfortable, and they get aircon vents, USB charging ports and even ventilated seats. The only thing missing here is rear-window sunshades. In the front, there are many new features to play with. Now you get an 8-way adjustable driver’s seat (4-way for the co-passenger) and ventilation as well. The 10.25-inch infotainment comes with 8 speakers and decent-quality sound with wireless CarPlay and AndroidAuto. There is a PM2.5 filter to control pollution, and CVT variants get an electronic parking brake.
The powertrain remains the same – a 4-cylinder 1.5-litre making 121 PS of power and 145 Nm of torque. This can be had with a 6-speed manual or a CVT transmission, the latter adding paddle shifts and a rear disc brake. The CVT is more fuel-efficient than the manual, though it can make the engine scream like a Banshee on Halloween during hard acceleration. This one doesn’t like to be hurried. The ride quality is actually quite good, with a fair balance between comfort and handling, with bad roads being swallowed up easily. Safety has not been compromised, and all variants get 6 airbags as standard, and a suite of electronic nannies to keep you as safe as possible under most conditions.
The revised Elevate has certainly added many new features and improvements to its category, making it a worthy contender as the most sensible SUV in its class. You get all the features that you need, without the bloatware of useless gimmicks.
Prices start at ₹11.80 Lakh, ex-showroom.
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