Honda Elevate review: Spacious and a good car overall

Pippa Hudson speaks with Ernest Page, Motoring Journalist with changecars.co.za

Listen to the interview in the audio below.

The Honda Elevate is a compact SUV which replaces the WR-V in Honda Southern Africa’s range.

There are two models in this range, the Elegance and the Elevate.

Both the Comfort and the Elegance are equipped with an 8” Touchscreen Infotainment with Apple Carplay® and Android Auto™ Compatibility, Rear Parking Sensors and Multi-view Camera, Dual Front Airbags, and Keyless Entry.

The elegance has the additional features of an Electric Sunroof, Front, Side and Curtain Airbags, and Walk-away Locking.

The Elegance uses a CVT gearbox, which uses belts instead of gears and simulates and automatic gearbox.

This should save on fuel and lead to a smoother drive.

“Effectively it’s like a bicycle chain… it slides from one gear to the next.”

- Ernest Page, Motoring Journalist with changecars.co.za

Page says that normally Honda does this well, but they missed the mark on the Elegance, as the gearbox does not suit the engine.

He says that the engine is not powerful enough for the gearbox and he found this did lead to higher fuel consumption.

“Maybe once the car gets more milage it might be a bit more fuel economical, but I was a little bit disappointed.”

- Ernest Page, Motoring Journalist with changecars.co.za

He says the Elevate comfort, which uses a manual gearbox, is the better of the two despite slightly fewer features.

Despite the gearbox, he says the car is spacious, comfortable to drive and beats competitors in most areas.

The Elevate 1.5 Comfort is priced at R369 900, with the Elevate 1.5 Elegance going up to R430 000.