Made-In-India Honda Elevate SUV Launched in South Africa; Check What's Different

The Honda Elevate has been formally launched by the Japanese manufacturer in the South African market. The starting price of the SUV stands at R 370K (approximately Rs 15.92 lakh) and it is anticipated to take the WR-V's place in the country. However, the car has been introduced in just two variants: Elegance and Comfort. While the Elegance trim has a CVT automatic gearbox, the Comfort trim features a six-speed manual gearbox. The manual gearbox boasts a claimed fuel efficiency of 15.31km/l.

On the other hand, the CVT transmission has a claimed fuel efficiency of 16.92km/l. The SUV, designed and developed in India, has been a major sales driver for Honda Cars India for several months now. Since its debut last year, the automaker has gradually expanded its distribution of the vehicle into other international markets, including Japan, where it is marketed under the moniker WR-V. In addition to the Elevate, Honda India provides the Amaze and City (branded as the Ballade) for export to South Africa. Several other international models from the brand comprise the Civic, the BR-V, the CR-V, the Fit or Jazz, and the HR-V.

South-African Spec Honda Elevate SUV: Design

The Elevate's external design hasn't changed all that much. The vehicle is equipped with an electronically adjustable single-pane sunroof, a large blacked-out grille, fog lamps, an upright and tall bonnet with ridges, and LED DRLs incorporated into the headlamps. Additional design features can be seen in the form of 17-inch dual-tone alloy wheels, shark fin antenna, rear spoiler, L-shaped LED taillights, and black cladding on the outside and inside.

South-African Spec Honda Elevate SUV: Interior Layout and Feature Set

Honda has made just minor interior modifications to the South African-spec Elevate, adding black leatherette seats, a black steering wheel, and a black gear lever. Regarding features, it has an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system (10.25-inch in India-spec model) that supports wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. It also sports a multifunction steering wheel, six speakers, cruise control, four power windows, a wireless charger, six airbags, and a digital MID unit. Meanwhile, the Elevate is not equipped with ADAS technology, which is available in India.

South-African Spec Honda Elevate SUV: Under the Hood

Mechanically, the 1.5-litre naturally aspirated (NA) petrol engine in the recently launched model is the same as the India-spec Elevate. The motor is good enough to churn out a maximum torque of 145Nm and 119bhp of peak power when combined with a CVT or a six-speed manual gearbox. It's further interesting to note that the maker is providing a standard warranty of five years or 2,00,000 kilometres.

Indian-Spec Elevate: Key Details

When it comes to our market, the Elevate is offered in four trim levels: SV, V, VX, and ZX. The pricing range for it starts at Rs 11.58 lakh and goes up to Rs 16.20 lakh. Both prices are ex-showroom figures. The Hyundai Creta, the Kia Seltos, the Volkswagen Taigun, the Citroen C3 Aircross, the Skoda Kushaq, the MG Astor, the Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder, the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, and the Mahindra Scorpio Classic are its rivals here.

The features include an electric sunroof, a semi-digital instrument cluster, cruise control, a multifunction steering wheel, and a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Advanced driver assistance systems, or ADAS, are also available with automatic emergency braking, automatic high-beam assistance, adaptive cruise control, and lane-keeping assistance.