2023 Honda Elevate

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To be announced soon.

2023 Honda Elevate Teased

Honda is preparing a new model for reveal. This is the 2023 Honda Elevate SUV that will be revealed in early June 2023. Here’s what we know so far.

Honda’s teaser video (at the bottom of this article) shows a new SUV called the Elevate. Based on our assumptions, we reckon this Indian-built SUV will be positioned to take on the Kia Seltos, Toyota Urban Cruiser and Hyundai Creta.

The brand has confirmed that the 2023 Honda Elevate will be a global model, with India being the first market to receive it. We understand the Honda Elevate will be riding on the same platform as the 5th-generation Honda City/Ballade. It’s fair to assume the powertrains from the sedan will be carried over too, and as a reminder, its a 1.5-litre naturally-aspirated petrol engine with 89 kW and 145 Nm. City/Ballade customers have the choice of either a manual gearbox or CVT.

This segment of the market is booming, both in South Africa and India. India is rapidly becoming a powerhouse for manufacturing and export of new vehicles.


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2023 Honda Elevate Review - Team-BHP​

Honda Elevate Pros
• Smart styling with the right amount of muscle and clean lines
• Reliable and proven 1.5L i-VTEC engine is rev-happy & delivers adequate performance
Pick between a slick 6-speed MT for some engagement or a super-smooth CVT Automatic for effortless urban commuting
• Superbly tuned suspension! Comfortable ride quality with sorted handling

• Clean interior design with good cabin space. Has a big 458L boot too
• Honda's proven reliability and after-sales service should ensure a fuss-free ownership experience
• Safety features include ADAS Level 2 tech, 6 airbags, hill start assist, lane watch assist, ISOFIX and ESP

Honda Elevate Cons

• 1.5L NA offers satisfactory performance, but the competition offers way more powerful turbo-petrols and faster dual-clutch automatics
• CVT is great for urban commuting but out on the open roads, it's more suited to a sedate driving style
• No diesel or hybrid powertrains on offer. Competition offers both for those with high-running. We can't figure out why the City's wonderful Hybrid system wasn't adapted for the Elevate
• Lots of missing features by current standards. You don't get auto wipers, ICE with a subwoofer, a 360-degree camera, a powered driver seat, ambient lighting and more
• Lacks the feeling of "contemporariness" or the "wow" factor, be it in styling, powertrain, features & technology
• Honda Sensing ADAS system is intrusive at times on the highway; requires the driver to adapt to it and be comfortable using it

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Detailed review with many more exterior & interior photos:

 
New Honda Elevate locked in for South Africa!

The new Honda Elevate – a crossover based on the Ballade platform and built in India – has finally been confirmed for South Africa. Here’s what you can expect…

It was only a matter of time, wasn’t it? Yes, the new Honda Elevate has finally been confirmed for South Africa, with its local launch date set for the 2nd half of February 2024.

Revealed back in June 2023, this new crossover is based on the Ballade platform and built alongside that sedan (which is also known as the City) in India. Interestingly, it’s the first Indian-built Honda product to be exported to Japan, where it – rather confusingly, we might add – wears the WR-V badge.

Here in South Africa, the Elevate is poised to compete against the likes of the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Toyota Urban Cruiser and Suzuki Grand Vitara, though it’s not yet clear exactly where Honda Southern Africa will position the newcomer in terms of pricing.

So, in broader terms, where will it slot in within Honda’s crossover line-up? Well, the new Elevate measures 4 312 mm from snout to rump and has a wheelbase of 2 650 mm. That makes it 313 mm longer than the WR-V but 178 mm shorter than the BR-V. It’s also worth noting the Elevate is quite similar in size to the HR-V, which measures a mere 33 mm longer.

 
This should do well if it will be competing with the Seltos , Urban Cruiser , Vitara etc. Honda just needs to get the price right.
The 2023 HRV is overpriced .
 
The Honda Fit starts R37k more than a Toyota Urban Cruiser, they're going to have to work some magic to get this one into the right price bracket.
 
Means its R60k more than the Breza Vitara - so thats even more work.

Funnily enough the Urban Cruiser is cheaper than the Grand Vitara by R5400. The Brezza has been discontinued since mid last year.

The shared Suzuki/Toyota models are the outlier though as they're always cheaper than the competition.
The Elevate is similar in size to the Hyundai Creta 1.5 and Kia Seltos 1.6, both around R458k and R466k so I'd imagine the Elevate will slot in between the Grand Vitara and those.
 
Funnily enough the Urban Cruiser is cheaper than the Grand Vitara by R5400. The Brezza has been discontinued since mid last year.

The shared Suzuki/Toyota models are the outlier though as they're always cheaper than the competition.
The Elevate is similar in size to the Hyundai Creta 1.5 and Kia Seltos 1.6, both around R458k and R466k so I'd imagine the Elevate will slot in between the Grand Vitara and those.
Yes, I thought the Urban Cruiser was discontinued as well. I know they did sell a lot of them (with loads of irony)

Grand Vitara is head and shoulders above the Brezza which means the Urban Cruiser is not worth the R5k savings.
Not sure how they will sell an Indian Honda in that market with all the competition.
 
Honda Elevate (2024) Price & Specs

The new Honda Elevate has yet to officially hit the market in South Africa, but we’ve managed to unearth local pricing. Here’s how much you’ll pay for what will effectively replace the WR-V…

The new Honda Elevate was recently confirmed for South Africa. Now, ahead of this fresh-faced crossover’s official market launch, Cars.co.za has unearthed local pricing.

In addition, we’re reliably told that the new Elevate – which is set to enjoy its local market launch on 23 February 2024 – will effectively replace the WR-V in Honda Southern Africa’s range. For the record, just a single unit of the WR-V (which launched here in November 2020) was registered in SA in January 2024, suggesting local stock has already virtually run dry.

So, how much will this new crossover cost you in Mzansi? Well, according to our information, the local Honda Elevate range will comprise just 2 derivatives at launch. The line-up will kick off with the Elevate 1.5 Comfort, priced at R369 900 – that’s R27 400 above the entry-level Toyota Urban Cruiser (R342 500) – and fitted with a 6-speed manual gearbox as standard.

For those not keen on rowing their own gears, the Japanese firm’s local division will also offer the Elevate 1.5 Elegance CVT, which is set to come in at R429 900. This variant, of course, will employ a continuously variable transmission rather than a manual cog-swapper.

How much does the Honda Elevate cost in South Africa?

Honda Elevate 1.5 Comfort – R369 900

Honda Elevate 1.5 Elegance CVT – R429 900

We expect the new Elevate to ship with a 5-year/200 000 km warranty and a 4-year/60 000 km service plan (with intervals of 15 000 km).

 
Honda Elevate (2024) Launch Review

How much the Honda Elevate costs in SA (Feb 2024)

The new Elevate ships with a 5-year/200 000 km warranty and a 4-year/60 000 km service plan (with intervals of 15 000 km).

Honda Elevate 1.5 Comfort R369 900
Honda Elevate 1.5 Elegance CVT R429 900

Summary

The Honda Elevate is a solid effort from the Japanese brand. This small crossover segment is (still) booming and, seeing as the latest HR-V is more of a trendy/boutique proposition, Honda desperately needed a model to compete in the (forgive us) bread-and-butter compact family car sub-segment.

First impressions of the newcomer are quite favourable. We’re impressed with the Elevate’s combination of talents, plus its value-for-money proposition – especially of the entry-level 1.5 Comfort, which debuts at just under R370k. Chinese brands are still relatively fresh on the scene; for more conservative buyers, having a legacy brand name (and -badge on the grille) undoubtedly counts in the Elevate’s favour…

 
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