Honda, for a long time, has been in this phase where the brand is refraining from trying anything radical. At least that’s been the case for all the Indian-spec models. Take the Honda City and the Amaze sedan for instance, while the rivals are throwing all sorts of crazy design cues and a boatload of features into their offering, Honda has chosen to stick close to its roots, making a car that just works. As the automotive world is going through this rapid transformation, it feels like Honda is being left behind. Enter, the Elevate, a brand-new nameplate for Honda.

An all-new mid-size SUV aiming to bring a breath of fresh air to the company’s ageing line-up has now found itself out of the frying pan and into the fire as it prepares to fight in the toughest segment in the Nepalese automotive market. With rivals like the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Skoda Kushaq, Volkswagen Taigun, and a whole lot more, the Elevate couldn’t have found itself in a tougher spot. Well, we have the keys to the Elevate and we are here to find out if this car can give everyone else a tough time.

We will start with the looks

A glance is enough to tell you that the Honda Elevate looks the most mature compared to all its rivals. In a sea of cars that are trying to look different by trying out all sorts of things… curvy outlines, wildly designed elements, split lights, futuristic styling and whatnot… the Elevate, much like every Honda looks mature… traditional. This isn’t bad at all, we happen to like that a lot, especially given the fact that this sort of traditional design tends to age very well.

Up front, you get a massive grill with the Honda logo front and centre. No split headlights business here; you get a single neat headlamp unit with integrated LED DRLs with a thick chrome strip that connects to headlamps on opposite ends. Underneath the headlamps are your fog lamps on blacked-out housing and finishing the front fascia is a chunky scuff plate at the bottom and that is it. It is simple and hassle-free.

Moving to the side, you get a proper SUV silhouette, none of that floating roofline coupe effect here. The traditional boxy SUV feel comes to life here and we love it. You get roof rails, large windows, and thick cladding at the bottom. This SUV sits on 215/55 tyres with 17-inch alloy wheels that are designed to be decent and handsome without being wild. At the rear, the traditional affair continues with and well sculpted tailgate, a classy tail lamp design, and a chunky cladding at the bottom to finish the look.

Overall, if we were to put a human analogy on cars, the Elevate looks like the eldest sibling who has been through struggles and hardships and becomes a bona fide, responsible figure to the younger wild child who only wants to have fun. You could also say that the Elevate looks like that one corporate friend who is always dressed in business formal, ready for a meeting, no matter the time or place.

The Elevate is designed in such a way that it feels fresh, but not too fresh, it looks like it’s always channelling its inner executive, always ready for business. And we have no problem getting behind that. We quite like it.

 The inside of the Elevate is function over form, a classic Honda.

You are not going to be distracted here by 60 different ambient light colours. The Elevate has a cabin that mimics its exterior, it is simple, solidly built, and just works. You get a cabin that is neatly laid out and finished in a beige and black colour scheme. The variant we drove came with all-black fabric seat upholstery which isn’t anything to write home about, the top-end variant however, gets a sweet brown and black interior with leatherette seat upholstery. We would also want to take this moment to request all companies to provide us with the highest variant for reviewing purposes as it draws a clearer picture of what to expect from the vehicle.

Getting back to the cabin, there’s tasteful use of piano black trims on the gearbox console and between the AC vents, and silver trims around the vents and climate control unit to further liven up the cabin. For enthusiasts who still like physical buttons for volume and climate, we loved that the Elevate had both of the controls physically integrated into the console.

Coming to the gearbox console, you get space for cups, a place to keep your phone which also houses a wireless charging pad and a trio of rather shallow storage slots surrounding the handbrake which could have been designed to be more useful. Other storage spaces include bottle holders on each door, seatback pockets, a decently sized glovebox, and a large 458-liter boot that can house all your luggage for the family weekend.

The front and centre of the variant we drove was an 8-inch infotainment screen with physical buttons on the side that felt like an aftermarket unit but higher variants will get a proper 10-inch unit. This unit comes with all the functionality of any modern-day car and can even operate wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. You get a partially digital driver’s instrument cluster that displays all the necessary information, the digital bit is sharp to look at and smooth to operate.

Coming to the driver’s seat, it comes with plenty of adjustment, but it doesn’t slide back as far as we would have wanted; taller drivers could find it difficult, especially on longer drives. The visibility on the other hand is great. You get steep A-pillars, large windows all around and a sunroof for an incredible view out making way for a very confident drive.

The seating on the back is adequate to house 3 adults with comfort even on long journeys, no complaints here.

Let’s hit the road

The Elevate drives like it looks. It feels mature, pulls at a steady pace, holds the revs quite well and makes for a comfortable, hassle-free drive. In a suburban environment, the Elevate does a really good job of navigating through the annoyingly narrow roads and bumper-to-bumper traffic thanks to a great view out and light steering.

Out on the highway, the Elevate feels planted and hefty like a full-size SUV, revs happily, and drives unfazed in a way that boosts the driver’s confidence. If you want to take matters into your own hands you can even shift to sports mode, rev high and use paddle shifters to change gears, squeezing out a thrilling drive.

The Elevate does an amazing job ironing out all the bumps and potholes on the road, the McPherson Strut with Coil Spring front and the Torsion beam with Coil Spring rear suspension setup soaks up everything without letting much feedback into the cabin. NVH levels, however, could have been improved. Braking duties are carried out by ventilated discs at the front and drums at the rear.

A trump card for the Elevate is the best-in-class ground clearance of 220mm. Simply put, you don’t have to second-guess driving over a bad patch anymore. Just place it correctly, give it some beans, and voila, you are through. In our review, we drove over obstacles like we were on a pick-up truck, bear in mind though, that the Elevate is an FWD, so if you get stuck, you get stuck.

You get proper driving aids and a safety suite to further assist you as well. You get things like a blind spot camera, which is weirdly, only on the left side. You get up to six airbags, ABS with EBD, VSA Electronic Stability, Traction Control, and many more to ensure you and your family have a safe journey.

Let’s close with numbers. The Elevate is powered by a 1.5-liter petrol iVTEC engine mated to a 7-speed automatic transmission that makes 121 horses and 145 Nm of peak torque which can propel this 1280 kg car to a top speed of 160 kmph. To conclude, the Elevate is a solid driver, bringing Honda’s wonderful driving dynamics to make for an easy, fuss-free everyday commute.

Let’s talk price

The Honda Elevate starts at Rs. 59,20,000 it comes in a total of 8 variants with the highest one going for Rs. 80,50,000 which is similar and sometimes lower than the competition. So, to conclude, the Honda Elevate builds on what Honda is already known for, a no-nonsense car that looks decent and prioritizes function over form, a car that is reliable, free of weird quirks and features, characterized by tradition, and built to age better than its rivals. Like always we advise you to make a well-informed comparison yourself but we firmly believe that Elevate has earned its right to be on our handpicked list of some of the best mid-size SUVs on the market today.