Why I decided to go for Honda Elevate after test driving 25 other cars

Safe, big car. Great driving fundamentals. No super-desirable features amiss. Drab interior and small sun-roof.

BHPian Blueeyedboy recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hi everyone,

I have been a vociferous reader of team-bhp for a very long time but no proper posts till now. In that sense this is my first attempt at contributing something. Beyond a doubt this community has been instrumental in helping me arrive at a decision. This is my humble attempt to give back to the community to help all those who are in a similar predicament as I was.

Budget: 25 lakhs

Tested cars: 25. Only highlighting the ones from the same segment in this review; to keep things manageable and minimise confusion. Upgrading from a 2018 Baleno Delta Manual

Non-negotiable features

1) Safety - This is the driving factor behind wanting to buy a new car. The Baleno in all aspects was a perfect car for us in terms of space, ride comfort, brilliant engine (I like to drive on the higher end of the rev curve), smooth gearbox and low maintenance. However, a couple of highway scares led us on this upgrade journey. 6 airbags were a must, followed by NCAP ratings with a minimum threshold of 4 stars but including looking at the actual reports that NCAP publishes and looking beyond the stars (pun intended)

2) Automatic transmission - While I LOVE driving manuals, I wanted to relax in the Bangalore traffic and not be as busy. My past experience of driving automatics quickly led to the belief that the best of both the worlds (manual and automatic) can only be achieved through good PADDLE SHIFTERS thereby minimising pick up lag which is common in many automatics and somewhat mask or contain the rubber band effect

3) Sun-roof - Unfortunately for me, this comes along from my wife for whom this is absolutely a must have. The bigger the better. This would mean an inclination towards panoramic sunroof

Cars considered

1. Kia Seltos (NA and Turbo)
2. Maruti Grand Vitara (Strong and mild)
3. Hyundai creta (NA)
4. Volkswagen Taigun (both engines)
5. Škoda Kushaq (both engines)
6. Volkswagen Virtus
7. MG Aster (NA and Turbo)
8. Honda Elevate

Kia Seltos

Initially I found the variant combinations mind-numbingly difficult to understand solely because of the myriad of differentiation in features within the variants and the features being constantly changed with introduction and withdrawal of variants all the time. The Sales person we were talking to (Sahana from JSP Kia) was extremely helpful and super knowledgable and helped address this knowledge barrier. We tested the Naturally aspirated engines and the Turbo and quickly realized that both the engines are a hoot to drive being perfectly mated to DCT or ATs that offer a smooth acceleration. Turbo lag was very well contained; but I quickly realized that, I, as a driver prefer a stronger constant acceleration over a non-linear one (no matter how much a "push back in your seats" feel it offers). The Naturally aspirated engine in Seltos is extremely well refined and because of the ability to change driving modes which brings with it the benefit of a variable stiffness of the steering wheel; the overall driving package is very good. The panoramic sunroof and the premium interiors were just too good to ignore and so were the touches of ambient lighting and infotainment systems software aspects. While looking at this segment, and comparing with other cars people start talking about Bose speakers and Ventilated seats and ADAS, while completely ignoring the fact that these higher end features are not even available on the NA engine and the pricing inches upwards of 24 lakhs for these good-to-haves. I found this a main challenge in being able to trust Youtube reviews. Even when the Seltos is compared to other cars in the segment, most reviewers fail to address the huge price differences involved. Now the elephant in the room, is obviously safety. From a logical point of view it can be argued that after the GNCAP rating of 3 star, KIA made structural improvements that they advertised pretty well too; which may lead to a score inching towards a 4; but in absence of an actual rating and KIA's obvious unwillingness to send the car for an assessment, speaks volumes of their confidence. If KIA themselves are not confident about this aspect, no reason for me to trust them on their assumed 4 star claims (this claim was common across the total 3 KIA dealerships I connected with). Overall a great package though for people who are ok to compromise on safety

TLDR: Many desirable features not on offer with the NA engine. The Turbo, while great will lead to shockingly poor Mileages (I have friends who are consistently getting 5-6 kmpl in city) and the non-liner acceleration is not to my personal liking. Overall the package that might be desirable needs 25lakhs of budget, which is something I was OK with; but the safety was too difficult to ignore.

Maruti Grand Vitara

Lets get one thing straight. I LOVE Maruti. I have bought a total of 5 of them and know their workings in and out and would refer them to many in many circumstances in a heartbeat. The Grand Vitara just falls short in two very critical areas for two very different reasons.

The mild hybrid - This is of course the famous 1.5 that underpins many of its cousins, like the Brezza; but the engine is shockingly underpowered. I know a day will come when I would want to be a sedate driver only; but today is not that day. I test drove it 4 times; because otherwise that's how compelling that package is! I am confident of this getting a 4 star in at least BNCAP; given the usage of the Breeza platform. The panoramic sub-roof was very much to wife's liking (and yes a huge amount of heat, filters in from the roof due to the flimsy cloth material used, which Maruti claims is from a Mercedes but the super powerful AC can counter this very well). The door handles and window switches were just reused parts from my existing Baleno and the rest of the cabin is just a Breeza (try to compare their cabins side by side and you would be shocked at the extent of part and design re-use).

But the biggest gripe was the engine and the transmission; to the point that the paddle shifters were pretty much useless. The engine does not have enough grunt. PERIOD. With me pretty much standing on the acceleration with 3rd gear at 80 kmph the car cannot accelerate at all while climbing a normal bridge. I tried this over and over again. While there are many compelling reasons to get the Grand Vitara; this variant and this engine is not one of them. Also, this variant, again, does not have MANY features because its not offered in the top trim at all. How disappointing! A 10 lakh Baleno gets HUD but not the 21 lakh Grand Vitara; but sure, lets get the switches from Baleno.

Strong hybrid - The dicky space was a complete disaster and the lack of paddle shifters ended this saga pretty quickly.

Hyundai Creta

The safety comments can pretty much be copy-pasted from Seltos. I liked the interiors and steering handling better in Seltos which is a personal choice perhaps. The feature spread was definitely better in the NA engine; since the missing desirables of Seltos were at least present in a variant that Creta offered in the naturally aspirated engine. The overall package was coming out to 22 lakhs; but we decided to not look beyond safety.

Volkswagen Taigun

Let me break the monotony and give a summary first!

SAFE, Small car, small sunroof, poor low end performance, thrilling turbo, outstanding build quality (no-one comes close) and most shocking discounts.

Let me start with the main issue. The car feels cramped and small compared to everything else in the segment. There is no denying this.

On the plus side, safety is of course a big fillip and you can feel that everywhere in the car. The door "thuds" like nothing else on offer and while you cant compare this with even the Virtus (even better build quality) or the older VAGs; this is still market leading.

The low-end performance and shocking turbo lag were major negatives but not something that I couldn't look beyond. Yes, it was a dampener but not a deal-breaker. The deal-breaker were the discounts on offer!! HUGE discounts! The discounts were so large; that it really gave me creeps about Volkswagen's play in the Indian market and their future plans; at the end we rejected the car primarily because of their desires to find an Indian partner; and the uncertainty of the future if they fail to find one. I don't want to invest 20+ lakhs in a car, to see even half of that money not coming back to me after 5 years when I decide to sell it. Also, yes, the suspension is hard; may not be comfortable at all for back-seat elders. All-in-all a sporty car, best driven on highways.

For those looking to buy, the Turbo lag is much less pronounced in the 1.0 compared to the 1.5 which makes it infinitely driveable in the city; but the overall car is just a "dead cat" that you are poking with your stick "accelerator"; before the turbo kicks in a; and then you realize that its actually a leopard that was just playing dead all along (when the turbo does kick in). This is not a positive

Skoda Kushaq

We liked the cabin design more than the Taigun and the suspension just tweaked better. Rejected for the same reasons as above. Also, the AC is not for India in the 1.0 turbo, at least in the test drives that we did.

MG Astor

My god what a car! Why doesn't this car sell !!! Just because its MG??! Super premium interiors; amazing sunroof, great safety and did I mention "PREMIUM INTERIORS". Everything in the cabin (except the laggy ICE ) is super-premium to touch, hold, feel and look-at.

The engine is a major bummer though! The NA is super under-powered and the lack of paddle shifters meant major lags. I wish the car does better in the Indian market. Yes, the under-thigh support in the backseats is a major challenge but the engine is good enough for sedate drivers and I certainly love how it looks. If anything came close to the VAGs build quality it is certainly the Aster. But, its also true that the Chinese influence is unmistakable. Be it the poor ICE or the unimaginably tacky robot in the center console.

The Turbo is a different story though. Super peppy and responsive; so engine issues eliminated. Overall package 23, sweetened with discounts to 21. But the AC in the Turbo unit that we tested was a major issue. This seems to be a consistent complaint and also MG is not manufacturing the Turbo's anymore; its just old stock. This was confirmed by 2 dealers. Due to the low mileage (5-6) it seems there are no takers for this with respect to the MG brand. I was afraid that this car might stop production. Also, the feature upgraded that MG Astor got in the 2024 version hasn't come to the Turbo since they are not manufacturing it; otherwise we would have considered it very seriously even overlooking the Chinese aspect. BTW, everyone I turned to for advice, had a poor impression of MG just because of the "China company" tag. It does not do justice to the product.

Honda Elevate

First impression - What a boring car! Why are the interiors so bland? Why is the sunroof so small? Why isn't Honda launching more cars?

The test drive of the CVT was impressive with no major issues, quick acceleration and a very useful lane watch camera. The car responded very well to the paddle shifters and overall visibility and driveability was to the point. Safety-wise; since its on the Honda city platform, I am extremely confident of the 4 stars; and perhaps a 5 too; because of the inherent advantages of the SUV design; notwithstanding the odd "point deduction" rules of the recent tweaks in the GNCAP rating system".

However, as a package it didn't stand out.

But after having tested everything in the same segment, a segment below and a segment above (remember that our budget was 25 lakhs which meant that a compelling variant of the XUV700 was in scope too); we came back to the Honda showroom on Hosur road.

This time I asked for a longer drive on NICE road; and that was the best decision till now. (note: All cars that I considered seriously, were also driven at length on NICE road). Here is my two pence of the Honda elevate:

• Could not stop smiling end to end while on the highway; I didn't have this feeling on anything I looked at till now. Take the car beyond 4000 rpm; or drop a couple of gears on the CVT Paddle shifters and the car becomes a bullet on wheels! How does a car go all the way to 7000 RPM and be completely driveable at that!! The engine is such a gem to drive and the smooth linear acceleration was very much to my liking. For the thrill seekers; since the car does such high-revs comfortably, a brisk overtake is as simple as a couple of clicks of the shifter. In every other car in which you do this; you would feel a jerk; because of the sudden rev-shifts; but precisely because this car goes to such high-revs and because its a CVT; it does that smoothly with a noticeable grunt in the engine but devoid of a jerk making the ride smooth. The Elevate offered the smoothest ride and the more balanced suspension among everything we drove. All in all, this is a great engine for a sedate driver; and this is a great engine for those looking for more performance. Of course, its not as thrilling as a Turbo; but the Turbo spooling effect was very unnerving to me.
• The lane watch camera is extremely useful and that fact that it triggers on the ICE along with carplay when you indicate a left turn on your stalk is very very useful. For wide cars this means you always keep a lookout in the left without having to turn your eye away from the front.
• Butch exterior looks which renders a clear SUV-isque character. Looks wise, both me and wife like this the most.
• The adaptive cruise I feel is usable precisely because it reacts early enough. This means that you are aware, well enough in advance, whether the adaptive braking is going to engage or not instead of playing a guessing game till the last moment. Also, I don't see the following mentioned prominently anywhere; but I hope its common knowledge that the sensitivity of the ADAS engagements can be changed from the system settings.
• The audio is outstanding in my humble opinion; specially the low frequency bass response. I saw many contradicting opinions on team-bhp about this and I respect all those; but I felt it being better than the premium branded speakers offered by many others.

Coming to the downsides.

The NVH levels are high, yes, but not high enough that you hear them over the music system and I cant recollect when was the last time that I drove without having music on. Having said that, I plan to do door and engine bay damping after I get delivery of the car. The total negotiated cost of this with double sheets is 15k. Will report back on the results after doing this.

And lets talk about media and Youtube's favourite line with the Elevate: Missing features.

Primarily in my comparisons these are: TPMS, Ventilated seats, Electrically adjustable seats, 360 camera.

I didn't find a need for TPMS till now. I am buying the ventilated seats accessory from Honda which I felt had better effect than the poor airflow offered on some other cars.

For a single driver car, electrically adjustable seats mostly are used to move the seat forwards or backwards; which is faster done manually.

Grapes are sour? Maybe. But honestly, most of these features are offered by competing cars at a much more premium value and are certainly not must-haves in my humble opinion. What "IS" must have though; is reliability, safety and a great engine that is fun to drive for 6-7 years (My Baleno was fun to drive upto the very day I sold it; never got bored with it). I do not feel the need for a 360 camera at all; and for many drivers out there this is true. Is it common for those who own cars with 360 degree camera to use them a lot after the initial "getting used to" period? I didnt feel a need for them personally.

Yes, the sun-roof is small and interiors super boring; but the fundamentals are strong and I am not compromising on any major aspect like I will have to with any of the other options.

TLDR:

Seltos: Has Bells and whistles but will mean compulsory turbo resulting in a big price hike and poor mileage; has a great engine and a good interior design but safety concern in a 25 lakhs is not justifiable to me

Creta: Has all the features that one can think of; will buy the car the day it can show a 4/5 star BNCAP/GNCAP rating

Grand vitara - Great car with the backing of Maruti's super reliable service network and after-sales but the engine is a major let -down.

Volkswagen taigun /Skoda kushaq - Uncertain india plans, turbo lag very pronounced, cramped cars

MG astor - Questionable resale value, safe, feature packed car, thrilling CVT Turbo but poor Naturally aspirated engine. Market perception of "China company" among everyone I asked for an opinion in my network. I don't agree with this personally.

Honda Elevate - Safe, big car. Great driving fundamentals. No super-desirable features amiss. Drab interior and small sun-roof. Overall no major compromises and clearly a "Man maximum, machine minimum" approach even with ADAS

Will be taking delivery of my car next week. Honda Elevate ZX-CVT R-edition. Could have taken a non-R but a factor fresh car is better than an older stock; for a little bit more money.

I think Honda Elevate's market positioning is: Sometimes doing everything well is more important than excelling in one and failing in others. While this is not ideal; this is where we are with the exit of Ford (and yes, I blame Ford for this )

To end - "The force is strong in this one"

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