I checked out the car in a showroom & although I didn’t want to talk about the omitted features, I will make two exceptions.
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Visited Magnum Honda, RMV, Bangalore, to have a first look at the Elevate. Opted for the morning slot (9-10 am) to avoid crowds. Surprisingly, we were the only ones at the showroom.
The displayed variant was the top-end manual in Red, and perhaps one of the cars employed for media test drives. The dealership had not taken an effort to clean the car thoroughly, resulting in fingerprint marks on the handles and interiors. A somewhat disappointing experience considering it’s a newly launched car on exhibit.
My observations are the following. I’ll skip what has been already discussed extensively (missing features, variants, reasonable pricing etc.).
- The Elevate sports a decent road presence and sleek design lines. While the styling did not evoke awe, it did not provoke disapproval either. The external components are overall well put together, except for the rather underwhelming, low-quality front grille. I hope there would be some aftermarket options for the grille!
- The doors feel satisfactorily hefty, although they lack the substantial thud seen on the German or Czech counterparts. Nevertheless, they outshine their Japanese cousins by an observable margin. I reminded myself that perceived quality does not invariably equate to structural resilience.
- The interior design prioritizes pragmatism over opulence. There’s little justification for criticism regarding the modest layout and discreet features. The display fulfils its purpose by delivering pertinent information without undue distraction – a refreshing departure from the trend.
- Seated behind the wheel, I was greeted with a comfortable and authoritative position. It’s reasonable to assume that long drives would be comfortable. Caveat: Please take breaks every two hours for the sake of physical well-being.
- The rear bench offers a similar, comfortable arrangement. The elevated middle seat appeared less uncomfortable than initial reviews suggested. However, extended journeys might prove tricky.
- The boot is expansive and can effortlessly accommodate three to four pieces of check-in category luggage.
I did not want to talk about omitted features, but will make two exceptions.
The three-point seat belt and a front parking camera are necessities conspicuous by their absence. While the latter can be easily added as an accessory, Honda seems to have cut a corner too much with a lap belt-only arrangement for the rear middle passenger.
Keyword: 6 things I noticed about the Honda Elevate top-end manual variant