What better way to truly put the Honda Elevate’s driving dynamics to the test than an adventure to Kolli Hills for a pure mountain pass driving experience
Story: Gaurav Davare
Photography: Sachin Kawankar
In an age where sport utility vehicles (SUV) are the dominant force, Honda took their time to bring out the Elevate in India and it looks like it was worth being patient. The SUV has gained attention for being a sensible and solid family SUV without needing to be too flashy, with its elegant design, spacious cabin, and an essential feature list. But what this SUV really prides itself on is that secret Honda sauce in the overall driving experience. The problem is, unless you’re on a racetrack, you can’t truly experience that pleasure of driving on city roads. So, to put that claim to the test, the Elevate will be my companion on a road trip to Kolli Hills.
Situated in the Namakkal district, a six-hour and over 300-kilometre drive to this hill station may be known for its breathtaking landscapes and numerous waterfalls around it. But the highlight is the Karavalli-Kolli Hill stretch leading up to the hill station. This road has an elevation of up to 1,200 metres and a whopping 70 hairpin bends; the perfect mountain pass for a driving enthusiast in India and of course put the Elevate driving dynamics to the test.
Before we got there, we had to escape the challenges of the everyday urban jungle. Bengaluru, our starting point, fit that challenge to a T, full as it is of numerous tight spaces and traffic gridlocks. Tackling all that with Honda Elevate was a breeze with impressive NVH levels, comfortable and spacious seats, and absolutely sorted ergonomics. Basic necessities kept me entertained with an easy-to-use 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a premium eight-speaker sound system, and a seven-inch MID.
Also helping things is the 121-hp, 1.5-litre, naturally aspirated i-VTEC petrol engine and the seven-step CVT automatic gearbox combination with a creamy smooth refinement and smart calibration to keep up with city traffic. The LaneWatch camera was also handy for getting out of tight spots. Overall, a perfect city runner.
Heading on to the highway, it doesn’t look out of place with a plush ride and the engine and gearbox combination allowing a smooth cruise. The Honda Sensing ADAS suite works at its best here with the Adaptive Cruise Control, Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS), and Lane Keeping Assist not being intrusive.
There was only one and the most important hurdle left to clear and the very reason for this adventure. This final 20-km stretch is a must-do for a driving enthusiast. The hairpins, thankfully labelled at every point, come at you one after another and it feels really rewarding attacking every winding road and incline, getting into the right line and gear for that optimal corner exit. Normally, one would try this in a performance machine or a compact hatchback, but the Honda Elevate proved the Honda magic that it has in its driving dynamics.
The steering felt absolutely accurate around the tight hairpin bends and weighed up nicely around faster corners with the slightly firm suspension damping contributing to very little body-roll for an SUV that sits quite high. The finely balanced weight distribution means vertical oscillations are well controlled. This set-up also soaked up broken roads without a hassle.
As for how the engine and CVT gearbox fared, being a naturally aspirated unit, it has a willingness to rev especially with the CVT gearbox, but it’s a soothing sound that adds to the pleasurable driving experience. You get to access the meat of this engine’s performance between 4,000 and 5,500 rpm where it has adequate poke to go up the hill. While the paddle-shifters on the seven-step CVT give you a sense of control, it manages to seamlessly slot into an ideal ratio for most scenarios. This combination felt smooth and easy to use and, overall, had me grinning from ear to ear.
Finishing off this final hurdle and heading into the peaceful hill-scape that is Kolli Hills soothed not only the enthusiast in me but also proved the Honda Elevate to be a jack of all trades. It is spacious, practical, has what you need in features, and is well-engineered with simple yet tried and tested mechanicals that allow sedate city driving, but also an exciting driving experience. Combine this with an excellent pricing point ranging from Rs 11.69 lakh to Rs 16.43 lakh (ex-showroom) and you have all the makings of a no-nonsense family SUV.
