KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- The Honda Elevate Black Edition is available in two paint schemes; Black, and Signature Black
- The Elevate Black Edition comes with a few extra features over the regular Elevate.
- It is based on the range-topping ZX variant, and it gets both manual and CVT transmission options.
The Honda Elevate recently joined the list of SUVs that are offered in a special Black Edition. What's interesting is that the Elevate Black Edition is available in two paint schemes; the normal Black, and a Signature Black paint scheme.
We had the car on our hands for a few days, and so we decided to put it through our multiple people test to see how it fares as an everyday family car. Before going into the details, make sure to join the 91wheels WhatsApp Community to keep up with the latest news and automotive updates.
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Honda Elevate Black Edition 4 People Review; Loading Up
The Elevate comes with a boot space of 458 litres, which is among the bigger ones in its segment. We loaded up the boot with one medium-sized suitcase, three night strollers, and a camera bag. The parcel tray can also be used to keep shoulder bags or other small stuff.
Honda Elevate Black Edition 4 People Review; Design
There isn't a lot that differentiates the Black Edition Elevate from the regular car, but there are still some notable elements. The Signature Black Edition comes with a Crystal Black Pearl paint scheme, along with black finish on the grille, roof rails, skid plates, side claddings, and the alloy rims. There are also some Signature Edition badges on the fenders, but the overall silhouette of the car remains unchanged.
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Honda Elevate Black Edition 4 People Review; Interiors
The Elevate Black Edition receives the familiar interiors from the regular Elevate, except they receive an all-black finish, which looks and feels quite tasteful and premium. While a little bit of red would've spiced up things a little, I am not complaining at all. The 7-colour rhythmic ambient lighting further keeps things entertaining in the cabin, especially when driving during the night. The leatherette upholstery feels of very premium quality when you touch it, and there are plenty of soft touch elements on the dashboard and the doorpads.
Talking of the space on offer; with Shipranshu and Bunny Sir in the front, I was actually rather surprised. With a 6-footer sitting just in front of me, I still had plenty of space to stretch out and be as comfortable as possible. There was enough legroom, and the rear bench offered good underthigh too. In fact, the cushioning of the bench also felt quite plush and comfortable, and the recline angle felt just about right.
With two of us in the rear, the cabin felt decently wide. However, things got a little tight with the addition of a third passenger, but even then, the cabin felt manageable enough for shorter, everyday city commutes.
The seats at the front are also comfortable and supportive enough for people of both large and average frames, and the controls from the driver seat are easy to access, everything falls to hand easily, and overall visibility is also good thanks to the large glasshouse.
Another interesting bit is the use of actual, physical buttons on the dashboard, which will be appreciated by those who are into old-school elements. This also helps because the driver and co-passenger will not have to rely on the the screen or take their eyes off the road.
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Honda Elevate Black Edition 4 People Review; Ride Quality
There weren't any major complaints in the cabin of the Elevate once we were on the go. The suspension feels decently set up; even though passing over bigger speedbreakers transfers a slight 'thud' into the cabin, regular road imperfections cannot be felt very much and we did not get thrown around much while tackling bad roads either. The air-con also performs well and cools the cabin well enough, despite the black treatment on this particular car all around.
The engine also feels quite refined, and overall NVH levels of the cabin are quite good. This is the same 1.5-litre, nat-asp petrol engine from the City, and it comes with either a 6-speed manual or a CVT. We had the manual on our hands, and the overall setup is quite tractable, carrying on with no jittering even with a full load of passengers and luggage. That said, the powertrain is not tuned for thrills or enthusiasm, but it does what you ask of it otherwise. Things do get rather loud if you hustle this car or try to make quick overtakes on the highway, but for regular driving, it more than does the job.
Verdict
The Honda Elevate Signature Edition does seem like a good option to consider if you really are okay with spending some extra bucks over the regular car. The black interiors look and feel properly premium, the ambient lighting panels can really jazz things up at night, and it carries people in comfort without much fuss. If you are fine with missing out on a panoramic sunroof or multiple engine options, the Elevate is certainly something that should be on your list.
