Spending the last day of the week in the office is hardly anyone’s idea of fun, isn’t it? You sit there, aimlessly scrolling through the web on your laptop, finding it difficult to get anything done at all. A shiny little object on your desk captures your attention. It’s the key to your Honda Elevate, and it’s made the decision for you. No more pretending to work. It’s time to set off, even if into the unknown.
It helps that going camping was on your radar anyway. So be it. What’s to fear about the journey, or the destination? With the Elevate, you can hit the road free of every worry. It’s just you and the SUV that unlocks the world for you.
As we hit the highway, the Elevate settled into a rhythm, its refined petrol engine complementing its plush cabin. You know how some days just let you know you’re in for a great driving day, right? As civilisation thinned in our peripheral vision, driving the Elevate took us into a state of perfect solitude. It felt therapeutic, a true treat to the senses, as we put the i-VTEC engine to work while the suspension worked its magic, giving us a super smooth ride.
Even as we transitioned to the countryside, we weren’t sure where our day would take us. It wasn’t a discomforting feeling, though. Cocooned in the inspiring cabin, our imagination was free to come up with any kind of adventure. Were we going to end up in a different state? Or up a mountain? With the Elevate’s composed and confident stride, we’d gladly accept any outcome. It’s just the kind of SUV that makes every kind of journey so much more enjoyable.
Indeed, as the roads carved along the mountainside got twistier, things took an instantly fun turn. The Elevate’s muscular snout hunted down every corner with aplomb, its 1.5-litre i-VTEC engine eager to arrive at the next one. And when we realised we were having too much fun and not admiring the spectacular scenery around us enough, we simply eased off. Then, the creaminess and versatility of the engine came to the fore, helping us glide across as we gasped at our impossibly beautiful surroundings.
Later in the day, even as the roads entirely disappeared, the Elevate gave us nothing to worry about. It feels robust and built-to-last and, before you ask, safe. Very safe. The Elevate features six airbags – including side curtain airbags – ISOFIX compatible rear side Seats, Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) with Electronic Stability & Traction Control, ABS with EBD, Automatic Headlight Control with light sensors and, brilliantly, a LaneWatch camera, which relays a real-time visual of vehicles behind you onto the screen, making life on the road that extra bit safer. Our hero of the day, however, was the Hill Start Assist feature, which made light work of a particularly tricky incline layered with gravel as we approached our campsite.
The Elevate also, most importantly, features Honda SENSING, a suite of ADAS features which uses a high performance front camera with a wide-angle and a far-reaching detection system. This includes a Collision Mitigation Braking System, Road Departure Mitigation System and a Lane Keeping Assist System, among other assists, which go a long way in ensuring safety – of your SUV and of you and your loved ones.
As sunset approached, we’d arrived at our campsite, an elaborate perch nestled in nature. It had been a rewarding drive and the campsite, fortunately, continued on that theme. As we extracted our camping gear from the Elevate’s spacious boot, a sense of excitement enveloped us. We were to spend a pleasant night under the stars, a crackling bonfire to keep us warm, and in perfect isolation from the world. The Elevate already looked at home, handsomely dusty after a day of adventuring; it is a proper SUV, after all. One that lets you discover, explore and create your own adventures. Just as we had.
When you have an SUV that’s comfortable and just so encouraging of travel, going just about anywhere becomes a really memorable thing. Isn’t that the kind of motoring life we all aspire to? The Elevate really is a wonderful kind of SUV. One that transcends, both, the journey and the destination. Here’s to many more adventures!
