Honda Elevate vs City: Real-world Performance Family Feud Comparo

The Honda City and Honda Elevate share much more than meets the eye. The latter borrows the sedan’s platform but takes on a proper boxy silhouette for its SUV demeanor. They even share the same powertrain options and now that we’ve tested both the models, it's time for a real-world performance comparison. But first, spec check:

Spec check

The 121PS 1.5-litre petrol engine is common between the two and so are the two transmission options: 6-speed MT or CVT. Both are driven using the front wheels only and the only disparity between their powertrain lies in their claimed fuel efficiencies, which are mentioned below:

Honda City: 17.8kmpl (MT) | 18.4kmpl (CVT)

Honda Elevate: 15.31kmpl (MT) | 16.92kmpl (CVT)

Performance

*Note: This was the pre-facelift Honda City. That said, there are no changes to the mechanicals or specifications of the facelifted City.

As expected, the difference between the real-world performance numbers of the Honda City and Elevate is negligible. In theory, City should’ve won the sprint from 0-100kmph, thanks to a sleeker body and lesser weight (by approximately 100kg). But wet weather conditions saw it crossing the mark just slightly behind the Elevate’s time of 12.35 seconds. 
Also Read: Need For Speed Maruti Edition: 5 Quickest Maruti Cars We’ve Ever Tested

The same story followed in the quarter mile and 20-80kmph kickdown time. But the Elevate outperformed not just the City, but its entire segment under the braking test. We even took the manual City’s distance, recorded in dry conditions, under consideration. And yet, the Elevate is in a league of its own.

Verdict

Picking one between the Honda City and Elevate, solely based on straight-line performance, is harder than we thought it would be. There’s only a couple of tenths (give or take) to separate the two based on pure acceleration, and that too is likely to be even less if the City’s test conditions were dry.

Also Read: Honda Elevate: India-spec vs Japan-spec Model Compared

Yes, the Elevate does outperform the City under braking, but that’s it. It’s pretty clever what Honda has done with these two: offering near-identical performance, wrapped in different packages. Ultimately, you won’t go wrong with either of them.