Honda Elevate vs LEPAS L4

A proper head-to-head in South Africa — we cover price, performance, petrol economy, safety and what it'll actually cost you to own each one long term.

Honda Elevate in South Africa

Honda Elevate

1.5 Elegance CVT Petrol Automatic
ZAR 399,900 ex-showroom
⚡ 119 kW 🔧 145 Nm ⛽ 16.1 km/l
VS
LEPAS L4 in South Africa

LEPAS L4

1.5T Pantera 6DCT Petrol Automatic
ZAR 419,900 ex-showroom
⚡ 108 kW 🔧 225 Nm ⛽ 14.3 km/l
Add a 3rd car

At a Glance — Who Wins What

Performance L4
Fuel Economy Elevate
🛡 Safety L4
📦 Practicality Elevate
🔑 Ownership L4
L4 starts ZAR 369900 cheaper Elevate from ZAR 369,900 · L4 from ZAR 299,900

Key Specs Side by Side

The specs that matter most — highlighted where one car leads.

Spec Elevate L4
Engine Power 119 kW 108 kW
Torque 145 Nm 225 Nm
Engine Size 1498 cc 1499 cc
Claimed Mileage 16.1 km/l 14.3 km/l
Ground Clearance 220 mm 160 mm
Boot / Load Bay 458 l 458 l
Airbags 6 6
Kerb Weight 1240 kg 1346 kg
Seating Capacity 5 5
Warranty 3 5 years / 150,000 km

= leads in this spec

The Bottom Line

Both Elevate and L4 are extremely closely matched, making the final choice dependent on buyer preference.

Where They Actually Differ

Performance L4 +8 pts
Efficiency Elevate +6 pts
Safety L4 +10 pts
Practicality Elevate +9 pts
Ownership L4 +4 pts

What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)

Elevate

Strengths
  • Better fuel efficiency
  • More practical for daily use
Weak Spots
  • Less powerful engine setup
  • Less comprehensive safety features
  • Shorter warranty coverage
Best suited to: Fuel Efficiency Family Usage
🏆 Overall Winner

L4

Strengths
  • More powerful engine output
  • Stronger safety package
  • Better long-term ownership value
Weak Spots
  • Lower fuel efficiency
  • Less practical in daily usage
Best suited to: Highway Driving

Which One's Right for You?

Elevate

  • Buyers looking for better fuel efficiency
  • Large families needing more practicality and usability

L4

  • Drivers who prioritise strong highway performance and overtaking power
  • Families prioritising stronger safety equipment
  • Long-term owners valuing warranty and ownership peace of mind

Full Specs, Side by Side

Spec Elevate L4
Ground Clearance 220 mm 160 mm
Wheelbase 2650 mm 2700 mm
Width 1790 mm 1820 mm
Height 1650 mm 1635 mm
Seating Capacity 5 5
Boot Space 458 l 458 l
Towing Capacity 1200 kg 750 kg
Boot Volume 458 l 458 l
Fuel Tank Capacity 40 l 51 l
Gross Vehicle Mass Kg 1680 kg 1844 kg
Ground Clearance Mm 220 mm 160 mm
Height Mm 1650 mm 1635 mm
Length Mm 4312 mm 4406 mm
Width Mm 1790 mm 1820 mm
Number of Doors 5 5
Ground Clearance Min 220 mm 160 mm
Ground Clearance Max 220 mm 160 mm
Tare Mass Kg 1240 kg 1346 kg
Cargo Volume 458 l 458 l
Doors 5 5
Load Bed Length 458 l 458 l
Load Bed Width - -
Loadbox Length Mm 458 l 458 l
Max Payload - 498 kg
Front Track Width - -
Rear Track Width - -
Turning Radius - 5.275 m
Boot Space Seats Folded 458 l 1284 l
Front Legroom - -
Rear Legroom - -
Front Headroom - -
Rear Headroom - -
Front Shoulder Room - -
Rear Shoulder Room - -
Payload Kg - 498 kg
Turning Circle - 5.275 m
Turning Circle M - 5.275 m
Length 4312 mm 4406 mm
Kerb Weight 1240 kg 1346 kg
Seats 5 5
Loadbox Width Mm - -
Gross Vehicle Weight 1680 kg 1844 kg
Spec Elevate L4
Engine 1.5L i-VTEC Petrol 1.5-litre turbocharged inline-four petrol
Displacement 1498 cc 1499 cc
Cylinders 4 4
Valves per Cylinder 4 -
Power 119 kW 108 kW
Torque 145 Nm 225 Nm
Fuel System Multi-Point Fuel Injection -
Top Speed 180 km/h -
0-100 km/h 12.5 sec -
Engine Displacement 1498 cc 1499 cc
Engine Displacement Cc 1498 cc 1499 cc
Engine Power kW 119 kW 108 kW
Engine Torque Nm 145 Nm 225 Nm
Max Power kW 119 kW 108 kW
Max Torque Nm 145 Nm 225 Nm
Maximum Torque 145 Nm 225 Nm
Power 16 bhp 145 bhp
Engine Config 1.5L i-VTEC Petrol 1.5-litre turbocharged inline-four petrol
Engine Type Config 1.5L i-VTEC Petrol 1.5-litre turbocharged inline-four petrol
Engine Cylinders 4 4
Engine Valves 4 -
0–100 km/h 12.5 sec -
Acceleration 0 100 12.5 sec -
Power Assisted Steering Electric Power Steering -
Battery Capacity - -
Charging Port - -
AC Charging Time - -
EV Range - -
Motor Position - -
Motor Power - -
Motor Torque - -
Motor Type - -
System Output - -
Combined System Power - -
Combined System Torque - -
Active Exhaust - -
Engine Displacement Litres 1498 cc 1499 cc
Fuel Grade Required Petrol -
Engine Code - -
Engine Aspiration - Turbocharged
Induction - Turbocharged
Turbocharger - Turbocharged
Turbo Type - Turbocharged
Power @ RPM - 5500
Power kW Rpm - 5500
Torque @ RPM - 2000-4000
Torque Nm Rpm - 2000-4000
Compression Ratio - -
Cylinder Bore - -
Piston Stroke - -
Maximum Power 119 kW 108 kW
Cylinder Layout - Inline
Engine Type Inline 4 Cylinder Naturally Aspirated 1.5-litre turbocharged inline-four petrol

Overall Verdict Score

Decision-grade view of the winner, score gap and category strengths.

Weighted / 100
Verdict readout

L4 leads by 2 points

Both Elevate and L4 are extremely closely matched, making the final choice dependent on buyer preference.

Winner 62 /100
Lead 2 points
Data 90% confidence
62
#1 Winner

L4

90% data confidence 1 strong categories
Best at Safety 92 Check Performance 47
Performance 47
Efficiency 56
Safety 92
Practicality 57
Ownership 55
Leads by 2 points
60
#2

Elevate

95% data confidence 1 strong categories
Best at Safety 82 Check Performance 39
Performance 39
Efficiency 62
Safety 82
Practicality 66
Ownership 51
Performance 24% Safety 22% Practicality 22% Efficiency 17% Ownership 15%
Category leaders What moves the verdict
Performance L4 +8 Efficiency Elevate +6 Safety L4 +10 Practicality Elevate +9 Ownership L4 +4

Very close match. Final decision depends on buyer preference.

Why this score View full breakdown
Overall Winner

L4

Performance 47/100
Efficiency 56/100
Safety 92/100
Practicality 57/100
Ownership 55/100

Elevate

Performance 39/100
Efficiency 62/100
Safety 82/100
Practicality 66/100
Ownership 51/100

So, Which One Should You Buy?

🏆 LEPAS L4 wins with 62 pts vs 60 pts for Elevate

In structured scoring, L4 emerges as the stronger overall package. However, Elevate may appeal to buyers prioritising different factors. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your driving priorities in South Africa.

Buyers Also Looked At These

Other comparisons that people in the same boat tend to check out.

Questions Buyers Usually Ask

On our scoring the L4 edges ahead overall. That said, the right choice depends on what you actually use the car for — the breakdown above shows exactly where each one wins and loses.

Efficiency scores: Elevate 62 vs L4 56. In the real world, diesel variants of either car will beat the claimed figure on long highways and fall short in Joburg traffic.

Safety scores: Elevate 82, L4 92. Check each model page for NCAP ratings and which trim levels include AEB and blind-spot monitoring — those features aren't always standard.

Long-term ownership scores: Elevate 51, L4 55. Service intervals, parts availability in SA, and whether a service plan is bundled all factor in — check the individual variant specs for that detail.

Practicality scores: Elevate 66, L4 57. This covers boot space, seat flexibility, and day-to-day usability — not just interior dimensions on paper.

Performance scores: Elevate 39, L4 47. This looks at real-world pace — 0–100 kph, highway flexibility, and how either car feels when you actually need to overtake on an N-road.

Resale varies with colour, spec, and market timing, but Japanese brands — and Toyota specifically — have a strong track record in SA. Check current used prices for both on AutoTrader to see the real gap right now.

Ground clearance and 4WD availability are what matter most here. Scroll to the spec table above to compare both side by side — if either model offers a 4WD variant, that's the version worth comparing.

Fuel, insurance, and service costs are the big three. Diesel variants of both models typically save R800–R1,500/month in fuel at current SA pump prices. The L4 edges the overall ownership score, but check whether either variant includes a service plan — that changes the monthly maths significantly.

The L4 scores better overall, but neither car is a bad buy here. It comes down to what features matter to you — check the full spec table above to see exactly what you gain and lose at each price point.

In Depth — Breaking It All Down

The comparison between Elevate and L4 in South Africa evaluates performance, efficiency, safety, practicality and long-term ownership value.

Performance: Elevate scores 39 vs 47.

Efficiency: Elevate scores 62 vs 56.

Safety: Elevate scores 82 vs 92.

Practicality: Elevate scores 66 vs 57.

Ownership: Elevate scores 51 vs 55.

Final structured scoring gives L4 the advantage in this comparison.