2005 Honda Airwave 1.5 VTEC
Honda’s Fit platform has been a big success, especially here in Malaysia. I am not sure if everyone knows this, but the Honda City and the Honda Jazz is basically the same platform, in a sedan and hatchback form respectively. The City is basically a Jazz with a boot. In Japan, the City is known as Honda Fit-Aria or Honda Fit Sedan while the Jazz is known as the Honda Fit.
The Fit platform also has an Station Wagon form, the Honda Airwave.
The car is known as Fit Wagon in Japan. It was just launched in April 2005 in Japan, so I don’t expect it to be available anywhere in local shores soon.
The Fit chassis has been extended by quite a bit to convert it into a station wagon. It looks much like a miniature version of the Honda Stream.
A sporty interior, very similiar to the Honda City and Honda Jazz interior. Expected since they come from the same platform.
Seats up.
Seats down. The back can fit a bicycle standing up!
This is a clearer view of the back of the wagon. I wonder if it could be converted into an MPV if you added extra seats at the back. Would be a good budget Honda MPV.
Anyway let’s get on to the technical specifications. The figures are very similiar to the Jazz/City.
Specifications
Engine Code: L15A
Engine Type: 1.5L VTEC 16 Valves SOHC
Engine Capacity: 1496cc
Bore x Stroke: 73.0mm x 89.4mm
Compression Ratio: 10.4:1
Max Horsepower: 110ps/5800rpm
Max Torque: 143Nm/4800rpm
Transmission Type: CVT Auto (with 7 Speed Steer-Shift for “L†grade)
Fuel Consumption (Japan 10-15 Mode): 18.0Km/L (FWD)
Exterior Dimensions (L x W x H): 4350mm x 1695mm x 1505mm
Interior Dimensions(L x W x H): 1930mm x 1390mm x 1250mm
Wheelbase / Ground Clearance: 2550mm / 150mm
Track (Front / Rear): 1465mm / 1465mm
Min. Turning Radius: 5.1m (FWD)
Kerb Weight: 1160 – 1190Kg (FWD)
Tyre Specification: 195/55R15 84V
The Japanese spec Airwave uses the same 1.5 VTEC engine in the Jazz VTEC and City VTEC here. i-DSI versions should be able to be introduced easily.
I think the Honda Airwave has the potential to do well here if Honda Malaysia could come up with a way to turn it into a 7-seater. It could be great as a competitor to the Toyota Avanza, which seems to be sweeping away the market. Honda also has no competitors to the Toyota Innova for the moment. Honda has alot of holes in the market segments to plug.
I will be posting photos of a Mugen version of this Airwave soon… so stay tuned!
July 10, 2005 @ 4:33 am
no i dun think so honda malaysia will ship that car to msia….coz they already have 7 seater,more sporty lookin-stream..so y they must produce another car to compete with their own car?..my view…unless the price abit similar like avanza..which is 60krm…which i think will not gonna happen…plus..msian market..they dont like wagon,touring car…i wonder y?….but the new model here in germany is the FRV…smaller then weird lookin HRV..but i must say..i does look beeindrücken!
July 10, 2005 @ 4:38 am
stream = expensive. they could make a cheaper 7 seater to serve the not-so-wealthy people market. heh. but yeah you’re right… honda has never been bothered with that market recently.
July 10, 2005 @ 8:55 am
For me, Malaysian market does not good for wagon segment. But Honda Malaysia can do something if they want to bring in the Airwave. First, they need to assemble it here, Alor Gajah plant. Secondly, follow the Naza’s move converting the Carens 5 seaters into 7seaters Citra. Third, called it a MPV instead of wagon. I like the look, have the Jazz elements. Not the City, some of my friends said it looks like ‘kumbang’ (beatle). I think it will work. If it’s here, i would like to own one. But just like the Jazz, duty is the main restriction to my intention. RM100k for Jazz. Quite a lot of money, not economical enough.(Although fuel consumption in iDSI is very good)
July 10, 2005 @ 10:20 am
awesome-looking car… wish they’d bring in this for a change
July 10, 2005 @ 11:49 am
its a nice lookin car..mybe can compete wif the smaller mpv.frm the back it looks exactly lik the new estima…paul r u sure this car usin the vtec engine?or mybe its i-vtec.erm paul can u send me ur email add..aku got alot of cars infos and photos…i got a pic of proton putra…the new one..they testing it in u.k i guess……btw this my email add…. adham.mazlan@gmail.com
July 10, 2005 @ 12:09 pm
Being a girl who knows and cares nothing for the technical specs, I think the butt looks damn good, but the side looks a bit too long for my taste. Nice looking car this one.
I like the Jazz too.
July 10, 2005 @ 12:48 pm
dont like big car =)
road in penang is darm small, car many, bike everywhere…
+ no confident to reverse side parking big car which is always needed =(
July 10, 2005 @ 1:29 pm
adham: it’s using a 1.5 SOHC vtec. though the 2.0 i-VTEC could be transplanted inside if someone wanted to. mugen managed to do it with the honda fit, calling it the Mugen Fit Dynamite.
July 10, 2005 @ 2:04 pm
I would think that this car would create a new segment in the market as it is a stationwagen. Although I think it is in a different segment as the MPV and the sedan, it would compete almost directly with the sedan segment and if this car is assembled in Thailand or Malaysia then Proton and the other makes better beware. This car packs the stuff that satisfies the basic needs or one could say more than satisfies the needs of an average size family. If this car can be priced in the bracket of RM85k-RM95k, I think it would sell well but it shouldn’t compete directly with the Jazz, Stream or the City in anyway. A difficult strategy for Honda to chart.
July 10, 2005 @ 3:40 pm
Actually..there are some wagon enthusiast in Malaysia. There are quite a number of ppl looking for 2nd hand AD Resorts…There might be a market here for the car
July 11, 2005 @ 2:45 am
no lar honda not gonna bring in lar … Edix also they dun wanna bring in knn!!! Paul, Anoder thing is why Msia car suma tarak SatNAv one ar ? cilaka !!! they exchanged it with big fugly ass mia player !!!
July 11, 2005 @ 2:52 am
Malaysia got no maps I think. Or all of the car manufacturers think we’re not worthy of this kinda things heh.
The Edix is available here, around 160K for the 1.7 VTEC and 180K for the 2.0 i-VTEC.
July 12, 2005 @ 1:46 pm
if you guys look carefully at the spec, its the same length as the city…now how big could that be? imagine this…honda city length with the height of a jazz
afaik, this wagon may be able to sell, i mean, there would be families scouting for some small mpv…the panaromic roof is really nice, and i think that’s the main highlight of the airwave….the jazz is too expensive and the city looks (unacceptable to some) lol, but if the airwave is to come in and it’s priced just a little bit above jazz, i think it would sell…imagine if it was a ckd unit like the city…if priced in between the city and jazz, it would sell too…jazz is over priced for a small car, what more for the current batches which are thai cbu units…the quality just isn’t the same anymore
July 12, 2005 @ 9:24 pm
Juz: the Airwave is around 4cm longer than the City… LOL!
July 13, 2005 @ 12:23 am
yakah..hehe soli my bad
4cm longer…abit only le 
July 23, 2005 @ 7:01 pm
hye paul! ^_^im one of the wagon`s lover..i `ve saw this car running in Japan..u,know “it`s very cool!! In real,she looks better!!U know..in japan,the youngsters prefer to buy used n big car..but,for the 30`s japanese,they more aware to buy a car that also performs good in its running cost,so the idea to buy a compact car is quite popular,and Honda Airwave is one of the solutions!!
August 30, 2005 @ 10:36 pm
Airwave looks kinda stretched out Jazz, which I like
since Im on the look out for a “mini” MPV for the family
hopefully HM will bring it in soon…
September 2, 2005 @ 6:08 pm
No la, such car won’t come to Malaysia. If Honda Malaysia bring in, it will affect the Stream model. Even the Edix model not under Honda Malaysia umbrella ma! I would to see HM replace the current Honda Civic model which is not “Kick” enough compare to the older model. But i like the City very much even though some call it kodok or kumbang, but it is better than Proton Gen2. The car so comfort, spacious and fuel economic. Anyway i expecting to collect my City within a week now. Bravo Honda! the Power Of Dreams.
September 9, 2005 @ 5:31 pm
I doubt HM will bring this in. Too bad coz the Airwave looks even better than the Jazz.I’m sure this will be winner if it’s CBD and priced in the 100k region. May be a wagon but most locals will call it a mini MPV instead. Airwave has the exterior looks to compete with Wish but not the interior or mechanics. Stream has always done badly in the market coz Wish looks so much better but I would still go for Stream. Interior is much, much more comfortable. That’s where we will spend all our time in anyway. Which is also why I convinced my wife to get City instead of Vios. It’s spacious and convenient with it multi-position bench seat that there’s no other sedan that can replace it, except the new Euro Civic! Now, wifey loves the City to bits and think the Vios looks “odd”. Living with the City will certainly change one’s views.
BTW, does anybody know when the New Stream will be launched? I need to replace my aging Prelude with an MPV but the current Stream is very near EOL. I hope it’ll get a fold-flat middle seat too the new Opel Zafira. Go Honda!
September 13, 2005 @ 12:30 am
Hmm….
I own a Jazz…. nice! but i like Edix (FRV) better!
Anyway… airwave…dont think it will do in Malaysia!
September 21, 2005 @ 8:39 pm
Emmmm…. A very nice MPV indeed. Should it can be imported to M’sia, then it will be the best selling MPV of the year… I love this car….. ;p
October 31, 2005 @ 10:27 am
Introduce this Honda Airwave into Malaysia, and let the consumers decide its reception.
I think there is a market segment that like Station Wagon, which is good for 5 passengers and some lugguage or goods to take around.
October 31, 2005 @ 4:04 pm
HM, pls convert to 7 seater, sell below 90k, i’ll get one……………
November 25, 2005 @ 11:32 am
look nice….come to malaysia first
December 12, 2005 @ 10:53 pm
If I am not wrong, the airwave’s back seats are like a sedan’s. Can’t decline backward and can’t shift forward. As such, even though another row of seats may be added, but getting in may be a problem. Unless the back row seats can be replaced and the two metal catches removed. It will be great if someone can do that.
December 14, 2005 @ 11:25 am
this car is damn good looking… have you guys checkout the mugen kit with airwave … what a looker….!!
December 14, 2005 @ 8:05 pm
damn!!! tiz is nice car which I ever seen… tiz spec nearly Honda Stream, tat front and rear lamp even interior more cool than Honda Stream… but I think tiz car more long than Stream tat’s make me little dissapointed.. but tat isn’t problem…
keep up goodwork Honda…
December 15, 2005 @ 5:17 am
i just placed an order today! Mugen Kit is good! But im customising my own kit! MISHIRE AIRWAVE GEN-1
December 28, 2005 @ 11:45 am
is it a new honda stream? or maybe the long version of honda jazz. But, the sky roof is very cool, i like it. Come to Indonesia first with 7 seater version, especially Jakarta.
March 6, 2006 @ 12:08 am
I feel that the Airwave is one of automobile’s best kept secrets. Far less costly than the Stream but still as roomy. maybe slightly less roomier but won’t be by far. of course unless you’re comparing it to the Odyssey. Airwave also features a panaromic glass roof, something like the LaFesta or 307SW. Style wise it also beats any other in its class hands down. Pretty damn cool front and end.
I haven’t been into one (dying to) but from what i can observe from spore’s roads , Airwave is currently the most value-for-money MPV. Must be parallel-imported though.
July 11, 2006 @ 2:31 pm
[...] The Honda Jazz has been very popular with Malaysians despite it’s high price tag due to it being a CBU imported from previously Japan and now Thailand. It was first introduced in early 2003 with the 1.4 liter i-DSI model which was fully imported from Japan. In 2004, it was updated with 1.5 liter i-DSI and 1.5 liter VTEC models fully imported from Thailand. Very popular with the ladies and even guys too. The Honda Jazz is known as the Honda Fit in Japan, and has spawned siblings like a sedan – the Honda City (called the Fit Aria in Japan) as well as a station wagon – the Honda Airwave. [...]
January 29, 2007 @ 1:29 am
Hi all. I’m a Malaysian living in Singapore. Been eyeing the Airwave since it was launched here (parallel imported). Most beautiful wagon ever. Need to replace my 91 Corolla as I travel back to Penang at least 3 times a year. I never thought of giving her up until I saw the Airwave. The baggage space will be most usefull when I balik kampung. And the looks….mmm…. nothing comes close.. I only worry if I have car trouble on PLUS highway or anywhere in Malaysia. Since it comes from the same platform as Jazz/Fit, can anyone tell me if engine parts are easily available for the Jazz/Fit. Does the Airwave share the exact engine/parts as the Jazz/Fit?
April 7, 2009 @ 3:14 pm
Why must it be called an MPV or must be a seven seater in Malaysia. Can’t it be a stationwagon with 5 seats as per the original specs. I believe that there is a market for a stationwagon in Malaysia. I believe that there are allot of contractor or businessman who are intrested. i am one for instance! Imagine a fuel saver with lugage room to spare. Well it will be most welcome if it were to assemble locally, Honda Malaysia has been locally assembly the city for years. Price it below RM100K, you have a winner. Btw there is no stationwagon on offer in Malaysia right now. A lot of mpvs, no point fighting with them. Btw airwave is not same class like avanza. The biggest obstacle i believe is getting the Malaysian goverment for green light….Proton is really pathethic dont know what those guys are thinking. We want stationwagon, they came out with arena. Cant they just follow the leaders(Honda,Nissan and Toyota). Saga hatchback, saga sedan and saga stationwagon, all can use comon parts… Look at Proton wasting money and resources, no commonality in parts look at the hatchback and sedan variant…poles apart
June 13, 2009 @ 9:59 am
honda awaive v steady but petrol consume 8.6-9.6, rarely 11-12 km/l.
some said can run 14-16 km/l.
my h/a has run 6000 km, why km/l so high?