LATEST: Honda Freed Review – first impressions in Indonesia
Honda Japan has added one more vehicle to its line-up, the Honda Freed MPV. Based on the Global Small Platform which underpins cars such as the Honda Fit as well as the Freed’s more boxy cousin the Honda Mobilio/Mobilio Spike, the Honda Freed is powered by the new L-Series 1.5 litre i-VTEC engine (118 PS at 6,600rpm, 144Nm at 4,800rpm) mated to a CVT gearbox with a torque converter as its start-up device. It has 3 different seating configurations: a 5-seater, a 7-seater (2,2,3 with second row captain’s seats) and an 8-seater (2,3,3).
The Fit platform’s innovative flat floor allows maximum interior space to be used (Honda claims to be able to carry a 27 inch bicycle without taking off wheels or handle bars), and Honda says the 7-seater seating layout allows any passenger in any row to exit via any door thanks to a “walk through layout”. Looking at an image of the 7-seater interior seating configuration found after the jump, they are probably right as there is a clear empty space between the front two seats as well. The 8-seater version uses a 60:40 split fold bench for the second row.
The dashboard gets Honda’s latest two-tiered design, with both speedo, RPM and multi-info display located at the top deck nearest to the windscreen for easier visibility. The lower deck hosts the air conditioning controls and the gear shifter. Smack in the middle of the two decks in a rather high position is the 2-DIN player – a high position like this could allow the rear passengers to view it easily in case an in-dash LCD screen with DVD player is installed.
The front suspension design is of the MacPherson strut layout while the rear is a H-shaped torsion beam to minimise interior intrusion of suspension components. The Honda Freed uses an Electric Power Steering system, and safety features include ISOFIX points for child seats, optional Vehicle Stability Assist, and a maximum configurable option of 8 airbags including front, side, curtain and third row side airbags. Certain models have HID headlamps, but all lenses are reflector lenses.
As Honda model offerings are regional, the Honda Freed is not likely to make its way anywhere to the ASEAN region unless the Japan office gives the green light. The Honda Fit is sold over here as the Jazz, but you could say the Jazz platform-derived Mobilio looks too boxy for regional tastes. The Honda Freed is a new execution of a Global Small Platform car that can carry more than 5 people with design cues that should be very acceptable here.
More images after the jump.
VIDEO: Honda Freed MPV
After dabbling for years in the IT industry, Paul Tan initially began this site as a general blog covering various topics of personal interest. With an increasing number of readers paying rapt attention to the motoring stories, one thing led to another and the rest, as they say, is history. An avid electronic gadget aficionado as well as big-time coffee lover, he's also the executive producer of the Driven motoring TV programme.
The exemplary hybrid design of the Jazz and the Accord. Starting to love Honda’s creative ideas lately…
nice model. looks fully geared towards a family oriented car. I suppose those extra features for the disabled are optional. Too bad if it were to be a 1.8 instead… so is it going to be in Malaysia?
We can expect the new Perodua MPV having the same concept as this Honda Freed. Myvi/Boon/Sirion/Passo/Justy platform elongated into a mini MPV. Can’t wait to see it.
Honda just launch the “Freed” about 1 week ago in japan, well respon from the market, it will same as “Fit” as well, maybe the Malaysia office will bring in this model like what the HM done before, the Civic Type R. I think should receive a good respon from the market.
Well done HONDA, well done freed.
They already have the airwave right? The extended and elongated Fit/Jazz actually.
yes, now even great grandma and great grandpa can come along holiday trips too……
if got room left, mummy’s little Poochy can come too!
Can we compare this Freed with Merc A180?
airwave is a station wagon, not an mpv. it has no option for 3rd row of seats.
Will the latest generation of Honda City share any of Freed DNA, that would be super cool. 1.5 i-vtec… hmmm… 1.6 i-vtec sound better…
it’s one of those good japanese sushis which areavailabl only to Japan
For you dog lovers….this may interest you: http://www.honda.co.jp/dog/
Looks encouraging if Honda Malaysia brings it in.
Looking for more competition on car based 6/7 seat Compact MPVs. Something just one size smaller and once class cheaper than the Stream and Wish.
Right now, there’s only the aging Citra and the Grand Livina. I could use some competition and choice in the 80k range. A 1.5/1.6/1.8 is good. Works against the oddly thirsty 2.0 in the Citra.
Perfect!
a bit of B-class, a bit of Serena, and a a bit of Honda……
NOT NICE AT ALL……
stuck a model in between Jazz and Stream (or Oddysey) is not a good idea….
hopefully this is not the sequel to the nightmare of Mercedes Benz Vaneo…..
Good interior with two tier dasboard and roomy headroom. The exterior also look good like estima(bullet head). I will put my money if this 1.5 V-tec selling at RM 90K.
Overall better than our Nissan Livina and Toyota rush/avanza/innova.
Honda, please bring in your “freed” MPV.
almost like the stepwagon with different look
I like this a lot. I never like people carrier, but I like this one. Can put 2 bicycles in. How much will this cost in Malaysia. Please bring it to Malaysia!
This car should be introduced in Malaysia then we can see an interesting fight between Freed, Livina and Avanza…
fight against avanza…
with rising fuel prices, this is a very wise move by honda… other car manufacturers would do well to follow.
Paul pls tell Honda Malaysia to bring in this model with competitive price .It’s look so cute .Hope our government reduce the tax to let more people get their dream cars / transports.
Actually the price of cars / transport in Malaysia is very expensive compare to US , Europe or middle East .Eg let say our RM4000/month ‘ Car prices- Waja =RM60K, persona =RM40K-50K , Merc /BMW =RM200-RM600K, Subaru+RM100 ,proton BLM /Saga RM30K ++
In USA income USD4000 ;car prices Subaru = USD 13K- USD30K
In UK income 4000Pound/month , car prices , Waja /Persona =6-7Kpound………….example only For more info can get from web.
Thanks
the rear looks like Mazda MPV and Toyota bB…rite?
everything about the car is perfect until the pic of the rear appears….
they could have made it better looking at least…….the front is awesome, and i like the practicality of this MPV….low CC = good enuf to carry ppl around and not consuming too much.
[quote comment="166251"]Actually the price of cars / transport in Malaysia is very expensive compare to US , Europe or middle East .Eg let say our RM4000/month ' Car prices- Waja =RM60K, persona =RM40K-50K , Merc /BMW =RM200-RM600K, Subaru+RM100 ,proton BLM /Saga RM30K ++
In USA income USD4000 ;car prices Subaru = USD 13K- USD30K
In UK income 4000Pound/month , car prices , Waja /Persona =6-7Kpound………….example only For more info can get from web.
Thanks[/quote]
You should count yourself no one bash you for your comment. Try post it in the Exora's thread. You will be sad.
odd looking design..but nice interior(bolehla)
If you read the problems Honda Freed had in Singapore due to instability.
They have risen the height of the car while keeping the width dimension, believing the rigidity was good….but..taking corners on this is like driving a lorry in Kenari 14" rims.
This isn't a car for outstation, long drives….it's slow city travelling like Citroen Berlingo – Renault-Kagoo segments..
where the money goes from S$65-70k, I would have gone for a Honda stream RSZ instead, or trusty durable old Toyota Wish….
wow I love it …
Tell me when it 'll be coming to Indonesia…
I want to buy it as fast as It come…
It's really good 4 the fammily…..
How much 4 the price ?
Just tell me when Honda Indonesia'll sell it?
wow it's look like a baby alphard…
i really love it….
When it'll be coming to Jakarta Indonesia….
i want to have it and i must buy it….
I love it…..
But it's that expensive as alphard from toyota ?
Faster come to Indonesia…. My lovely Freed…..
Ha…I reckon the price is gonna be steep in Malaysia. There is no reasonably good price for a reasonable good MPV from Honda and Toyota.
To BatuDelima
1) You have to be able to specifically state your comparison – i.e to which country? All is not gold there, e.g: while prices of cars mayB low, but their insurance are HIGH, not just car insurance but accident/medical insurances. etc
2) Never been to US, but then again, do you think it is easy to earn 4K in UK with current economy?
3) To all those car-modifying lovers, M'sia is consiered a heaven for car accessories… in Europe don't even think about adding those rainguards. might b penalized if not 'inform' authorities
4) Besides buying, maintainance and repair is the next important thing. Here U can go to ANY workshop anytime as you fit, there it is the other way around. Even if your car KO in the middle of the road, you have to make an appointment with the mechanic.
So, although I partially agrre with you that prices might be "cheaper" there but I suggest that when you make a comparison, do not directly convert 1 GBP to RM6, but compare 1GBP to RM1, which is more reasonable. Take for instance, what can you buy in TESCO for GBP50 compared to RM50….. of course a whole lot more. So when you buy, say a Ford Focus (about GBP 20K i think ) of course it is "cheap" there, but remember that besides insurance, their road tax will also increase, based on CO2 emission (which I assume would increase as part of wear&tear of the engine)
So there is pros and cons of M'sian car industry, but I would suggest a more constructive and reasonable argument.
hurmmm….
no body complaining about the engine thought…
1.5 vtec, 118 pps & 144Nm…
no underpower ka..??
off course..it's a honda, nobody yelling…. :p
Hello from Singapore,
Please feel free to check out Freedclub.org where our members post everything about our Freed pros n cons……
The best feature that my family liked about Freed besides the awesome interior space especially the central aisle so we never have to fold the second row seats to access the third row is the power sliding door. Both my aged parents finds it so easy getting in and out of Freed, even in very tight parking places.
Do not worry about the power, it is a Honda!
Do not worry about the FC, it easily does 16km/L (my old Wish is 12km/L).
Do not worry about cornering, if you like to corner at 120km then this car is not suitable for you. You have talent to be a F1 driver! This is Freed1 that lets the driver and passengers enjoy a safe and leisurely drive.
Do not worry about interior space, compared to the Stream this Freed is a big river without obstructions.
Cheers,
Willy
how much the price of this vehicle…. It's really fantastic
wah alus pisan emang uy uing ge kabita hayang lah lamun aya anu gratisan mah hihihi 237 juta cenah mah karek bulan juli 2009 di indonesia luncur tuh cenah mah top markotop uy
Honda just release Honda Freed to Indonesia auto market by June 29, 2009.
Its a seven seater MPV. The price from Rp. 237 Mills (RM 81,724) up to Rp. 257 mills (RM 88,621).
(1 Ringgit Malaysia = 2,900 Indonesia Rupiah)
Saw the Freed in Indonesia. Looks better than the picture. Its big and tall. I have asked Honda malaysia when we are getting it cos my wife's Honda is due for a change.
This car seems borrow a lot of concept from Toyota Raum and implemented lot of new nice feature on it.
I am currently using Toyota Raum 2004 and I love this Honda Freed now. it si really freed me out. I want to throw my old car away but I will wait for a couple of years to get the price down a bit.
Please advise when will Honda Freed lauch in Malaysia. It's seem better than Toyota Rush.
Honda..
Good in design, space allocation,.
but,It use City/jazz chassis.
Suspension same?
if yes, it might bumpy like City/jazz does.
MAHAL!…EXPENSIVE!
just saw it in singapore with the 2-2-3 sitting position. very impressive use of space and much more headroom than the stream. the dual sliding doors are very convenient too.
When will Honda freed coming to Malaysia? How much on-the-road price?
Heard Freed is coming to Malaysia.
Price is slighty more than Jazz.
I think it's far more expensive than that. Could be more expensive than civic though.
tried call honda, even them also dunno about this.. is it rumours only? if not when… ?
the car will be launched in the first quarter of the year. dont know the exact date but it's confirmed that it will be available m'sia.
how much honda freed?
yup…how much?
I had sold my TOYOTA YARIS S-Limited 2006 and now I've been waiting for my new Honda Freed since 13 Feb 2010. I choosed Freed because It's a HONDA. My opinion HONDA is better than TOYOTA for its product quality.
How bout fuel consumption? If better than G/livina, i'll consider…
from our s'pore friend..fuel consumption is bout 16km/liter..not bad at all for a 1500cc car with 7 seater!
Stephen said,
February 15, 2010 @ 1:41 am
I had sold my TOYOTA YARIS S-Limited 2006 and now I’ve been waiting for my new Honda Freed since 13 Feb 2010. I choosed Freed because It’s a HONDA. My opinion HONDA is better than TOYOTA for its product quality.
___________________________________________________________________________
On what basis do you make such judgement?
i love both Hoda & Toyota…but u cannot say Honda is better…if Honda is better, it shld have included in the top 10 brand of the world….but Toyota did….haha…don’t simply judge….friend…
Honda Japan better than Toyota Thailand… is it ?
Only stupid Malaysians will buy it, fugly car, no style , no power, even looks worse than the fugly DUGONG.
RUSA new model
any info about on rear air con?
haaaahaaaaaa….alza eventually beat all…go-go alza…..
haaaaahaaaaaa….still credit to my alza la….
dont worry!!! proton mpv…(exora) will be come with new update model end this year…. ermmm….that's….EXORA 1.8 turbo…. latest news from somebody lorrr!!!
heard from malaysia honda dealer that this unit might cost at approx RM115k
wah…s0 cute n beautiful… i like the red 0ne… s0me0ne plz buy f0r me…
How about the petrol consumption..
i saw it on the trailer today…. it looks nice in real… very nice..
This car was awesome.It got a sport car style, but the back is look same as Perodua Alza.Anyway, I think that Freed is the first sport car looks of MPV…
not bad, of coz front looks better, i like the convertable back seats..haha…can be 2-2-3, 2-3-3..like football…4-4-2..haha
HONDA is the best la..ppl give negative comment on this car coz they cant afford! they cant match with those ppl that can afford this FREED in terms of spending power.
Honda is good but not the best…their suspension cant beat Toyota forever !!!…
i just saw this afternoon in kuching near batu 12 jpj.actually on truck..maybe on its way to sibu..& bla….mybe next week (i guest)honda freed will lunch.its cover by plastic rear and front lamp…just a bit kontot..dont knowla..see it soon…
who cares weird kontot looking? it’s honda, dares to change.. proved by city.. it has state to the art appearance.. everyone knew honda quality.. fr..e….e…………….d
i want 2 buy this. very kempettive car. honda can be power
its officially out in malaysia 2day. 1.5. rm112,980 n it looks freakin awesome! thinkin of buying it but worried about d maintenance. is it fairly inexpensive to maintain a 1.5 honda?
this car design is solic but cc 1.5 is no enough to support, the price is too hight ,no need to consider ,i propose better buy nissan livina value than this cars .
perfect ! wonderful ! confortable ! i like…………
perfect ! wonderful ! comfortable ! i like…………
This car is rubbish !! serious !! The power door if u left open with the car turn off engine, ur car will out of batteries very fast !! just like u forgot to off ur light after u parked ur car !!
In this case you need not worry about a flat battery, as someone would probably have driven away your car… Lol
sure under power..enjine 1.5
On the road already … saw it near 1Utama …
1st impression … wahhh … why the back shape like Alien … hehehe …
but very smart … like it!
It is very headache to me, WHY when it came to Malaysia the price MUST be over RM 100K++++++++++. Compare to other country the price is between RM80K ~ RM95K. Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy ???
OTR RM11xk too expensive. Better choose Honda Civic…
Salam from Brunei.
Bought the black one, the sales person doesnt need to convince me to buy it ..hahaha love on the first sight ..i like the practicality of it..drove for 2 days, to bad i’ve to go on vaccation for 10 days.. I’m in KL right now.. Where can i look for freed accessories, been to Bandung and bought the rubber mat and chrome fuel tank cover.. Cheers
HOPE HONDA BRINGS THE FREED MPV TO INDIA, IT IS SURE GOING TO ACHIEVE VOLUMES IF IT DOES SO AS THIS VEHICLE IS A PRACTICAL VEHICLE WHICH SHOULD SUIT THE CITIZENS IN EVERY WAY – THE VEHICLE IS STYLISH, HAS THE NECESSARY POWER AND PERFORMANCE.
HOPE OTHERS LIKE ME ARE ABLE TO SOMEHOW CONVINCE HONDA INDIA TO LAYNCH FREED MPV IN INDIA
like interior.. especially dashboard and flexible back sit. only the 1.5cc looks not worth with the price.. no complain about 1.5cc to carry the body.. only the price
no wonder more people choose livina