Honda Freed

There were some confused looks a couple of months back when Honda Cars Philippines (HCPI) released information and images of their upcoming Freed minivan. Sleek and stylish as it maybe, the notion of having an Avanza-sized eight-seater for the Japanese market isn’t exactly newsworthy. At the time, we thought: maybe it’s a slow news day, or perhaps it was sort of a left-brained approach to market the all-new Jazz (coming to showrooms this August). Fast forward to now and bam! It suddenly hit us. The Honda Freed is coming to our shores locally. But before you start queuing up at your neighborhood Honda dealership, read on.
The fact that it looked sort-of quirky and oddball signified that it was a Japan-only car. However, with the price of oil continuing to skyrocket northward, Honda figured it was about time to, pardon the pun, free the people from the doldrums of a typical MPV. In terms of size, the Freed slots with the same bracket as the Toyota Avanza (it measures L xWxH at 4,215 x 1,695 x 1,715 mm). Unlike the Avanza though which is nothing more than a re-badged Daihatsu Xenia, the Freed is based off the Jazz hatchback. This means the Freed is a unibody, front-wheel drive MPV as compared to the traditional body-on-frame, rear-wheel drive configuration of the Toyota. And since it’s based off the Jazz, it’s only fitting that it also receives the same 1.5-liter 4-cylinder engine. The L15A engine has a maximum output of 118 horsepower and 144 Nm of torque—good figures since this powerplant utilizes Honda’s acclaimed i-VTEC engine technology. There are two transmission options available, a CVT or a more conventional 5-speed automatic. Honda Japan claims 16.4 km/L for the CVT and 14.0 for the automatic.
From the outside, the Freed certainly looks like a stretched Jazz. Even with the sporty variant already receiving 185/65 R 15 tires, it still looks tall, no doubt because it was designed primarily to ferry people. The Freed has a 2+3+3 seating configuration where the second row folds in a 60/40 ratio and the third row in a 50/50 ratio. The third row folds laterally ala Fortuner. If you’re quick to gripe, remember that the Freed is a people-carrier and not a compact hatchback. And in that respect, the Freed’s rear doors slide like a true van making access in tight spaces so much better than the conventional swing doors of the Avanza.
Inside, the Freed is decisively more modern than the Avanza with a split-level instrument cluster like the Civic. The gauges feature electro-luminescent lighting and automatic climate control can be specified. The Freed also has a true flat-floor in all three rows increasing leg and knee space. In addition, the dash-mounted shifter should further improve this. With Honda engineers knowing very well that the cheap interior trimmings is the Avanza’s weakpoint, the Freed will surely benefit from better fit and finish.
So when is it coming to the Philippines? Well, hold your horses first as the Freed was just launched in Japan a month ago. However, Honda insiders say that an ASEAN version will be built in Indonesia. Whether the decision to build it there is to scorn Toyota, we don’t know; but we do know that thanks to the AFTA the Freed could be priced at around a reasonable P 740,000 to a cool P 1,000,000 for the top-of-the-line version.
It seems that these tough times have pushed Honda R&D to concentrate on the sub-Civic level cars. Aside from the Jazz which will make its Philippine debut in August, its sedan derivative (City) will be unveiled in Thailand this September. The Freed will follow sometime in 2009.
It looks sort of a stretched Jazz. It's not really beautiful, but it works.
Honda knows that the Avanza's lacking in refinement and space utilization. They want to correct those with their Freed.