Driving Experience

The specs read unimpressively: torsion beam suspension, 1.5-litre non-turbo, and so on. But the Freed is a car that is more than the sum of its spec sheet.

Where it delivers on making a driver feel free is how it delivers on the road. In that typical Honda way, the Freed is a surprisingly fun car to drive, while at the same time being perfectly capable in the day-to-day. 

The 1.5-litre engine behaves like most 1.5-1.6 litre Japanese engines from time immemorial. Hit the gas and it responds gently, rev it more and it becomes a whine that becomes a wheeze. This is not criticism, since we don’t look at it from a purely performance perspective – it, and the CVT, are wonderfully suited to the job of urban driving.

On that note, the CarBuyer Team averaged 5.0 to 8.0L/100km, with an 80/20 highway mix clocking in around 7.0L/100km. The low-speed efficiency is improved slightly, by the addition of start-stop, but we lament the official availability of a hybrid version in this increasingly electrified age.

MPVs almost never put a premium on driving fun, but it feels like Honda’s engineers didn’t read the rulebook on the Freed. When you want to emulate Max Verstappen, the Freed doesn’t lay everything at your feet and give up the ghost, but does a great job of supporting the driver. It’s also quite refined, with less crash and shudder than the Sienta. On a long trip to Malaysia, the Freed has the edge over the Toyota.

The flipside to this is that Honda has left out active safety features entirely in the Freed, a contrast to the Sienta’s suite of active safety systems. We can see why – adding equipment literally inflates price – but in this case, it’s a significant omission.

Competition and Pricing

As small Japanese seven-seaters go, there’s only one real competitor here: the Toyota Sienta. Both have sliding doors, masses of headroom, flexible interiors, and room for five plus seven on short trips.

The Sienta has two main advantages: A very efficient hybrid system, and its active safety system, TSS (Toyota Safety System).

Accordingly, the Freed has two main advantages over the Sienta: It drives better, and is more refined, while it also has a slight edge in the flexibility of the interior. 

Conclusion

As a purely functional MPV, the Freed ticks all the requisite boxes. There’s plenty of space to accommodate people and things, as well as lots of neat little tricks throughout its very versatile cabin. It’s also a surprisingly decent drive, though its lack of hybridisation, as well as its less-than-comprehensive safety features do seem like major shortfalls.

That said, what the Freed also offers is the freedom of choice, and with it and the Sienta now available, family men looking for an affordable small seven-seater MPV now at least have the option to choose between two really rather attractive offerings in the market.

2023 Honda Freed E7

Drivetrain type	Petrol engine
Engine	1,498cc, inline 4
Power	130hp at 6600rpm
Torque	155Nm at 4600rpm
Gearbox	CVT
0-100km/h	11.9 seconds
Top Speed	178 km/h
Fuel Efficiency	5.9L/100km
VES Band	B / –
Agent	Kah Motor
Price	S$72,999 with VES and without COE (est. S$152,999 with COE)
Availability	Now
Verdict	Versatile and nice to drive, but lack of hybrid and safety systems is regrettable

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