On the 31st of July, 32 Advertlets bloggers had the privilege to preview the All-New Honda Freed, together with the renowned automotive blogger, Paul Tan of paultan.org and his teammate, Harvinder Singh. They shared some insightful tips on how to appropriately assess and test a car.
The Honda Freed, unveiled in April 2010, is Honda's attempt at carving a special niche in an untapped market segment of the automobile industry called the premium compact MPV. As a vehicle that offers both practicality and versatility, the Honda Freed is an exemplary introduction to the market and is an ideal choice for groups such as young, urban families. Offering up a range of unrivalled features such as dual automatic sliding doors, walk-through cabin and flat floor design, the All-new Honda Freed has made an impact on the automobile industry.
Under a creative marketing theme entitled '4-Seater + Ideas', the ultra-modern Honda Freed is capable of seating 7 passengers comfortably and offers a bevy of ideas to the occupants to suit any individual's driving needs. Today, there are already more than 300 units of the Honda Freed on the road. Honda Malaysia believes that their latest contemporary compact premium MPV will introduce great value to the market, as well as satisfying the demand for a stylish yet practical MPV.
The test drive route was mapped out starting at SOULed Out in Desa Sri Hartamas to Putrajaya Waterpark, covering a total distance of 80km, with 4 bloggers allocated to 1 Honda Freed. Everyone got the chance to experience the driving dynamics and the fuel efficiency of the Honda Freed with the drivers switching every 20km. This also meant that the bloggers got the opportunity to test the Honda Freed on both city roads as well as highway driving.
The bloggers gathered at SOULed Out for a briefing on the Honda Freed as well as the route information. Light refreshments were served as the Honda team went through the itinerary for the day while preparations were made for departure.
The 8 test units of the Honda Freed made available to the bloggers to drive.
The occupants of car no. 7, HanieHidayah, EricYong and me (Jason ambik gambar).
AAAAAAND THEY'RE OFF! (L-R: Mr. Toru Takahashi, Managing Director and CEO of Honda Malaysia and Ms.Monique Low, Head of Public Relations of Honda Malaysia)
The next stop of the test drive route was at Hentian Seri Kembangan, where the groups stopped for a short break as well as to perform a driver change.
A rear view of the Honda Freed w/ the both automatic sliding doors open.
L-R: Paul Tan, Monique Low and Harvinder Singh.
Great photo of the convoy, credits to Jason Ong AGAIN!
The day was not without its share of fun activities and games. Each Honda Freed was equipped with a polaroid camera and 2 cartridges of film, and a challenge entitled '4 Seater + Ideas' was carried out.
Objective: Using a polaroid camera and 20 slides of film, teams were to take creative shots using the concept of the theme '4 Seater + Ideas'. The 10 best shots for each team would be selected and there would be a chance to win prizes wooohoooo! Winners would be determined in 3 categories; Group, Individual and Best Fuel Consumption. Kudos to the organizers for keeping the day fun-filled and eliminating monotony.
Some of the polaroid photos, credits to Jason!
Here are some of the specification of the Honda Freed which basically is everything you need to know (and more than some LOL!)
4 Seater + Style
- Automatic Dual Sliding Doors with Remote Control for easy access
- Forward Tilting Hinge Front Door to avoid accidental knocks
- Easy Access and Low Tail Gate Opening for easy loading and easy access
- One Step Low Floor with Grip Assist for elderly and handicapped easy access
4 Seater + Technology
- High Rigidity Structure for better handling and stability on the road
- Suspension System with front McPherson Strut & rear H-Shape Torsion Beam
- Small Turning Radius of 5.2m
- Active Lock-Up System
- 5 speed AT and Drive by Wire
4 Seater + Space
- Walkthrough Cabin with a 200mm walkway for easy access
- Big Cargo Capacity
- 3rd Row Foldable Seats that folds up in 3 steps easily
- Flat Roof and Flat Floor creates more head room and cabin space
4 Seater + Observation
- Tilt Steering for different driver’s needs
- Multi Layer Meter Cluster display all necessary information
- Double DIN Stereo System with radio, MP3, CD Player + USB and AUX for iPod and other digital media players
- Foot Parking Brake
4 Seater + Safety
- JNCAP (Japan New Car Assessment Program) Rating at the highest of 6 Stars
- Dual Front SRS Airbags
- ABS: Anti-lock Braking System
- EBD: Electronic Brakeforce Distribution
- BA: Brake Assist
- Fuel Lid Auto Lock Safety System prevents the sliding door from opening fully when the fuel lid is open
- Shift Hold Control + Grade Logic Control
- G-Force Control (G-CON) Technology
4 Seater + Utilities
- Backrest Hook
- Glove Box
- Glove Box Card Holder
- Front Seat Back Pocket
- Illuminated Centre Tray
- Large Door Pockets
- Cup Holders – Total of 7!
4 Seater + Accessories (Optional Items)
- Tail Gate Spoiler
- Fog Lights
- Door Visors
- Cargo Tray
- Child Seat
- GPS Navigation
The bloggers headed back to SOULed Out for a debriefing, lunch and the prize giving session. Here are some of the photos.
The winners of the fuel efficiency contest.
The 1st runners-up of the group category (L-R: Paultan, Jason, Eric, me, Hanie and Monique Low)
In my opinion, the Honda Freed does very well in its respective category. Being a compact premium MPV, the Honda Freed does not lose out on space and due to its design, its capable of making the transition from carrying a full load of passengers or increasing storage space. Besides that, the 1.5 litre i-VTEC engine, which is capable of producing 118PS @ 6600rpm, produces a good balance between performance and fuel economy.
Also, the increased rigidity of the Honda Freed as well as the small turning radius of 5.2m makes maneuvering through the city and around corners a cinch. The high safety standards of Honda vehicles is showcased in the sliding automatic doors and the forward tilting front hinge doors. The new speed transmission technology ensures that the Honda Freed does not lose power or control while maneuvering around corners. Despite being slightly underpowered (which can be felt while driving on highways), I personally think that the Honda Freed performs beyond expectations and is in a class of its own.
Once again, thank you Honda and Advertlets for giving us the opportunity to test out such an exemplary and exciting vehicle!
PEACE OUT!
