Honda Freed MPV receives a gentle facelift in Malaysia

The Honda Freed is a compact premium MPV developed specifically for Japan and Southeast Asian countries.

The mini MPV was launched back in 2009 and is on sale in Japan, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong. The MPV is available with varying seating capacity of 5, 7 and 8 seats depending on the markets.

For 2013, Freed has received a minor mid life refresh in Malaysia. The facelifted compact MPV's front grill features a bold chrome strip which bears the Honda logo. The shape of the front grill is mildly altered and the front bumper is new with extra curves and contours.

The profile of the car is kept intact save for the new alloy wheels. The rear of the car too is almost the same except for the chrome garnish above the license plate enclosure.

Unlocking the doors, the top end E variant gets leather upholstery and front seats get fold-down arm rests. The driver seat gets height adjustment functionality and the instrument panels adopt a different color theme.

Powering the mini MPV is the familiar 118 bhp 1.5 litre i-VTEC petrol engine Honda City users in India can talk volumes about. The transmissions are also the same 5 speed manual and 5-speed automatic as the City.

India is expected to get a compact MPV from Honda, along the lines of the Freed, which would be based on the Honda Brio.

[Source: Paultan.org]