Honda Freed e:HEV HE7 Review

Our media drives with new models that hit the market tend to precede the point at which they find mainstream footing by a fair bit. But not even two days into our drive this time, a fellow third unit of the Honda Freed e:HEV has already been sighted - this one, in a soothing Fjord Mist Pearl, peeking its friendly face out at a surface-level carpark.

That both points are overlapping now feels like a testament of the excitement that has preceded the arrival of this special car - customers clearly are already sold on the idea of it, and eager to receive the keys as soon as possible.

'Special' may seem hyperbolic given how plain and ordinary the Freed has thus far been. But therein lies its superpower precisely: It's so sensible and universally appreciable that its ubiquity on our roads is rivalled by few; its name, the sort that even non-drivers would be familiar with.

If you don't drive one yourself, your neighbour probably does; if your neighbour doesn't drive one, you've probably hopped at least once into its spacious backseat. Till date, the mind can conjure only one other name that can match its specific promise of ferrying a three-gen family around with all the ease and economy of a compact sedan.

It's safe to say, however, that when the previous Freed officially landed early last year, it was… Rough around the edges. Two years on, the passage of time has worked its magic - and with its new styling and hybrid drivetrain today, the Freed e:HEV stands vastly improved, and far more appealing than before.

Rather than run from its identity, the Freed has leaned even more heavily into the boxy styling of its predecessor in this current generation

Charming box on wheels

Smaller MPVs are loved most for their practicality rather than styling, and while the new Freed won't set hearts ablaze with conventionally head-turning looks, its visual charm is still superbly winsome in its own, fresh way.

Much of this is due to how it has embraced its identity even more strongly. Its predecessor was pretty slab-sided to begin with - and rather than run from this, the new car doubles down even more cheekily in the same direction with an even boxier shape than before. Viewed from the side, it effectively resembles a rounded rectangle on wheels. 

Central to the car's new aesthetic is this eye-mask like strip up front, as well as the cuboid signatures of its taillights

The undeniable highlights here, however, are - well - the car's head and taillights, which give the new Freed its neat distinctiveness.

The oblong shapes of the former flank an eye-mask-resembling glossy black strip that could give Batman a run for his money, while the latter are even more intriguing: Stacked, rounded cubes arranged in a cage-like aesthetic that wouldn't have looked to out place back in the 1980s. 

Modern simplicity in a surprisingly spacious cabin

But it's not just neat styling that the Freed is banking on, for its thoroughly refreshed interior is equally inviting. As budget-oriented as the car undeniably is, its designers have done a fantastic job with the use of shapes, space and materials to elevate the overall pleasure felt when settling into the driver’s seat.

Carried by the same spirit of mixing the retro with the present, there is just the right number of modern-feeling screens (read: two) to give the dashboard a contemporary feel.

With its intuitive layout and vibrant colours, the Freed's new digital driver's display is pleasant to stare at for extended periods. Meanwhile, this aftermarket head unit is a surprisingly solid addition to the dash too, with its responsiveness and ability to support Android Auto and Apple CarPlay (the latter wirelessly)

The vibrant driver's display - far elevated over the previous instrument cluster with its Casio calculator-like digits - is solid proof that simple interfaces and intuitive layouts can still feel modern; there's no need to second-guess icons, nor fiddle too much to arrive at a certain desired function or menu.

Normally, gripes about an aftermarket head unit would also be valid - but the one fitted by Kah Motor here actually blends well into the setup, has a bright and responsive touchscreen, and most importantly, supports Apple CarPlay wirelessly. 

At the same time, the unbeatable utility of well laid-out physical buttons has thankfully not been forgotten.

The thorough retention of buttons actually works massively to the Freed's favour, since it makes the operation of basic functions such as air-conditioning or volume adjustment dead-easy

The clean and symmetrical manner in which they are arranged on the centre console is particularly praiseworthy, with proper dials still present for both temperature and fan speed (hurrah!). The driver now even gets to control the rear blower, while an electronic parking brake has landed in place of the more rudimentary-feeling, foot-operated one of its predecessor.

Best of all, all of the switchgear - including those on the steering wheel - feels robust and solid. While the lack of soft-touch materials and - confoundingly - proper mirror lights in the sunshades will still remind you of the Freed's entry-level positioning, it's hard to fault the fit and finish of the space up front otherwise.

The Freed continues to excel as a compact MPV with its array of storage spaces, and with the 60:40 split of its second row

Like any good MPV, the Freed also continues to revel in the game of fitting a smattering of storage and cubby spaces around its cabin, with well-placed cupholders dotting every row (there are three in front), and even new USB-C chargers integrated into its front seats. You'll never have to fear your second-row passengers bothering you, since their phones will always be fully charged.

And as with its predecessor, this new Freed remains the leader of its segment if strictly looking at passenger comfort.

The enduring, clever tumble-forward mechanism of the second row makes entry right into the rear a cinch. Once settled here, average-sized Asian adults shouldn't struggle too much for space too

As the powered doors slide open, the enduring 60:40 split on the second row that greets you (as opposed to a 50:50 one) means the middle passenger gets a properly moulded seat. Should two only find themselves here, a central armrest divides the space up nicely too. Additionally, the front passenger also gets their own armrest.

Even if you've lost a bet and find yourself relegated all the way behind, getting and settling in aren't harsh affairs. The tumble-forward seats make entry and exit a cinch, while the Freed's tall body means that even if shoulder room and legroom aren't outstanding, at least headroom is.

Capable and refined eco-warrior 

Whereas the previous Freed was arguably made weaker ultimately by its drivetrain, the new one that it uses now is an integral part of its excellence.

On paper, the 130bhp power output of this Freed e:HEV is effectively level with the 129bhp managed by its predecessor. But by weaving in some bit of electrification with the assistance of two new electric motors now, things couldn't be more different.

Given that the battery onboard is sufficiently charged, the Freed e:HEV is extremely happy to slip into EV mode. Its new e-CVT is also smoother and quieter than the CVT on the previous car

The slight kick of instant torque off a standstill immediately gives the car a sense of pep that the previous one thoroughly lacked. Best of all, those electric motors can be described as almost zealous: Ever-ready to provide a slight initial boost when you need to get the Freed up to speed, and then quite keen to take over light propulsion duties when you're coasting - even at our expressway speed limits.

Only a heavier mash calls the engine back to life, but even so, the new e-CVT mated to the car's engine is far smoother and quieter than before. Consequently, even in moments when the seats are filled all the way up till row three, the Freed never really feels like it's heaving to haul all the weight.

Alongside the improved drivetrain, other parts of the driving experience continue to shine quietly.

Though already an easy car to drive with its size and all-round visibility, the presence of driving assistance features such as adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assist (with lovely graphics to boot too) make life on the road even more so a breeze

Ride quality is impressive - and importantly, remains as such regardless of how loaded the car is - while the brakes are pleasantly and linearly weighted to give whoever's at the helm good confidence. P-plate drivers should already have nothing to fear given the Freed's size - but even then, the presence of ADAS features such as adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assistance (which work very capably, by the way), makes life on the road even more so a breeze.

For its minivan proportions, the Freed also actually handles decently, while its light steering is not completely devoid of feedback - although its noticeable slowness means that drivers will instinctively find themselves refraining from pushing it too hard. 

But perhaps most importantly for would-be drivers, the Freed delivers strongly on fuel economy. With no attempt whatsoever at hypermiling, our four-day drive with the car netted a consumption figure of 19.6km/L - exactly as claimed by Honda (this also means a range of over 800km on a full tank). 

Universal appeal - taken to even greater heights 

In the same way that watching your favourite football team tick off every improvement you desire of them brings an inexplicable rush of satisfaction, the targeted upgrades brought about with the new Freed are likely to further delight fans already won over to its brand of compact practicality.

The same template hasn't changed drastically, and that also means that those in the mood for flashiness and pizzazz are likely to be better served by something else. The everyman's palate, however, is arguably the hardest one to nail a recipe down for - and with its extra sophistication and newfound electrification now, the Freed has mastered the notion of universal appeal even more deftly than before.

Don't forget to check out our review of the Toyota Sienta Hybrid here!