Drivers sold on the incredible utility of the Honda Freed, but bent on making their purchases exclusively through the secure hands of local authorised dealer Kah Motor may have been left hanging for the past few years.
Now, however, the wait is over.
The Honda Freed's current fascia brings it in line with stablemates such as the Jazz and Civic Kah Motor is finally offering the Freed to customers, thus ushering in the model's official return to our shores after more than a decade.
Since the car in its current generation has actually been on sale for a while, it jumps straight into the line-up wearing a mid-life facelift. That sees the chrome strip over the front grille traded for a body-coloured piece - to give off the impression of an uninterrupted, curved hood in line with the front fasciae of siblings like the Honda Jazz and Civic.
The current-generation Freed utilises the same tall-bodied, low-floored formula of its predecessor, but builds on it with a few key improvements.
Entry and exit are now easier with a wider-opening door and lowered step-in ground-height Entering and exiting the MPV's rear, for instance, has been made even easier, since the opening of the sliding door has been increased by 20mm, while the ground-height of the step-in has been lowered by 15mm.
Additionally, cabin space has been improved thanks to a 90mm increase between the hip points of first-row and third-row passengers. The car also has an impressive turning radius of just 5.2 metres - true to its compact DNA.
Under the hood, the Freed is still powered by a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder DOHC i-VTEC engine, here churning out 129bhp and 155Nm of torque. Mated to a CVT transmission, the car will apparently manage an impressive fuel-sipping consumption figure of 16.9km/L.
There is no indication yet if a Hybrid variant will be brought in by Kah Motor, but two trim levels are currently being offered at launch purely with the petrol engine, including the entry-level S7 and more premium E7, offered in eight different colours.
The Freed still features tumble and flip-up seats for its second and third rows respectively As standard, the Freed will come with 15-inch alloy rims, LED-taillights, and a powered sliding door on the passenger's side. Drivers will also get to enjoy a multi-function steering wheel, and a 9.0-inch touchscreen-operable infotainment system with Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay integration, while the cabin will be surrounded by a four-speaker system.
Other features already offered on the S7 trim level include Hill Start and Emergency Brake Assist, and automatic climate control (with a dust and pollen filter). Unlike some variants distributed via parallel importers, the units sold by Kah Motor will be seven-seaters exclusively, featuring the model's characteristic 60:40 tumble and 50:50 flip-up seats for the second and third rows respectively.
Dual powered sliding doors are available on the E7 trim level of the compact MPV Drivers who want a more complete modern look, however, may find value in stepping up to the E7 variant, which does away with halogen headlights for automatic LED ones featuring active cornering functionality.
Passengers in the second row will also get to enjoy dual-powered sliding doors, as well as retractable sunshades along the door linings. Additional goodies include a six-speaker system, and cruise control for the driver.
Thanks to its power output, the Honda Freed will be sold with a Category A COE, and is priced from $154,999 at launch. Buyers will also get to enjoy an exclusive five-year, unlimited-mileage warranty offered by Kah Motor.
Now, however, the wait is over.
Since the car in its current generation has actually been on sale for a while, it jumps straight into the line-up wearing a mid-life facelift. That sees the chrome strip over the front grille traded for a body-coloured piece - to give off the impression of an uninterrupted, curved hood in line with the front fasciae of siblings like the Honda Jazz and Civic.
The current-generation Freed utilises the same tall-bodied, low-floored formula of its predecessor, but builds on it with a few key improvements.
Additionally, cabin space has been improved thanks to a 90mm increase between the hip points of first-row and third-row passengers. The car also has an impressive turning radius of just 5.2 metres - true to its compact DNA.
Under the hood, the Freed is still powered by a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder DOHC i-VTEC engine, here churning out 129bhp and 155Nm of torque. Mated to a CVT transmission, the car will apparently manage an impressive fuel-sipping consumption figure of 16.9km/L.
There is no indication yet if a Hybrid variant will be brought in by Kah Motor, but two trim levels are currently being offered at launch purely with the petrol engine, including the entry-level S7 and more premium E7, offered in eight different colours.
Other features already offered on the S7 trim level include Hill Start and Emergency Brake Assist, and automatic climate control (with a dust and pollen filter). Unlike some variants distributed via parallel importers, the units sold by Kah Motor will be seven-seaters exclusively, featuring the model's characteristic 60:40 tumble and 50:50 flip-up seats for the second and third rows respectively.
Passengers in the second row will also get to enjoy dual-powered sliding doors, as well as retractable sunshades along the door linings. Additional goodies include a six-speaker system, and cruise control for the driver.
Thanks to its power output, the Honda Freed will be sold with a Category A COE, and is priced from $154,999 at launch. Buyers will also get to enjoy an exclusive five-year, unlimited-mileage warranty offered by Kah Motor.
| Car Model | Price as of press time (inclusive of COE) |
| Honda Freed 1.5 S7 (A) | $154,999 |
| Honda Freed 1.5 E7 (A) | $156,999 |
