Honda Freed 1.5G (A) Facelift

The Freed used to be one of Honda’s best selling car alongside the Fit after its launch on local markets in late 2008. However, sales quickly lost traction after COE skyrocketed in early 2010, and was discontinued by the Kah Motor later that year.

In late 2011, the Freed received a major facelift, bringing the car up to date with a host of upgrades inside and out, and for the first time, the facelifted Freed is available on local markets once again.

New are the bumpers and grille, which now incorporates Honda’s corporate nose. The front vents are heavily stylised and bestows the car with a more aggressive stance from the front – a very popular styling touch on most Japanese cars of late.

Around the rear, the car receives a slightly revised light cluster, and the huge rear hatch is immediately noticeable. Elsewise, the car still looks rather fine and up-to-date.

The interior of the Freed is where the car scores plenty of points. After all, it is a low cost family runabout. Despite its diminutive exterior dimensions, there really is space for 8 in the Freed at a squeeze, or 7 adults comfortably.

The electronically operated sliding doors are also a major plus point, entry and access into the Freed is a doddle, especially in tight parking spaces. Access to the last row seats are aided by the flexible middle row seats that fold away to reveal a wide entry. The flat floor and tall roof also makes shuffling about in the cabin less tricky.

The middle row seats slide fore or aft to vary legroom in both the middle and last rows. With the last row seats up, boot space is slightly small, but useable. To get more boot space, the last row seats fold upwards against the side windows, attached to the ceiling by a hook.

The folding process isn’t entirely a breeze as the seats aren’t light, but they’re easy to work with and won’t result in bruised fingers or require an instruction manual on using it. With all seats folded, there is definitely plenty of space in the cabin to compete with a small van.

Save for improved cabin materials, there is not much that differentiates the new model from the old. But it’s a pleasant cabin to be in, simple controls and instrument layout, the dash panels are made of hard but durable plastics. It’s definitely very functional and family-friendly inside the Freed.

The Freed rides on the Fit/Jazz platform, albeit with a much longer wheelbase. Driving the wheels through a front-wheels, is the familiar 1.5-litre engine that produces 118bhp and 146Nm, and into a CVT gearbox. In the Freed, there is a slight bump in torque up from the Fit/Jazz, while horsepower remains unchanged.

The Freed accelerates with reasonable verve as long as it is not fully loaded with occupants. The small engine struggles a little to pick up pace, but once up to speed, it still steers and brakes confidently despite the extra burden.

Unfortunately unlike the Fit/Jazz, the Freed does not steer as sweetly, largely because of the tall body and extra body weight. However driving the car is a simple task thanks to the compact dimensions, large window area, and slim pillars.

The Freed scores well on refinement. Wind noise is low, and even with seven-up on-board, the Freed was able to soak up bumps and rough road surfaces effectively.

The Freed is one of those cars that you cannot go wrong with if you have a large family – simple mechanicals, good build quality, flexible interior, and great fuel consumption.

Car review sponsored by: Autolink Holdings

Credits: Oneshift Editorial Team