The Honda Freed is a compact minivan sold in Japan
and a handful of other Asian markets, and the Japanese car maker is now giving
it a refresh.
Sharing the platform with the current Honda
Fit/Jazz, the second-generation Freed has just received a facelift which will
be made official next week at the Tokyo Motor Show. The highlight of the 2020
Freed lineup is the addition of the crossover-style Crosstar model which
features unique styling elements.
Those include the front grille, bumpers with skid
plates, roof rails, alloy wheels, LED fog lights, as well as grey-painted door
handles and mirror caps. The Freed Crosstar also features black plastic
cladding on the side skirts. Inside, the Honda Freed Crosstar gains a unique
trim on the dashboard that imitates plywood and a special upholstery with a
“digital” pattern.
Normal 2020 Honda Freed models new grille as well
(albeit smaller than on the Crosstar), a revised bonnet, and a new front bumper
with a refreshed lower grille. The interior gains a new dashboard trim that
imitates walnut as well as new upholstery options.
All models now get the Honda Sensing safety suite as
standard, along with a new function that prevents drivers from unintentionally
reversing the car and hill descent control. In addition, the adaptive cruise
control function has been revised to provide a smoother feeling during
acceleration and deceleration.
The engine lineup remains the same and includes a
129 PS 1.5-liter four-cylinder gasoline unit and a 110 PS 1.5-liter Atkinson cycle hybrid powertrain. The former is mated to a CVT while
the latter works with a 7-speed DCT. Both units can be had with FWD or AWD.
Prices in Japan start from 1,997,600 yen (US$ 18,420)
for the base six-seater model powered by the 1.5-liter gasoline engine. The
versatile Freed is available as in four-, five-, six- and seven-seat
configurations.
