HONDA PROMOTE TOGETHERNESS WITH THEIR FR-V
29 December 2005 - Honda

The Japanese, and indeed most Eastern cultures, promote family togetherness.

This goes right from family generations living together, to travelling together and taking part in recreational activities together.

So it’s no surprise that Honda have promoted togetherness in travel as the theme for their FR-V medium sized, five-door people carrier.

Sales of these C-segment MPVs are booming in Europe and 1.6 million such vehicles should be sold in 2006. France leads the way followed by Germany and the UK where around 200,000 medium sized MPVs are sold each year. The main sellers are the Vauxhall Zafira and the Ford C-Max with the VW Touran, Citroen Picasso and Renault Grand Scenic all competing hard for sales. The launch of the FR-V now allows Honda to compete in this MPV sector, especially in the fleet and business market.

Unlike most MPVs the FR-V (Family Recreational Vehicle) has two rows of three seats instead of three rows, accommodating six passengers all seated within close proximity of each other to maximise in-car communication and togetherness.

It is a neat idea having a compact in length family car with a wide track. The two rows of three seats work pretty well especially as the middle seats in both rows can be slid further back to increase legroom. The seats can be folded individually and the rear row can be fully folded into the floor to provide a perfectly flat load area. This means that three people can travel up-front and they have enough load area to make the FR-V a really useful load carrier. Another example of the clever seating is that a section of the centre front seat squab can be opened to create a really useful storage or small carrying area, ideal for a laptop computer, books, maps, phone or whatever.

The only down side to the interior of the FR-V is that shoulder room for three adults is a bit tight even though the centre seats can be slid fore and aft. The small seat squabs do not give much support on long journeys and the seat adjustment levers are right up against the door panels so they are difficult to use. The headroom is very good despite the high ‘command’ seating positions.

The high seating position provides good visibility out of the vehicle and access to the high-level wide facia panel is reasonable for the driver. Some of the controls however are fiddly to reach and use. The facia mounted gearlever not only gives clear legroom for the middle passenger in the front row, but it is nicely positioned for the driver to reach, and typically from Honda, it is sweat and precise to use.

The levels of equipment are generous right across the range with all models having front and rear electric windows, heated door mirrors, electric heated door mirrors, air conditioning, CD player, remote central door locking and anti-lock braking. The SE is the base specification on offer and the Sport versions add alloy wheels, cruise control, front fog lights and a leather steering wheel and gear lever knob. Priced from £14,900 the FR-V is something of a bargain, Honda are not normally so aggressive with their pricing.

There is the option of 1.7 or 2.0-litre petrol and the excellent 2.2-litre diesel engines but no automatic transmission as yet.

Overall the best model to my mind in the range for value for the private buyer is the 2.0 i-VTEC SE petrol variant priced at £15,900. Right at the top of the range is the 2.2 i-CDTi Sport diesel version priced at £18,000. High mileage company car and business users will go for the diesel models. Only covering significant distances will pay the extra £1,400 price premium Honda charge for this engine that realistically gives an extra 10mpg over the 2.0-litre petrol unit.

Although the FR-V is aimed at young families, in reality Honda vehicles generally appeal to older buyers who like the brand value, reliability and product quality. So the base 1.7-litre, 125bhp petrol model with SE specification and a 5-speed transmission at the very competitive price of £14,900 is really a very good buy. It is no ball of fire but it does the job pretty well.

The 2.0-litre petrol engine powering my road test model produces148bhp. It is linked to a 6-speed manual gearbox with drive to the front wheels. It was very willing and flexible to drive with a top speed of 115mph and the 0-62mph dash was covered in just 10.5 seconds. Fuel economy is around the 33mpg mark. It performs really well in the mid to high engine speed range so full use needs to be made of the gearbox to get the best out of the car.

As for handling, the FR-V is a good balance between providing a comfortable ride yet remaining responsive on fast open roads. The suspension soaks up the bumps and potholes without being too soft resulting in bodyroll.

Overall it’s a pretty good package. It is a fresh approach to carrying passengers efficiently in comfort and a vehicle worth considering if you want something other than the mainstream offerings from Vauxhall and Ford.

MILESTONES: Honda FR-V 2.0-litre i-VTEC SE. Price: £15,900. Engine: 4-cylinder, petrol, 148bhp, 141lb ft of torque. Performance: 115mph, 0-62mph 10.5 seconds. Fuel economy:
33.6mpg, CO2 199 g/km. For: Clever seating, sprightly engine, good price, good build quality. Against: Shoulder room limited for six adults, difficult to reach driver’s seat adjustment controls.

From Miles Better News Agency

www.honda-eu.com

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