DIESEL DELIVERS FOR HONDA FR-V
19 May 2005 - Honda

It’s done wonders for the Accord and CR-V, and now comes the third application of Honda’s i-CTDi diesel engine

This time the FR-V 6-seater will be recipient to the 2.2 litre diesel made famous by that ‘hate something, change something’ TV commercial. Serving up 140PS with a class-clobbering 340 Nm of torque, the acclaimed 2.2 unit will perfectly complement the people and load-carrying strengths of Honda’s latest compact MPV.

From September this year, a pair of Honda FR-V diesel models will go on sale, in SE and Sport trim guises. Each will feature a 6-speed manual transmission, plus a list of standard equipment that includes remote central locking, front, side and curtain airbags, Vehicle Stability Assist, climate-controlled air conditioning, one-motion fold flat rear seats (with 33:33:33 split) and a stereo CD / RDS tuner.

Prices of the FR-V diesel models will be announced closer to the September launch, but expect a premium of around £1,500 relative to the equivalent 2.0 litre i-VTEC petrol models.

Growing market

Honda has a long history of involvement with the compact MPV – beginning with the Civic Shuttle in the mid eighties, before the market segment was defined. Of late however, the sector has shown exceptional growth with annual sales currently around 192,000 units, or more than 7.5% of the total UK market – with Britain the third biggest C-MPV market in Europe. Further strong growth is forecast, as MPVs generally are on their way to becoming the standard for family cars.

FR-V sales have been brisk during the first three months of this year, following the model’s November 2004 launch. Currently it is the best selling 6-seater and lies sixth in segment, ahead of petrol versions of the VW Touran. Honda estimates total annual sales of around 6,000 units per annum, with the diesels accounting for 58% of the mix.

FR-V customers are typically mature family drivers aged 35 plus with one or two kids under 10. They are likely to be professional, managerial or executive status, with an active lifestyle spending time with family and friends. More often than not, the FR-V will be the main or only family car. Their main concerns are the practical features of the car and since it tends to be the main car, and forms an indispensable part of their lifestyle, it needs to be multi-purpose and high quality, with style also an important consideration.

Diesel key to corporate market

Among this group, it is expected that corporate user choosers as well as private buyers covering 20,000 miles per annum will opt for diesel power. Although predominantly purchased by retail customers, fleet buyers have accounted for a small but important 15% of total FR-V sales so far this year.

The ECO (Economy Cost Option) package will continue to be available for retail customers of FR-V diesel models. Offering servicing for 62,500 miles / five years and three years’ comprehensive insurance as a £1,630 prepaid package (both available separately), this has proved to be a popular option with existing FR-V customers. As part of a three year finance package, ECO represents an additional monthly payment of around £45 per month.

Diesel in detail

The 2204 cc, all-aluminium engine delivers 140 PS at 4,000 rpm and maximum torque of 340 Nm at just 2,000 rpm. It’s fuel efficient, refined to drive, quiet in operation, and produces low emissions. Key features of the 4-cylinder unit are DOHC, four valves per cylinder, balancer shaft, second generation common rail direct injection, and variable nozzle turbocharger with intercooler.

The engine surpasses Euro IV regulations, and delivers strong fuel economy, matched to leading performance figures thanks to the engine’s strong torque delivery.

Delivering a class-leading diesel has required innovation in the use of materials and production technology as well as clever engine design. The result is an engine that is light in weight, compact, yet immensely strong.

Key technologies include optimum use of the combustion chamber, a continuously variable swirl control valve, a common rail system, variable nozzle turbocharger, water-cooled EGR and an electrically operated EGR valve. Achieving exceptional refinement, NV reduction technologies include offset cylinders, a second order balancer shaft and an acoustic engine cover, whilst friction is minimised through features such as roller follower rocker arms. Close coupled and under floor catalytic converters contribute to the low emissions performance.

Clever versatility with quality and style

The FR-V also breaks with the typically utilitarian look of the C-MPV segment, to offer sporty, dynamic styling. The trend for vehicles generally to become taller and shorter has made the appearance of MPVs all the more utilitarian.

The FR-V, in contrast, presents a wide, firmly planted stance. This is complemented by a design characterised by a dramatically sweeping nose and headlamps, a theme continued along the length of the body in the form of a steadily rising waistline. The result is a crouching form that delivers a sporty dynamic in marked contrast to the C-MPV norm.

By matching a 3 + 3 seating configuration with intelligent packaging and innovative seat conversion mechanisms, the
FR-V has the ability to carry up to six people whilst simultaneously offering good load volume. This contrasts with 7-seater competitors, the majority of which offer poor luggage capacity when all seats are occupied.

The multifunctional front centre seat can convert into a table or large armrest. Further versatility comes from a split seat squab, which reveals further storage areas.

Similarly, the dive-down rear seats can be collapsed with minimal effort. Unlike some of its competitors, opening up the total luggage area requires only three steps in total: no tricky double folding of seats is required, and neither do they need to be removed from the car and somewhere found to store them. What’s more, the seats just disappear into the floor to give a completely flat load floor.

The FR-V offers a remarkably convenient and flexible interior concept based on six independent seats and as a result there are many seating and loading possibilities: parents in front, grandparents in the rear and two children in the centre seats with front centre slid back; or driver and partner alone with front centre seat in table mode; or three passengers in front and their bikes (with front wheels removed) standing in the rear – the combinations are endless.

Safety paramount

Honda has carefully considered passenger safety and across the range: the FR-V features dual stage front airbags; side airbags for front seat occupants; full length curtain airbags; and three point seatbelts on all six seats, with pretensioners and load limiters in the front. To ensure occupants in both the front outer and front centre seats are equally well protected, the extra large passenger airbag opens to a width of 860 mm.

Acknowledging that children will be sitting in both front and rear, ISOFIX fittings are included on the front centre seat as well as the two rear outer seats for the safe securing of child seats. Each also has a tether anchor point in the base of the seat backs. Where small children are placed in the front centre seat, Honda recommends that it is moved to its rearmost position.

Supple ride, minimal body roll

In establishing the FR-V’s ride and handling characteristics, Honda’s chassis engineers set out to overcome the inherent high roll characteristics of C-MPVs, whilst simultaneously ensuring good ride comfort, allied to surefooted handling and good steering response. The result is a relaxing drive with a supple, but flat ride, high stability during cornering and high speed cruising, and top of class ride comfort thanks to low rate springs.

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