Honda announces new model, FR-V
HONDA ANNOUNCES THE DEBUT OF FR-V, A HIGHLY PRACTICAL COMPACT MPV
- Stylish and distinctive good looks Compact MPV with 3 + 3 seating configuration
- Carries up to six people and their luggage
- Sliding centre seats enhance comfort, allow easy interaction
- Kids can travel in the front centre seat alongside their with parents
- Unprecedented seat flexibility offers numerous passenger/loading combinations
- Simple dive-down rear seat mechanism opens up load area in seconds
- Choice of three engines: 1.7 SOHC VTEC, 2.0 DOHC i-VTEC petrol and 2.2 i-CTDi diesel
- Chassis delivers flat, stable ride and excellent comfort
- Class-leading manoeuvrability and small turning circle
Honda is introducing a new contender in the compact MPV class that concentrates on interior flexibility. 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 6 people while simultaneously offering good load volume.
The FR-V also breaks with the typically utilitarian look of the cMPV segment, to offer sporty, dynamic styling. Combined with a choice of three engines including Honda's acclaimed 2.2 litre diesel, a wide track chassis engineered to minimise body roll, excellent ride comfort and class-leading manoeuvrability, Honda's newest range is set to bring a new level of expectation to cMPV customers.
In addition to the packaging benefits, in opting for a 3 + 3 configuration, Honda also recognised that family communication, and in particular parent-child communication, is important and this layout lends itself to easy passenger interaction. And what child hasn't wanted to sit up front with its parents? The FR-V allows just such a possibility, at the same time enabling parents to keep a watchful eye.
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.
The Jazz and Accord Tourer models in particular have amply illustrated Honda's viewpoint that converting a car from passenger to load carrying capability should be neither time consuming nor hard work.
The FR-V continues in a similar vein, and unlike its competitors, opening up the total luggage area requires only 3 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.
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.
In establishing the FR-V's ride and handling characteristics, Honda's chassis engineers set out to overcome the inherent high roll characteristics of cMPVs, while 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.
Power will be provided at launch by two petrol engines: a 125 PS (92 kW) 1.7 litre SOHC VTEC unit (mated to a 5-speed manual transmission ) and a 150 PS (110 kW) 2.0 litre DOHC i-VTEC unit. In 2005, they will be joined by Honda's acclaimed 2.2 litre i-CTDi diesel engine. Both the 2.0 litre and the 2.2 litre will be mated to a 6-speed manual transmission.
Initial sales are planned to commence in the Autumn.
Information correct at time of going to print.