Honda Freed

The Honda Freed (Japanese: ホンダ・フリード, Honda Furīdo) is a mini MPV produced by the Japanese automaker Honda since 2008. The vehicle is designed mainly for the need of Japanese consumers. It is based on the Fit/Jazz platform and acts as a replacement for the first generation Mobilio in Japan. Three different versions of the Freed are available: a six-seater version which features captain’s seats in the second row, a seven-seater version and a five-seater version. Honda also stated that a wheelchair-accessible model is offered in addition to versions with a side lift-up seat and passenger lift-up seat.
The Freed is equipped with a 1.5-litre engine with 118 horsepower, which is the same engine that is used in the Jazz/City, but the engine used has more torque. For example, the Freed's engine has 118 hp (88 kW) and 148 N⋅m (109 lbf⋅ft) of torque, while the Jazz/City has 120 hp (89 kW) with 145 N⋅m (107 lbf⋅ft) of torque.
The first generation Freed was available in Japan in two types; the petrol powered in G or G Aero grade and also a hybrid variant. The hybrid variant uses i-VTEC together with Honda's IMA hybrid car technology.
The facelifted Freed was launched in the Japanese market on 28 October 2011, securing sales of over 20,000 units in its first two weeks on sale, of which 63% were of the hybrid model.
In 2010, Honda released the 'soul twinbrother' of Freed called Freed Spike for Japanese markets only. Honda said that this car is a "compact multi-wagon" for the people with "active lifestyle."
This car features a whole different grille, headlamps and front fascia; a covered third side window, partially covered tail lights and new alloy wheels. Inside, apart from the familiarly similar dashboard to Freed, it has a dual height floor in the cargo area and some additional storage areas on the side panels.
On 21 March 2009, the first generation Freed was launched in Indonesia, the second country where the Freed was released after Japan. It was assembled at Honda Prospect Motor's Karawang plant and exported to other Southeast Asian markets. The Freed's ground clearance is 20 mm higher. For the Indonesian market, the Freed uses the 7-seater layout and a 5-speed automatic transmission instead of CVT in the Japanese domestic market version.
The Freed for the Indonesian market consists of three trim levels, the A, S and E. It received a facelift on 8 May 2012 adding a double blower AC for the S and E trim. The E trim comes with anti pinch function on both sliding doors, retractable door mirror with turning lamps and double DIN audio monitor with iPod/iPhone compatible.
The model received another refresh in September 2014 with the addition of three wide horizontal lines front grille (similar to the first facelift JDM 2011 Freed G Aero), silver accent on the sides of the stop lamp and cruise control for the E trim before it was discontinued due to poor sales figure.
In 2010, the Freed was launched in Thailand. It was imported from Indonesia. It was only available in four trim levels (S, E, E Sport and E Sport NAVI).
On 22 April 2010, the Freed was launched in Malaysia. It was only available in one trim level (Grade E). Honda Malaysia's target sales were 1,200 units a year.
In July 2012, Honda Malaysia added an affordable variant of the Honda Freed called the Grade S. Features omitted from the Grade E were the powered sliding rear doors with remote operation, automatic air conditioning, indicators for the side mirrors or intermittent wipers, tail spoiler, and the Alpine DVD player.
In January 2013, Honda Malaysia launched the facelifted model to Malaysia. Like before, it was available in two trim levels (Grade E and Grade S). The Grade E model gained some extra features which included leather seats, and fold-down armrests for both front seats are now available across the board (previously only the driver and two mid-row chairs had armrests).
On 23 January 2011, the Freed was officially launched in Hong Kong. Unlike other non-Japanese market models, all Freeds sold in Hong Kong are manufactured in Japan and seats 6 passengers.
In Singapore, the Freed is available through parallel import distributors.
The second generation Freed was revealed in June 2016 and released in Japan on 16 September 2016.
The second generation Freed is conceived based on the "Dynamism and Functionality" theme, does not differ much in looks from its curvier predecessor. Apart from the updated grille and lights, the new Freed retains the rear sliding doors with some minor improvements. Its marketing campaign heavily used Happy by Pharrell Williams.
It is also offered in five-seater option as the Freed+, which replaced the Freed Spike in the previous generation.
On 15 December 2017, the Freed Modulo X was released in Japan. It featured a full body kit, front and rear bumpers, side skirts, and a tailgate spoiler.
The second generation Freed received its facelift and was released on 18 October 2019, as announced on 30 August 2019. The frontal section has been revised with an angular edged body coloured grille similar to the new Fit along with redesigned foglamps. In its interior, it uses a lighter trimming on the dashboard panel. Together with this facelift, the crossover SUV-inspired variant of the Freed, called Freed Crosstar, was added.
The facelifted second generation Freed went on sale in Singapore in early August 2022 through Honda's official distributor Kah Motor and was imported from Japan. It is available in two trim levels (S7 and E7). The Freed Hybrid is also available in Singapore through parallel import distributors.
The third generation Freed was revealed on 9 May 2024 and released in Japan on 28 June 2024. It is available with either a conventional petrol or self-charging e:HEV hybrid powertrains.
The Freed comes in two versions: the Air with a high-quality and simplified design, and a Crosstar with rugged crossover elements. The front and rear fascias are uncluttered as compared to its predecessor where all of the design elements are placed on the horizontal character line and borrows a few styling elements from the Stepwgn.
The interior features a larger free-standing infotainment display, a smaller digital instrument cluster, an enlarged storage area on the dashboard and roof mounted climate vents for the rear occupants.
For seating configurations, the Air comes with a three-row 6-seater and the Crosstar comes with a two-row 5-seater. The Crosstar version has a two-tone black and khaki interior colour, a utility side panel in the luggage compartment and a utility nut in the tailgate.
The Freed was launched in Singapore on 29 November 2024, in two variants: HS7 and HE7, it is powered by the e:HEV petrol hybrid powertrain.
The Freed has won Japan Car of the Year in 2024-2025.