The current Honda Freed will likely step out of production in the middle of next year as the next generation of the Japanese MPV is scheduled to launch in September 2022, as per a report from Best Car.
The second generation Honda Freed debuted in 2016 and received a facelift last year. The mid-cycle refresh brought a five-seat plus variant (Honda Freed+) to the range. The report says that the next-gen model range will include the Honda Freed+ and that it would ride on a newly developed platform.
When the current generation Honda Freed debuted in 2016, its available hybrid powertrain (Honda Freed) was the world’s first model in which a neodymium magnet without any heavy rare earth metals was adopted for the drive motor. What innovations will be seen in the next-gen Honda Freed hybrid are to be known, but we do know now that it will share the e:HEV hybrid system with the fourth-gen Honda Jazz and the 2021 Honda HR-V.
For reference, the e:HEV hybrid system available in the fourth-gen Honda Jazz uses the LEB 1.5-litre petrol engine producing 98 PS and 127 Nm along with the H5 motor that generates 109 PS and 253 Nm. The driver gets an option for three modes: EV Drive, Hybrid Drive, and Engine Drive.
The 2022 Honda Freed (and 2022 Honda Freed+) will be safer, thanks to the inclusion of a more advanced version of Honda Sensing with sonar sensors and a front wide-view camera.
The front wide-view camera should improve the field of vision and night-time operation and make driving safer in most situations. It may enable the next-gen model to have a Collision Mitigation Braking System that can apply the brakes when the Freed cuts across or turns into the path of an oncoming vehicle. It would be useful even to detect road signs, which could be displayed in the instrument cluster. It will likely be able to eliminate condensation, which will ensure that the system works properly even in cold weather.
The next-gen Honda Freed won’t be the only all-new mini-MPV entering Asian markets in 2022. A few months before the Honda, the next-gen Toyota Sienta will arrive in the Japanese market.
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