Archive for August, 2010

My very first car review.

Was cordially invited by Advertlets to a test-drive  session in the All-New Freed with Paul Tan and his teammate, Harvinder Singh Sidhu from the reknowned automative blog at www.paultan.org.

“Unveiled in April 2010, the All-New Freed is a new introduction in an untapped market segment called the premium compact MPV. Poised to be an ideal choice among professional urbanites with young families, the stylish compact MPV has impressed the market with its key and unrivalled features, which include the dual-automatic sliding doors, walk through cabin and flat floor design.

Driven by its marketing theme, 4-Seater + Ideas, the stylish and modern compact MPV offers a comfortable ride for 7 passengers and loads of ideas for today’s living. With 4 captain seats in the first and second row, passenger seats on the third row can be easily converted into additional cargo space to meet endless possibilities and carriage needs.

A new hit in the Malaysian’s automobile industry, the All-New Freed has been well received. Today, there are already 300 units of Freed on the road. Honda Malaysia believes that the latest contemporary compact MPV will bring great value to the market while fulfilling its demand for a stylish yet practical compact MPV.”

- Honda, The Power of Dreams.

A lil’ toy I found in the goodie bag. Rubik’s Cube with Honda Freed’s logo.

It was an early Saturday morning and we were still feeling a lil’ sleepy.

Starving for breakfast and craving for caffeine.

There was a short briefing after our hearty breakfast, introducing the new Honda Freed and showing us our test-driving route of the day.

Paul, the key test drive consultant highlighted in a briefing that, “Each and every vehicle has its own characteristics, and it is uniquely designed to meet different needs. Therefore, the way to test drive a MPV is different from the way to test drive a sedan and vice versa. Understanding a car’s characteristics and its test drive techniques might just gain one a better test drive experience.”

They were 8 brand new Freeds that came in brilliant White Pearl, polised Metal Metallic, and crystal Black Pearl for us to choose.

We chose car number 8, the brilliant White Pearl.

Aww…just look at the little MPV that shines under the blazing sun. Adorable isn’t it?

It’s hard to imagine improving on something as simple as a dashboard. But then again, what about an idea like a dual layer dashboard? It holds all the controls neatly, keeping the centre free of obstruction.

Bare in mind, it also gives more passenger space, cafe style!

Double DinStereo where you can listen to CD, radio and MP3 in a player that can now also play music from USB.

Plus, I personally love the automatic gear on the dashboard. Definitely something different compare to the other vehicles, and not to mention that more spaces in between the driver and passenger seats in the front row.

Team 8 feeling all excited to start the journey with the brand new Freed!

Everything was very well-prepared in the compact MPV.

We even have walkie-talkies in each of every car for us to communicate along the way.

So much fun, don’t you think?

A “Touch & Go” card on the dual layer dashboard.

How very thoughtful of them!

Drinks were provided. And it was not just a bottle of mineral water!

Thirst-quenching beverages were everywhere to be found in the MPV.

See…with all these crafty innovations making the Freed so much better than the competition, it’s these little touches that make it great!

Little ideas and details like seven cup holders so all passengers have a place for their drinks. Large door pockets to contain reading materials on long hauls.  A shopping bag hook so everything is kept in the bags. It’s easy to see why the Honda Freed has so much to offer.

Another cup holder with a chilled Livita in it.

Chilled Gatorade and Livita placed in the large door pockets.

Found a semi-transparent bag of lip-smacking snacks for us!

THREE bags actually! *grins* 

Here we go!

Just the perfect weather for us to test-drive the 2-hour journey inwhich the participants took turns to take over the wheel through a 80-km route to-and-fro between Desa Sri Hartamas and Putrajaya Waterpark, on both city road and expressway.

Each driver drove for 20km before the groups stopped for a driver-change at Hentian Seri Kembangan.

The event was also graced by Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Honda Malaysia, Mr. Toru Takahashi.

The Seremban Highway. Freed 7 in front of us!

A pink P1WIMAX Toyata Avanza trying to fit in?

The first Toll plaza.

Coincidently, it was the Innovation Day of the BMW Group where 2 white Z4s and 1 X5 dashed past us with a Mini Cooper following behind.

The eight All-New Freed on the road.

As we maneuvered the All-New Freed through the curvy route, both driver and passengers could easily feel its smoothness and sturdiness, even at high speed.

Halfway to Putrajaya. Loving the clear blue sky!

We were given a polaroid camera in each and every Freed to snap pictures for the contest that came with the slogan “4-Seater + Ideas”.

So…Polaroid fun all the way!

First stop after first 20km.

The cameraman who recorded the whole session.

To accommodate more passengers or cargo, the Freed comes with foldable third row seats, which is easily folded in just 3 steps.

No matter the object or the amount, the Freed is flexible enough to accommodate various modes to suit your needs.

Here, the whole Team 7 decided to squeeze themselves in just to show how spacious the Freed is.

The cutest team! =)

My turn to drive yet? *pouts*

Maybe not. Guess I’ll just seat back, relax and eat Lay’s while the boys followed the directions!

It’s so spacious in the third row that Spinzer here can do his social media thing on board.

Told you bottles of drinks were everywhere to be found! Didn’t realize that until I went sitting in the second row.

Wide vehicle windows for us to enjoy the beautiful views outside.

Spacious enough for me to sleep comfortably along the journey.

The last stop at Putrajaya. Another short briefing and refreshment was provided.

With the renowned automotive blogger, Paul Tan himself.

 Everybody loves Freed!

The adorable Jason Ong.

With the briliant 1.5L i-VTEC engine under its hood, the best-in-class engine is capable of producinig 118PS at 6,600rpm. In addition, the i-VTEC engine is known to produce a perfect balance between performance and fuel economy.

The three musketeers were trying out the suspension.

Our polaroids to win the “4 Seater + Ideas” contest!

Undeniably adore the front shape of the car.

Finally! My turn to steer the Freed while munching on my M&Ms.

Heading back to the city from Putrajaya.

Throughout the test drive journey, all drivers seemed pleased by the dual layer design dashboard (with a gear knob) for its clutter-free and spacious organisation.

Passengers on the other hand simply kicked back and enjoyed the ride in the cushy captain seats. During the stop-and-go journey, all participants pleasantly agreed to the other outstanding features of the car such as its dual-automatic sliding doors, walk through cabin, one step low flat floor as well as its low tailgate for the rear opening.

Thousands of pictures to choose from for the contest when we returned to Souled Out, Desa Sri Hartamas.

And our Captain Wilson decided to draw his own polaroid.

Awww…up on the board, Team 8 rocks!

Some of our polaroids as follows: 

Showing off the automatic sliding doors with the remote control.

The automatic sliding doors makes getting in and out easier especially in tight parking situations. The doors can be opened via remote or from the driver’s seat. The automatic sliding doors are also equipped with anti-pinch sensors that reverse the closing process when an obstacle is detected.

One step low floor with grip assist!

Children and the elderly will have no trouble ascending and descending with the Freed’s one step low floor and grip assist.

Another picture with Leonard which I very much adore. Thanks to Evo the photog.

 My adorable team members and I.

Say Cheese!

Say Estyyyyy! =)

Not to forget the picture of our baby Freed!

Oh did I tell you that the front doors open tilted forward by 7 degrees? This leaves 200mm of overheard space, helping you avoid accidental knocks.

Was urged to do the Foxy style.

Which, failed miserably.

All in all, all participants got well acquainted with the engine performance, handling as well as the unbeatable practicality of the All-New Freed.

Everyone also took home a great dose of advise from Paul and Harvinder on how to thoroughly test drive a car, at least to make our next showroom visit worthwhile.

A fruitful test-drive experience I must say! Thanks to Advertlets and Honda.

“WHY 4 SEATER + IDEAS?”

The all-new Honda Freed is about great innovations that allow you to accomplish just about anything you want.

• 4 Seater + Style
  - Automatic Dual Sliding Doors with Remote Control for easy access
  - Forward Tilting Hinge Front Door to avoid accidental knocks
  - Easy Access and Low Tail Gate Opening for easy loading and easy access
  - One Step Low Floor with Grip Assist for elderly and handicapped easy access

• 4 Seater + Technology
  - High Rigidity Structure for better handling and stability on the road
  - Suspension System with front McPherson Strut & rear H-Shape Torsion Beam
  - Small Turning Radius of 5.2m
  - Active Lock-Up System
  - 5 speed AT and Drive by Wire

• 4 Seater + Space
  - Walkthrough Cabin with a 200mm walkway for easy access
  - Big Cargo Capacity
  - 3rd Row Foldable Seats that folds up in 3 steps easily
  - Flat Roof and Flat Floor creates more head room and cabin space

• 4 Seater + Observation
  - Tilt Steering for different driver’s needs
  - Multi Layer Meter Cluster display all necessary information
  - Double DIN Stereo System with radio, MP3, CD Player + USB and AUX for iPod and other digital media players
  - Foot Parking Brake

• 4 Seater + Safety
  - JNCAP (Japan New Car Assessment Program) Rating at the highest of 6 Stars
  - Dual Front SRS Airbags
  - ABS: Anti-lock Braking System
  - EBD: Electronic Brakeforce Distribution
  - BA: Brake Assist
  - Fuel Lid Auto Lock Safety System prevents the sliding door from opening fully when the fuel lid is open
  - Shift Hold Control + Grade Logic Control
  - G-Force Control (G-CON) Technology

• 4 Seater + Utilities
  - Backrest Hook
  - Glove Box
  - Glove Box Card Holder
  - Front Seat Back Pocket
  - Illuminated Centre Tray
  - Large Door Pockets
  - Cup Holders – Total of 7!

• 4 Seater + Accessories (Optional Items)
  - Tail Gate Spoiler
  - Fog Lights
  - Door Visors
  - Cargo Tray
  - Child Seat
  - GPS Navigation

For more information, please visit Honda Malaysia at http://www.honda.com.my

Direct Honda Freed site at http://www.honda.com.my/Freed/overview

Freed is everywhere to be seen in the concrete jungle right now!

 Go to your nearest Honda Showroom and test drive the Power of Dreams today!

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On a lighter note…

Guess what I did with our hundreds of polaroids?

“H” for Honda, of course.

Yours truly, Esty.