2nd Generation Honda Stream

Posted on November 23, 2007 12:00 AM

The second generation of the Honda’s mid-sized MPV, the Stream, was officially launched today with an all-new design and a 1.8-litre i-VTEC engine, a change from the 2.0-litre unit in the first generation which was sold here. According to Atsushi Fujimoto, CEO/Managing Director of Honda Malaysia, offering the 1.8-litre engine is part of the strategy to establish a new market segment which can be exploited by the stylish design and sporty character.

New front end follows theme started by Odyssey

Previous generation

“We are also targeting younger buyers so affordability is important and the 1.8-litre variant can be priced attractively for this segment at RM149,800, with insurance,” he said, adding that the tagline of ‘7-seater for 2’ underlines the aim of drawing young couples. Nevertheless, should there be enough demand for the 2.0-litre Stream, Honda Malaysia will consider offering it later on as well.

Mr Fujimoto also revealed that the new Stream comes from Japan rather than Indonesia, as was the case previously. He explained that the Indonesian plant is not assembling the latest generation so there is no alternative but to take the MPV from Japan, which is the nearest plant making the Stream.

Acknowledging the fact that parallel importers are also selling the latest Stream, Mr Fujimoto said that customers should realise that Honda Malaysia will not provide the 3-year warranty (or 100,000 kms, whichever comes first) for those units which it does not distribute and furthermore, those who buy from authorised Honda dealers also enjoy 6 months of free scheduled maintenance (or the first 10,000 kms, whichever occurs first).

“As a special bonus for our loyal customers, we are also giving a 15% discount on parts for the Stream, including the first generation, when they are purchased from our authorised dealers,” he added. This offer is not available to those who own Streams purchased from parallel importers.

As can be seen from the pictures, the new Stream takes on a sleeker appearance with the shape of the third window on the side giving a coupe-like profile from certain angles. If it looks more low-slung now, it really is as the height has been dropped a significant 45 mm which will give more stability during cornering and also the vehicle will also cut through the air with less resistance. Lowering the roofline is something that Honda designers have been doing since the Odyssey and it is especially appreciated in Japan where carparks may have low ceilings.

Sunroof comes standard

The new Stream has been designed to be more spacious and this has been achieved by adding 20 mm to the wheelbase within an overall length of 4570 mm (20 mm longer than before) and width of 1695 mm. The increase has extended the space between the second and third rows by 30 mm, which would certainly be welcome by those at the rearmost seats.

The side sill has been redesigned to obtain an extra 20 mm of width for passengers in the first and second rows while for the third row, the use of a slim resin fuel tank permits a lower floor and the reduced cross-section in the rear frame results in more width. The adoption of a separate rear frame and floor panel construction allows for a floor flat all the way out to its edges on both sides. The floor tunnel has been eliminated for a significant gain in legroom. Exhaustive efforts to remove even minor bumps and gradations in the floor overall result in a completely flat floor that will make journeys more pleasant.

Like the previous Stream, the cockpit area is driver-oriented and the seating position is commanding (shorter drivers can raise their seat further). No one can complain of not having the right seating position as the steering column not only tilts but is also telescopic (great for those with legs that are longer or shorter than average!). The stubby shifter is positioned on a ‘shelf’ protruding from the middle of the dashboard and is within easy reach. Incidentally, the parking brake is operated by the foot.

The instrument panel has two oversized meters which have a day mode and night mode; at night, they get cool blue illumination which adds a sporty ambience. Not visible to the driver is the more compact internal arrangement of the instrument panel to liberate more room for the driver’s legs, while the portion of the dashboard on the passenger’s side employs soft materials to give the passenger a heightened feeling of security. The blue illumination also appears around the front cupholders, the circular switch for the air-conditioner and the microlights for each of the power window switches.

Well aware that passengers in a 3-row MPV often complain of insufficient air reaching them, the interior designers have made the air-conditioning system more powerful and provided additional upper vents which ‘throw’ more air towards the rear. The alternative solution of installing additional blower vents further back is not possible for the Stream since the ceiling is fairly low.

The various ways the cabin can be configured

The wonderful thing about an MPV is that there is a lot of flexibility in how the seats are arranged, depending on how many persons need to be transported. The second and third rows are divided into two parts and the mechanism has been designed to make it very quick and easy to fold the seats flat (sometimes a difficult task which requires two hands too). If seven people are on board and the third row is used, the space for baggage in the back is limited to two suitcases. In the event that wet items (like scuba gear) have to be carried, there is a ‘water-repellant mode’ for the cargo area which offers a plastic liner to prevent water from soaking into the carpet.

Folding the seats is an easy operation which can be done with one hand

Structurally, the new Stream is more rigid but 10 kgs lighter than its predecessor, thanks to the use of lightweight expanded high-tensile steel. Like all Hondas sold in Malaysia, it has G-CON, which Honda developed for crash resistance. The G-CON employed in the new Stream has been improved over the earlier G-CON and gives even better absorption/dissipation of crash energy during an accident.

In advancing G-CON, Honda engineers (who have the use of one of the world’s most advanced crash test centres to use in their own company) re-examined the frame structure and found new ways to dissipate the crash energy. They also made sure that the Stream has a high degree of ‘crash compatibility’ with other vehicles – even those of a different size.

Needless to say, the Stream comes with airbags (two), ABS +EBD and braking efficiency (front ventilated discs/rear drums) is said to be superior in its class. A single master servo pump is used now and special effort was made to provide a more linear feel during braking.

The steering system is rack and pinion with electric power steering (EPS) which is good since it reduces ‘power-robbing’ that the conventional energiser pump in mechanical power-steering systems had. The other good thing about EPS is that the ‘feel’ can be tuned to suit different requirements.

Front (left) and rear suspension has new geometry for better handling and ride comfort

The suspension layout, though looking the same as before, has been re-engineered. The geometry has been changed to give both linear handling and a flat ride while the attachment points of the suspension and the steering box have been strengthened. In the front, the independent MacPherson strut suspension now has a side-force cancellation spring to improve ride comfort while maintaining the compactness of the suspension. In the rear, a compact, reactive-link, double-wishbone suspension contributes toward increased space for passengers in the third row of seats. The lower arm employs high-tensile steel for significantly higher rigidity to handle the loads imposed by the large, wide tyres (205/65R15) and provide improved stability. The use of more compliant shock absorbers and upper suspension arm bushings is also claimed to enhance ride comfort and reduces road noise.

1.8-litre i-VTEC engine is claimed to be as good as previous 2.0-litre and more economical to run

Finally, the engine, which is the still-young 1.8-litre R18 powerplant that made its debut in the current Civic. Its i-VTEC mechanism is complemented by drive-by-wire system which does away with the cable linkage to the throttle. This optimises throttle valve control because pressure on the accelerator pedal is sent by electrical signals, significantly reducing pumping losses. For more efficiency, the engine has a variable-length intake manifold that optimizes intake ram effect.

The long-stroke SOHC engine runs on a high compression ratio of 10.5:1 to produce 140 bhp/103 kW of power at 6300 rpm and 174 Nm of torque at 4300 rpm. The engine is said to have the character of a bigger engine but does not burn as much petrol; the claimed figure of 14.8 kms/litre (Japanese 10-15 cycle) is better than that of the 2.0-litre engine used in the first generation.

There’s now a 5-speed automatic transmission, an upgrade from the previous 4-speeder. With the extra ratio, the overall range of gearing can be widened while also using and closer gear ratios. This should make for more responsiveness while driving.

Honda Malaysia expects to sell 600 units of the Stream in 2008 and it will be challenging models such as the Toyota Wish, Mazda5 and Nissan Serena. As the ‘new kid in town’, it should certainly get a fair share of buyers (Mr Fujimoto said that some 100 orders have been received by dealers) and speaking from personal experience driving this new model at the Honda test-track in Japan a few weeks ago, I can say that it does have a sportier character than before. Of the various Honda models that I drove there, the new Stream was the one which I was most impressed with for its tautness and ride comfort.

It’s probably a clever move by Honda Malaysia to carve a new niche for the Stream and there are likely to be many young couples who are undecided whether to continue owning a sedan or begin to prepare for the family to come and get a MPV. Many may find that with this new Honda MPV, they won’t be losing out on the fun of driving, something which earlier MPVs didn’t have much of.