2004 HONDA FR-V / Edix 2.2L CDTi 6MT FWD (140 HP)

Vehicle Overview

Honda’s Front Recreational-Vehicle was a unique styled six-seat MPV offered by the Japanese carmaker. Depending on the market, it was also known as Edix.

A six-passenger MPV idea was not new, but it mattered how a carmaker made it happened. For instance, Fiat did an awful job with the 1998 Multipla, which was a practical vehicle but one of the ugliest cars in the world. It was still a long debate if that or the Pontiac Aztek was uglier. Honda, on the other hand, liked the 6-passenger car and introduced the FR-V in 2005. It looked better than Multipla, but its sales were too slow, and in 2011 the Japanese carmaker decided to pull the plug on that model.

Wedged-shaped and unusually wide for a regular car, the FR-V impressed with its Sumo-fighter stance. But while the well-known Japanese warriors were rounded, Honda designed the FR-V with soft edges and flat panels. Its grille with three horizontal chromed bars was unusual for the Japanese carmaker. At those times, that was mostly a Ford theme. The ascending lines were strangely ended with a sloped, then vertical, end.

The interior featured a 3+3 seating configuration. The front middle seat could have been folded when not in use and formed the widest center armrest in Honda history and featured cupholders. To accommodate the gear-stick, the engineers installed it on the center stack. In the rear, there were another three independent seats, with their longitudinal adjustments.

Under the hood, Honda installed a choice of four engines ranged between 1.7-liter and 2.2 liters. They were paired to a 5-speed manual until 2007 when Honda introduced the new generation of 6-speed manual gearboxes.