New Honda Stream offers all the comforts of a sedan
Novan Iman Santosa The Jakarta Post Jakarta
Indonesia's automotive market seems to be opening up this year, particularly in the multipurpose van (MPV) segment, as new vehicles are being launched one after the other.
The latest entry, the New Honda Stream, was released on Tuesday by PT Honda Prospect Motor (HPM), two years after the Honda Stream was introduced in 2002.
With a drag coefficient (cd) of 0.3, the New Honda Stream is marketed as a combination of the comforts of a sedan with the functions of the MPV.
"It is normal for a sedan to have a cd of 0.3 but it is a different story for an MPV," HPM general manager of sales and marketing Jonfis Fandy said during the launch at the Shangri-La Hotel in Central Jakarta.
The earlier model of the Honda Steam had a cd of 0.32.
Drag coefficient indicates the resistance of an object as it moves through the air, obviously the lower the number the better.
Three variants of the new model are available: 1.7 l VTEC with automatic or manual transmission, and 2.0 l i-VTEC with tiptronic transmission.
The 1.7 l VTEC engine is a 4-cylinder, inline, 16-valve engine with a capacity of 1,668 cc. Its maximum power is 130 horsepower (hp) at 6,300 revolutions per minute (rpm) and a maximum torque of 155 Newton meters at 4800 rpm.
Meanwhile, the 2.0 l i-VTEC engine has a capacity of 1,998 cc with a similar configuration to the 1.7 l engine. The larger engine can produce a maximum power of 150 hp at 6,600 rpm and a maximum torque of 186 Newton meters at 4,000 rpm.
Both engines are equipped with PGM-F1 programmed fuel injection.
The manual 1.7 l VTEC Stream is priced at Rp 175,100,000 (US$20,600), while the automatic one is priced at 185,900,000, and the 2.0 i-VTEC at Rp 217,500,000.
There are six colors available: ice blue metallic, nigthhawk black pearl, satellite silver metallic, satin silver metallic, silver stone metallic and vivid blue.
Although Honda has used the word 'new' in the car's name, the design is not far removed from that of the old Honda Stream.
The features, however, have been updated with rear cooler vents for the back seat ensuring that all passengers are comfortable.
Other features include anti-lock braking system (ABS), grade logic control electronic brake-force distribution (EDB) and brake assist (BA).
Link double wishbone is used for rear wheel suspension and toe control link struts for the front wheels.
Jonfis said this year the company has a set production level of some 6,000 Honda Streams for both the domestic and the Thai markets.
"We allocate 4,500 units for our market and another 1,500 units will be exported to Thailand," he said.
"So far we are concentrating on exporting Streams to Thailand, although we are still eyeing other markets, such as Pakistan."
Jonfis added that the New Stream would be launched in Thailand sometime in March.
So far HPM has manufactured some 400 Honda Streams and sent 120 of them to dealers across Java.
HPM has also provided a complete set of original accessories for enthusiasts who want to improve their cars.
The product line ranges from skirts and fog lamps, to bumper corner protectors and mud guards for the exterior, and wood panels and roof consoles for the interior.