By Christopher Tan, Senior Correspondent

Honda seems bent on maintaining its premium status among Japanese makes, even if it costs the company a sale or two.

Its latest Freed MPV is an example. Although made in Indonesia, where budget MPVs hail, it is not cheap. In fact, at $84,800, it is priced close to a slightly larger made-in-Japan seven-seater.

It is the same story in Indonesia. The Freed costs around 240 million rupiah (S$35,260) there, much more than compact MPV rivals such as the Suzuki APV and Toyota Avanza, both retailing at well below 200 million rupiah.

A look at the Freed's equipment list tells us why. The 1.5EX, the only version available here, has two motorised sliding doors which can be activated via remote key, climate control, front armrests, LED wing mirrors and front windscreen wipers with variable intermittent control.

All very nice features but are they necessary? Even the most dainty of damsels will have no trouble closing or opening the Honda's light doors.

The thing is, would removing all those extra amenities make it substantially more affordable? Probably not, but it would narrow the chasm between it and two other Indonesian-made multi-seaters imported here: Suzuki's APV (about $20,000 cheaper) and Daihatsu's Terios 7-Seater (about $10,000 cheaper).

Now that the head has had its argument, it is the heart's turn.

First, the Honda exudes a classier ambience. Despite its boxy and unflattering outline, it is quite welcoming inside.

The cabin is unabashedly plasticky but somehow the materials employed on the whole do not make the interior crusty or cheap-looking. In fact, in the short test drive allowed, it seems better put together than the Thai-made Honda City.

There is no detectable rattle or hum, and the design of the cockpit is quite well thought out. Decent ergonomics and excellent visibility make it a cinch to drive in our cramped urban landscape.

The car's two-tier fascia is interesting to look at and offers lots of shelf space for Hello Kitty statuettes and tissue boxes. There are cubby-holes everywhere for knick-knacks.

Space-wise, the car surprises. Despite its compact footprint, the cabin is roomy. Headroom is especially impressive.

But the last row of seats is situated very, very close to the tailgate. Not ideal from a safety point of view. Also, you will not get much luggage in if all the seats are occupied.

Fortunately, this row can be easily folded away (to the side). That way, the car offers quite a lot of stowage.

At the wheel, the Freed is efficient but rather cold. Its engine thrives on revs and has a rather anaemic low end. It is fine if you have all day to get it up to a trot but otherwise, you will have to bear with a sliding fuel economy and a rising whine as you bring the revs up to 4,000 a minute or more.

Having said that, it is a better drive than the Terios 7-Seater and APV. For one thing, it feels (relatively) quicker. And while it suffers from the body roll that besets a car with a tallish stance and soft springs, it handles better than its two rivals, largely because of its low floor, which gives it a lower centre of gravity.

The low floor is also flat throughout the car, making access doubly friendly to young children and vintage folks. Getting to the last row of seats requires no flipping of seats in the middle, as there is a tiny aisle (like a minibus).

Overall, it is a clever compact MPV that drives better and is better built than expected.

But is it worth the money? The head says no but the heart says maybe.

christan@sph.com.sg

For more The Straits Times stories, click here.