Honda Malaysia Discontinues RM159k Stream MPV For 2015

Following the slow-selling Freed out of the market, Honda Malaysia looks to have phased out its Honda Stream. The seven-seat MPV was last sold in Malaysia from RM159,011 (with insurance), and its lacking has reduced Honda Malaysia’s MPV offering to the RM228,006 Honda Odyssey.

The discontinuation of the Stream here is not much of a surprise, because in Japan, where the Stream originates, the model has also been discontinued. Many have associated the arrival of the all-new Honda Jade with being a successor to the Stream, but it would be inaccurate to do so, because while proportions do appear to add up, closer inspection reveals a lot that's different about the two models.

The Jade measures 4,660 mm long, 1,775 mm wide and 1,500 mm tall. Compared to the Honda Stream, the Jade has a significantly larger footprint - 90 mm longer and 80 mm wider. However the Jade is also 45 mm lower, thus severely compromising its ability to carry passengers in the third row. At best the Jade is a six-seater, while the Stream offers a healthy 5+2 arrangement.

The Honda Jade is also more expensive than the outgoing Stream in Japan, and is positioned there as purely a petrol-elelctric hybrid model, fitted with a hybrid powertrain similar to what is available in the Japan-market Fit (Jazz), Grace (City) and Vezel (HR-V) hybrid models (1.5-litre i-DCD + seven-speed dual-clutch transmission). Elsewhere, in China for example, the Honda Jade does comes with a 1.8-litre engine paired to a five-speed automatic or CVT transmission (a similar arrangement to what's available in the Stream here in Malaysia).

Another potential candidate than we understood Honda Malaysia to once consider was the Honda Mobilio, an Indonesian-made seven-seater that’s primed for emerging markets with its more affordable price. However, the idea was reported to be canned after Honda Malaysia was not convinced of the 1.5-litre budget-MPV’s ability to meet the high expectations of Malaysian customers – made for emerging markets, the Mobilio was designed to be more affordable, rather than offer the kind of refinement levels Honda Malaysia customers come to expect.

For now, it looks like the seven-seater Honda Odyssey is your only choice of Honda MPV for the moment, with its RM228k price tag, 2.4-litre petrol Earth Dreams DOHC i-VTEC engine, CVT transmission and ample equipment.