Like an obviously typical Honda custom, the company has managed to build one of the world’s best-handling MPVs(multi-purpose vehicles). Based on the capable new Civic platform, the Stream is a dream to drive and has a spacious cabin, too. The petrol engines are smooth and powerful.
Where its predecessor looked awkward from some angles, the new Stream has a chiselled appearance inspired by the firm’s latest Civic and Accord. 

Inside, the cabin layout is first-rate. Three rows of seats are mounted on a low, flat floor allowing adults to sit comfortably in any of the Honda’s 7 seats. So impressive is the third row that even six-foot tall men can travel long distan­ces without feeling cramped.

The reason the newcomer is so much more spacious than its predecessor is that it’s bigger. It has gained 20mm in length, which is all added where it’s most useful – between the wheels. However, it is 45mm lower.

The Civic-style dashboard is attractively laid out and well built. The Stream is offered with two petrol engines. Entry-level variants feature the 1.8 unit from the Civic, but a new 2.0-litre i-VTEC has been developed with Honda’s latest lightweight technology.

The fresh motor offers a far broader powerband than its predecessor, deliv­ering 148bhp and 190Nm of torque. Mated to a smooth five-speed manual or CVT box, the 2.0-litre is quick off the mark, gets up to speed effortlessly and pumps out seamless acceleration from 2,000rpm all the way to 6,000rpm. However, the sporty CVT-equipped RS-Z version sounds noisy when pushed.

Thanks in part to the racy variant’s stiffened suspension, the Stream handles like a sporty saloon. Its steering is much more precise than the previous-generation model’s, and the MPV corners with little body roll and excellent stability. What’s more, Honda engineers have all but eradicated understeer.

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