IT'S done wonders for the Accord and CR-V, and now comes the third application of Honda's i-CTDi diesel engine: this time the FR-V 6-seater will be recipient to the 2.2 litre diesel made famous by that 'hate something, change something' TV commercial. Serving up 140PS with a class-clobbering 340 Nm of torque, the acclaimed 2.2 unit will perfectly complement the people and load-carrying strengths of Honda's latest compact MPV.

From September this year, a pair of Honda FR-V diesel models will go on sale, in SE and Sport trim guises. Each will feature a 6-speed manual transmission, plus a list of standard equipment that includes remote central locking, front, side and curtain airbags, Vehicle Stability Assist, climate-controlled air conditioning, one-motion fold flat rear seats (with 33:33:33 split) and a stereo CD / RDS tuner.

FR-V customers are typically mature family drivers aged 35 plus with one or two kids under 10. They are likely to be professional, managerial or executive status, with an active lifestyle spending time with family and friends. More often than not, it will be the main or only family car.

Their main concerns are the practical features of the car and since it tends to be the main car, and forms an indispensable part of their lifestyle, it needs to be multi-purpose and high quality, with style also an important consideration. The typically utilitarian look of the C-MPV segment is broken, offering a sporty, dynamic styling. The trend for vehicles generally to become taller and shorter has made the appearance of MPVs all the more utilitarian.