Review
The drivers now have growing families whose younger members complain at weekends about the lack of space in the three-door pocket rocket which projected a certain sporty image that was important to the driver. However, they do not want to sacrifice performance.
Other drivers could be considering upper-medium sector estates, but also want more versatility to help cope with the needs of their families.
Honda believes both types of driver will be satisfied with the new Stream, which offers the versatility of a seven-seat compact MPV, but also uses the next generation of Honda's proven VTEC engine valve technology.
The Stream replaces the Shuttle - a full-size MPV which was a little tight on space compared with the opposition, and produced nearly 150bhp from its 2.3-litre engine.
Initially on sale in 2.0 i-VTEC guise with a choice of manual or automatic transmission, the range will later be joined by a 1.7-litre VTEC version.
The Stream uses the same platform as the Civic and provides the same spacious interior, but provides up to seven seats, where the class norm is five.
However, while versatile, the seating arrangement is not as practical as the Vauxhall Zafira, where the extra pair of seats fold completely flat. Where the Stream does offer benefits is in its relatively low roofline, which is somewhere between conventional compact MPV and estate car.
