Honda has a reputation as a company that occasionally does things because it can rather than because it should. It engineers vehicles that no other company has the talent to build whether or not there is a market demand. Depending on your point of view, this is either a mark of genius or clever clogs showboating but the fact remains that for every sales flop, Honda will hit upon a car that's clearly cleverer than its direct opposition. Just such a car is the latest FR-V, a mini-MPV that doesn't play by the normal rules.

These rules dictate that small MPVs are smart, safe, a glowing beacon of your own fecundity and precious little else. Some manufacturers are just starting to get the hang of making these vehicles fun to drive but there aren't many who are making small people carriers that are in any way bold in concept. It's a conservative market that seems to reward small improvements, the biggest players like Vauxhall, Citroen and Ford often selling rather safe solutions. Then there's the FR-V. Although any mention of this car needs to be prefaced with a debt of gratitude to Fiat's Multipla, which paved the six-seat, two rows of three abreast seating thing a few years before Honda arrived at the same solution, the FR-V doesn't compete head-on with the Fiat, instead aiming at a slightly more well-heeled group of customers. Think grammar versus decent comprehensive.

It's chunkily good-looking in a way few mini-MPVs manage to pull off. The rising waistline gives it a wedge-like profile and the big rear light clusters and kinked line from bonnet into A-pillar are both deft styling touches. Based on the platform of the CR-V 4x4, the FR-V instead directs drive to the front wheels and a new flat floor has been developed that's a good deal wider than the CR-V's base. It's not quite as sporting in its feel as this car's predecessor, the under-rated Stream, but the FR-V feels a good deal more modern, especially where cabin design is concerned.

"The FR-V is the sort of MPV you'd choose if an MPV was the last car on earth you'd voluntarily opt for"

The dashboard is a curious mixture of traditional clocks in a cowled binnacle and decidedly avant-garde centre console with an infotainment screen and a gearlever sprouting from the dashboard. At first it looks a bit of a clash of styles but it's actually very practical insofar as Honda have taken the best bits of analogue and digital display formats and have combined them to good effect. The handbrake takes a little while to get used to but forward visibility is excellent. The chubby rear pillars make three quarter visibility a little less happy.

As would be expected from a contemporary Honda, the FR-V doesn't skimp on standard safety features. All six seats have three-point belts and the centre front seat and both outer rear seats feature ISOFIX child seat fixings. Full length curtain airbags provide overall cabin protection and there are also twin front and side bags fitted. The seating system also aids safety with the central front seat sliding 270mm further back than the outer pair, Honda recommending that the seat is put in this position if being used to seat a child.

As far as accommodation goes, the FR-V is a tight squeeze if you attempt to fit six blokes in it but it can cope at a pinch, so as to speak. Where it comes into its own is in offering the typical family of four or five room to spread out a little. Unlike many people carriers, the FR-V manages to rustle up some useful luggage space. The three rear seats all fold individually and also fold flat into the floor with one swift action which makes the FR-V a boon for those that want to pursue a few kid-free lifestyle activities at the weekends. This also means that you don't need to risk a herniated disc lugging the things into your garage. The centre front seat also folds flat to make room for long items, forming a table in the process. There's even a seat cushion extension with a storage drawer hidden beneath. Honda also claims that the front seats can be folded to form a bed although this seems a bit of a stretch.

Only one petrol engine (a highly-efficient 140PS 1.8-litre i-VTEC unit)is now offered and your dealer will also recommend a 2.2-litre i-CTDi diesel as an alternative. Handling is fairly adept but not as sharp as the old Stream. It's not what you'd call sporting but then neither is it the usual roly-poly mess that most mini-MPVs call handling. The ride quality is reasonably good and the seats hold you in position effectively. The i-VTEC engine is virtually silent at idle but rev it hard and it gets a good deal more vocal. It's pretty frugal though - the diesel will regularly return around 45mpg. Honda's Easy Care Option makes servicing and insuring the petrol engined FRVs extremely affordable.

This latest model can be distinguished by a dark chrome finish to the grille, while the headlights, door handles, rear combination light and lower licence plate trim have also been tweaked. Inside (thank goodness), the wood fitted to original models has gone - the fascia panel now sporting a much-improved metal, carbon-like finish. Perhaps the EU could instigate some sort of ban on wooden finishes on cars costing less than £50,000. It would make more sense than some of their recent decrees, but I digress. The seats and doors, meanwhile, have a greyish-blue soft touch fabric (grey leather seats together with beige soft touch fabric continue on EX grade models). An additional boot light provides added convenience and there's even an auxiliary jack into the stereo system so that you can plug you iPod or external hard disc in.

In many ways the FR-V is the un-MPV. It drives better than almost any other rival, it looks quite unlike the usual long, narrow and high mini-MPV template and is a good deal more appealing to those who don't want to be pigeonholed with the rest of the school run. Free thinkers form an orderly queue. Three abreast please.

TOP 5 FR-V DEALS

The results below show the top FR-V deals on buyacar

	Honda FR-V 2.2 i-CTDi EX 5dr People Carrier
	ETR	Mthly £327	Saving £1,100	Price £18,945
	Honda FR-V 1.8 i-VTEC ES 5dr People Carrier
	ETR	Mthly £289	Saving £910	Price £16,625
	Honda FR-V 2.2 i-CTDi ES 5dr People Carrier
	ETR	Mthly £308	Saving £1,007	Price £17,818
	Honda FR-V 2.2 i-CTDi SE 5dr People Carrier
	ETR	Mthly £294	Saving £924	Price £16,801
	Honda FR-V 1.8 i-VTEC SE 5dr People Carrier
	ETR	Mthly £274	Saving £826	Price £15,609

typical 10.36% APR

PCP finance quote over 48 months,  10,000 miles pa,  deposit of £1000