Every so often it is nice to see an MPV with a little flare. That is exactly what Honda’s factory affiliated tuners Mugen have done with the next generation Stream multi people mover. Drivers don’t always choose to drive vehicles that are more about we and less about me. At certain times we must sacrifice fun for things like fuel economy and cargo space, but those are sacrifices that new car buyers must face throughout their automotive life cycle. So it is nice to see that sports cars aren’t the only things that Mugen is interested in, bringing a sigh of relief to repressed MPV drivers looking for a little excitement in their ride.

The Japanese tuner does a good job of proving that the 2010 Honda Stream can be a pretty cool, as long as you add a few items in the right places. Mugen added a pair of front and rear lips that work with the side skirts to make the MPV look closer to the ground. A sporty looking grille, roof-mounted rear wing and stylish 17 inch alloy wheels to finish off the package. There are even more hardcore tuner bits being offered: like a performance brake setup, performance exhaust, sport suspension for better road holding and a performance air filter to let the gasoline direct injection engine breathe a little easier.

These kinds of modified mini cars are popular in Europe and Japan, both places where parking is tight and gas is expensive. Instead of investing lots of money with pricey turbo kits that are just going to burn more petrol; mini modifiers go as far as they can with outrageous looks and wild wheels to stand out from the rest of the road going public. There is already a trend in the automotive marketplace for smaller, lightweight vehicles. The way that things are looking, we might be seeing more and more MPVs like the Honda Stream here in the U.S. and it is nice to know that there will already be parts available for them.

2010 Honda Stream by Mugen originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 23 June 2009 20:00 EST.

read more

Valentine’s Days is coming, and it is a good opportunity for automakers to make more money. How? With lovers special editions.

Honda Stream Special Edition for "Style" lovers originally appeared on topspeed.com on Sunday, 11 February 2007 00:00 EST.

read more