The Haima Freema (Chinese: 普力马) was a compact MPV manufactured by the Chinese maker Haima. Its first generation ran from 2004 to 2011 and its second from 2011 to 2014; an electric Freema, launched in 2011, stayed in production after the petrol version was withdrawn.
Haima Freema at a glance
| Maker | Haima, China |
|---|---|
| Production | 2004–2014 |
| Class | compact MPV |
| First generation | 2004–2011, rebadged Mazda Premacy |
| First-generation engine | 1.8 litre, 122 hp |
| First-generation gearbox | five-speed manual |
| Second generation | 2011–2014, longer wheelbase |
| Second-generation engines | 1.6 litre, 120 hp; 1.8 litre, 122 hp |
| Gearbox | five-speed manual or CVT |
| Seats | up to seven in the second generation |
| Second-generation price | 83,800 to 109,800 yuan |
| Freema EV | 2011–2016 |
Based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on the Haima Freema.
History of the Haima Freema
From Hainan Mazda to Haima
Haima was founded in the 1990s as Hainan Mazda Motor, a joint venture between the province of Hainan and Mazda that built Mazdas in China for the local market. The company existed in that form until the early 2000s, when the Chinese FAW Group took over Mazda’s 49 per cent share and Haima was formed. The change did not end Haima’s use of Mazda platforms and technology, and the first Freema was therefore sold as a rebadged Mazda Premacy.
First generation (2004–2011)
The first-generation Freema was essentially a rebadged first-generation Mazda Premacy, a compact MPV carried over almost unchanged. The specification list offered only one source of power: a 1.8-litre engine producing 122 hp, driving the front wheels through a five-speed manual transmission.
Second generation (2011–2014)
The second generation kept the structure of the first but arrived in 2011 with a longer wheelbase than either the original Freema or the Mazda Premacy. That extra length made it possible to offer the car as an optional seven-seater. Prices ran from 83,800 to 109,800 yuan, and buyers chose between a 120 hp 1.6-litre and a 122 hp 1.8-litre engine, both with a five-speed manual gearbox or a CVT. The styling was not universally admired: the front end of the pre-facelift car closely resembled that of the Toyota Camry/Aurion (XV40), and the 2014 facelift mainly reworked the bumpers and grilles.
The electric Freema
Before the production EV, Haima converted twelve first-generation Freemas into electric vehicles for a field test, and in 2011 it launched the Freema EV. Initially based on the first generation, the electric car later moved to the second-generation body and continued in production until 2016, outliving the petrol Freema by two years.
Design and features
- Mazda Premacy underpinnings: the first generation was a straight rebadge of Mazda’s compact MPV, and the second kept the same structure.
- Seven seats: the extended wheelbase of the second generation allowed an optional third row.
- Two engines, two gearboxes: a 1.6 or 1.8-litre petrol unit with a manual gearbox or a CVT.
- A long-lived EV: the Freema EV of 2011–2016 stayed on sale after the petrol model was dropped.
Haima Freema versions
- Freema I (2004–2011): rebadged Mazda Premacy with a 1.8-litre engine and five-speed manual.
- Freema II (2011–2014): longer wheelbase, 1.6 or 1.8-litre engines, optional seven seats.
- Freema II facelift (2014): new bumpers and grilles, the last petrol version.
- Freema EV (2011–2016): the electric variant, built on both generations in turn.
The compact saloon of the same years was the Haima Family, and its middle generation began as the Haima 3. More cars are in the Haima collection.
Sources
- Haima Freema, English Wikipedia: generations, engines, prices, EV
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