Honda Cars : Autos.ca: Preview: 2014 Honda Odyssey | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Preview by Justin Pritchard, photos by Jonathan Yarkony and courtesy Honda

Honda’s family-minded engineers have been busily tweaking away at their Odyssey minivan ahead of a 2014 model year refresh – and the resulting machine was teased to sensible, family-minded shoppers at the New York International Auto Show last month.

Building on the success of the popular Japanese family hauler, which is already a Top Safety Pick and winner of numerous awards for value, owner satisfaction, residual value and all things important to moms and dads, the focus of the 2014 updates is more on styling, safety improvements and feature content. The latter includes an in-car vacuum cleaner system. No, seriously.

The top-line Odyssey Touring Elite model was presented at the NYIAS, and demonstrates trademark Honda innovation while showing off what the automaker calls the ‘ultimate family vehicle’ standard in the market segment. When it hits the market, the updated Odyssey will compete with the sales smash-hit Dodge Grand Caravan, Toyota Sienna, Nissan Quest and a bevy of crossover competitors with which minivans are often cross-shopped.

“The Odyssey is already the leader in its segment, and for 2014, Honda has made the modern family hauler even better,” said Michael Accavitti, vice president of marketing operations at American Honda. “Honda is once again showcasing its reputation for innovation with HondaVAC, and its ability to provide true value to our customers.”

2014 Honda Odyssey. Click image to enlarge

HondaVac? Yes indeed. It only took a few decades for an automaker to realize that a built-in vacuum cleaner might be a good idea in a minivan – but alas, here it is. Available exclusively on the Odyssey’s top-line trim level, HondaVac was developed with the industry leader in sucking stuff up: Shop Vac. The HondaVac system resides in its own cubby on the driver side of the rear cargo area. It consists, not surprisingly, of a hose, nozzle attachments, and a removable canister in which sand, pet-hair and discarded Cheerios are collected.

Honda officials claim the system can run continuously when the Odyssey’s engine is running, and for up to eight minutes after it’s turned off. So, forget about firing your hard-earned loonies into a busted gas-station coin-vac that’s got a baffed motor and is probably plugged with filthy chip bags and long-lost socks, anyways.

There’s more than a slick new on-board cleaning system at work here, too. Designers and engineers teamed up to make structural upgrades that’ll help Odyssey (hopefully) earn top marks in the IIHS’s new ‘small-overlap’ frontal crash test – which is required to earn the safety authority’s new top score of “Top Safety Pick +”.

The small-overlap test involves running the vehicle in question into a rigid barrier that only engages a small part of its frontal profile – simulating the result of texty-driving your minivan into a hydro pole, for instance. Key to success in this test, says IIHS, is the vehicle’s front-end structural performance.

The refreshed Odyssey Touring Elite will also come equipped with an advanced range of Honda driver assistive and visibility technologies, including the Expanded View Driver’s Mirror, Forward Collision Warning (FCW) and Lane Departure Warning (LDW). All of these pre-emptive safety systems are intended to help drivers to keep current with goings-on in the world around them.

Styling goes more up-level for 2014, thanks to deeper sculpting, a bolder grille, revised fascias and LED taillight bars. The look, especially from the front end, calls the new CR-V and Pilot to mind. New badging rounds out the package – which still instantly looks like an Odyssey but one that’s more alert and energetic. Interestingly, aluminum has been used for the hood and fenders, presumably to reduce vehicle weight and improve fuel mileage.

Inside the Odyssey, showgoers not busily vacuuming up bits of Styrofoam, lint and Froot Loops with the HondaVAC checked out a new, brighter interior color scheme and a brand new centre stack. That centre stack gets a new touchscreen for accessing the HondaLink cloud-based connectivity and entertainment system that’s bowing in the Odyssey after its debut in the all-new Accord last year. This smartphone-linked system can even pull in news feeds from podcasts, news sites, Facebook and Twitter, and ‘read’ them aloud on the move. Similar functionality is possible with incoming text messages.

Of course, the widescreen rear-seat entertainment console is still on board, allowing owners to set the kids up with video entertainment ahead of a trip, thus preventing their transformation into screaming little goblins. The entertainment console also features a household power outlet and auxiliary inputs, meaning older ‘kids’ can hook up the PS3 and p0wn some nEwbZ at Battlefield 2, if they prefer.

2014 Honda Odyssey. Click image to enlarge

And, of course, all of the flexible, splitting, folding, reconfigurable seating a family could possibly need is fitted – as well as easy access to said seating and cargo space through dual power sliding doors, a second-row seat that can tip forward and out of the way with child seat in place (a la Infiniti JX/Nissan Pathfinder) and a motorized tailgate.

No changes mentioned in the powertrain department, meaning the 2014 Odyssey will still haul you and yours along with 3.5L of VTEC V6 making 240 ponies.

Check for Honda’s updated four-wheeled, vacuum-equipped living room at dealers later this year.

Source;
http://www.autos.ca/auto-shows/preview-2014-honda-odyssey/?all=1

Honda Cars : Rules of attraction: How Honda added a vacuum to a van | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Want to save some loonies at the car wash? The inside story of how Honda and Shop-Vac fitted a vacuum cleaner in a minivan

Minivans. Love them or loathe them, it's pretty hard to argue with their practical magic, be it people-packing, drywall-stacking, and making seats disappear so fast they almost need a lovely assistant smiling next to them in sequins. 

While some manufacturers have completely left the Hockey Mom/Dad arena of sliding doors and cup-holders, there are those that have carved enough of a niche to validate continued panel stamping. 

The Honda Odyssey is one of those players, and like the Toyota Sienna, and the Nissan Quest, the question that must be continually asked is this: how can we steal some steam from Chrysler, Father of the Magic Wagon?

Enter the vac

As in life, sometimes you just have to suck it up. With the 2014 Odyssey Touring, Honda becomes the only automaker to offer a built-in vacuum cleaner in a minivan. 

It's called the HondaVAC and it should be just the thing for cleaning up everything from spilled Chereeos out of even the tiniest of cracks. 

"It was interesting how the palm hit everyone's forehead at the same time," said Lennie Sherlinski, who witnessed the 'Why-Didn't-I-Think-Of-That' factor first-hand in The Big Apple, when the 2014 Honda Odyssey was revealed. 

Sherlinski is vice president of Shop-Vac Corporation, having been with the family-owned company for 22 years. He's just now starting to wind down from the press onslaught, brought on following the 2013 New York International Auto Show where the HondaVAC system was unveiled.

The Shop-Vac Corporation, based in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, has been cleaning up messes your significant other doesn't know about (in my house, anyway) for half a century.

How'd it start?

"Honda approached Shop-Vac in late 2007," said Sherlinski. "We were flattered that one of the best car companies in the world realized that they needed our expertise to make this thing work." 

This collaboration was the first time that Shop-Vac had worked with an automobile manufacturer. 

The HondaVAC system is also the first 12-volt DC vacuum that the Shop-Vac Corporation has developed for consumer use. Both companies were venturing into new territory.

Shop-Vac is well-versed in the field of over-engineering. (Just ask the still-working mid-80s model in my Dad's garage, wearing the pounded-out dents inflicted by my '71 Impala.)

"We do extensive internal testing," said Sherlinski. "The auto industry takes it to a whole new level." While it's too soon to reveal the vacuum-geek specs, Sherlinski assures us that the mechanicals within the HondaVAC share much of what makes a standard Shop-Vac work. 

Performance of the Honda system was validated in varying weather extremes, in the same manner that other vehicle systems are checked for reliability.

Test, test, test some more

"The [vacuum] motor has been designed to take a lot of abuse," said Sherlinski. "Honda was very diligent about testing everything that you could expect to happen to an onboard vacuum in a vehicle environment." 

Honda Canada confirms that the HondaVAC is covered for the duration of the standard bumper-to-bumper warranty period.

Consumers should be aware that the HondaVAC is designed for dry pick-up only. Don't expect a 'Vac Full' indicator on the driver information display. "You still have to be diligent with emptying dirt and debris for optimum performance, just like any other form of vacuum," said Sherlinski. 

The QuattroFlex hose, which appears on other Shop-Vac products, has a four-to-one stretch ratio, easily circumnavigating the topography of the Odyssey floorboard. 

Tools have been designed to stow easily in the vacuum location, on the driver's side of the rear cargo compartment. 

"We're excited that the interest has really taken off," said Sherlinski. But, don't expect to see upright versions, next to Honda lawnmowers and generators. 

"It's currently forecast as a built-in product," said Sherlinski. "We hope that they're so successful, that Honda is compelled to put it into everything they sell." 

Considering the compact size of the unit, and the fact that dirt and grit doesn't discriminate between vehicle categories, the HondaVAC could be the solution. 

Yes: it could be what keeps Loonies and Toonies from exiting our palm, and ending up in the always-useless car wash vacuums that seem to hoover up spare change but leave floor mat dirt where it lies… 

Source;

http://autos.sympatico.ca/features/16013/rules-of-attraction-how-honda-added-a-vacuum-to-a-van#

Honda Cars : 2014 Honda Odyssey Touring Elite® Makes World Debut in New York with Host of Safety Upgrades and Innovations Including HondaVAC™, the First In-Car Vacuum | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

03/26/2013 - NEW YORK

The 2014 Honda Odyssey Touring Elite® is making its debut at the 2013 New York International Auto Show (NYIAS), setting the new 'ultimate family vehicle' standard. Thoroughly refreshed for 2014, the Odyssey Touring Elite® provides core safety upgrades, sharpened exterior styling and a revised interior with a host of new features and technologies designed to make the segment's benchmark minivan even better.
Demonstrating trademark Honda innovation, the 2014 Odyssey Touring Elite®  will also mark the debut of HondaVAC™, the first-ever in-vehicle vacuum system. Available exclusively in the Odyssey Touring Elite® trim, the all-new HondaVAC™ system is part of a thorough refresh of the Honda Odyssey for the 2014 model year, adding to its already class-leading fuel economy ratings and unmatched safety ratings. The 2014 Odyssey will go on sale at Honda dealerships nationwide this summer.

"The Odyssey is already the leader in its segment, and for 2014, Honda has made the modern family hauler even better," said Michael Accavitti, vice president of marketing operations at American Honda. "Honda is once again showcasing its reputation for innovation with HondaVAC, and its ability to provide true value to our customers."

The 2014 Honda Odyssey brings an array of improvements to Honda's minivan, including structural upgrades expected to help it achieve top marks in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's (IIHS) stringent new small-overlap frontal crash test, which is part of IIHS's new TOP SAFETY PICK+ protocol. The refreshed Odyssey Touring Elite® will also come equipped with advanced Honda driver assistive and visibility technologies such as an Expanded View Driver's Mirror, Forward Collision Warning (FCW) and Lane Departure Warning (LDW).

The 2014 Odyssey features sleeker, more sophisticated exterior styling with a new, more deeply sculpted aluminum hood, new aluminum front fenders, a new bolder twin-bar grille, and a revised lower front fascia with integrated chrome-trimmed fog lights. New two-tone mirror housings, darker-finish projector-beam headlight housings, LED taillight bars and new badging add to the 2014 Odyssey's premium look.

Inside the 2014 Odyssey, new finishes brighten the cabin and an all-new center stack showcases a host of new features. Additional standard technology on the Odyssey Touring Elite® brings new levels of ease and connectivity to owners, including keyless Smart Entry with Push Button Start, HD Radio®, an SMS text messaging function, and HondaLink™ featuring Aha™ Mobile interface. HondaLink™, which debuted on the 2013 Honda Accord, enables Odyssey owners to connect quickly and easily to a wealth of cloud-based content. The free HondaLink™ smartphone app uses the owner's favorite online content to create live, personalized radio stations, allowing drivers to put away their phones and hear updates and news feeds from Facebook and Twitter, as well as check out restaurant reviews or find the closest coffee shop.

Standard on the 2014 Odyssey Touring Elite®, the all-new HondaVAC™ was developed in conjunction with industry-leader Shop-Vac®, and is composed of a powerful vacuum, replaceable filter and canister bag, with nozzle accessories neatly integrated into a dedicated space on the driver's side bulkhead of the rear cargo area. HondaVAC™ makes quick cleanups a snap no matter the location, offering powerful cleaning suction and an integrated hose and cleaning attachments that reach into every corner of the Odyssey's cabin. The HondaVAC™ system's powerful electric motor never needs an outlet or recharging, can operate continuously when the engine is running, and will continue to operate for up to eight minutes when the vehicle is turned off for additional family duties.

Already one of the most lauded vehicles in its segment, the current 2013 Odyssey has earned IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK and NHTSA 5-Star Overall Vehicle Score crash safety ratings. The Honda Odyssey is an AutoPacific Ideal Vehicle Award winner, an ALG Residual Value award winner, recipient of the Best Family Cars of 2012 designation from both Parents Magazine/Edmunds.com and Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com, and a Best Cars for Families award winner from U.S. News and World Report. The Odyssey represents Honda's robust product development capabilities in North America with its design, engineering and assembly all taking place in the U.S., using domestically and globally sourced parts. Currently, 95 percent of all Hondas sold in the U.S., are built in North America.

Along with the 2014 Odyssey Touring Elite® and Honda's complete lineup of fun-to-drive cars and trucks, the 2014 Accord Plug-In Hybrid and 2013 Fit EV also will be on display at the Honda booth during NYIAS press and public days. The 2014 Accord Plug-In and the fully-electric Honda Fit EV both recently became available in New York.

Source;
http://www.hondanews.com/channels/corporate-headlines/releases/2014-honda-odyssey-touring-elite-makes-world-debut-in-new-york-with-host-of-safety-upgrades-and-innovations-including-hondavac-the-first-in-car-vacuum

Honda Cars : 2014 Honda Odyssey to Debut with Innovative New Features at the 2013 New York International Auto Show | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

03/18/2013 - TORRANCE, Calif. 

 

Honda will reveal details of the refreshed 2014 Odyssey, including some innovative new features, at the New York International Auto Show (NYIAS). The 2014 Odyssey further strengthens the Honda minivan's position as the segment's most coveted family-friendly vehicle, and adds to its status as the strongest overall ownership value in its class.

The 2013 Odyssey is already an IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK, an AutoPacific Ideal Vehicle Award winner, an ALG Residual Value award winner, and one of the Best Family Cars of 2012 according to the editors of Parents Magazine/Edmunds.com and Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com.

The 2014 Odyssey along with Honda's complete line-up of fuel efficient, innovative and fun-to-drive cars and trucks, including the 2014 Accord Plug-In Hybrid and 2013 Fit EV, will be on display at the Honda booth during NYIAS press and public days. Both the 2014 Accord Plug-In and the fully-electric Honda Fit EV were recently launched at select Honda dealerships in New York.

With an EPA fuel economy rating of 115 MPGe in electric-only mode, the Accord Plug-In is the most efficient sedan in America, and also the first production car to meet the U.S. EPA's more stringent LEV3/SULEV20 vehicle emissions standard. The five-passenger all-electric 2013 Honda Fit EV delivers 189 lb-ft of torque from its electric motor and features a fully independent, multi-link rear suspension that serves as the foundation for Honda's fun-to-drive EV with an EPA combined city/highway estimated driving range rating of 82 miles.

Source;
http://www.hondanews.com/channels/corporate-headlines/releases/2014-honda-odyssey-to-debut-with-innovative-new-features-at-the-2013-new-york-international-auto-show

Honda Cars : Temple of VTEC; 2014 Honda Odyssey Minor Model Change Information | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

2013 Honda Odyssey

Well, it's that time again, the current Odyssey has been out since 2011, they will keep the vehicle around for 5yrs and do a full redesign/update.  However, halfway through the life cycle of the vehicle they will do a minor model change.  Looks like www.vtec.net got the jump on things for updates, now keep in mind the colours are for the US market for now, the Canadian market always gets a more limited selection.

"The Odyssey will be receiving its mid-cycle model updates for the 2014 year and we're hearing that it will receive some interesting updates. The factory will be accepting orders from dealers beginning next month, and we're told that timing-wise this points to an onsale date of mid to late Summer.

We can confirm (from the order sheet that we saw) that 6-speed automatic transmissions will be standard across the board for the 2014 Odyssey. As for the other updates, you can probably pretty much guess the list of what's coming, but we've specifically heard about the following items:

• Earth Dreams engine (we expect that to mean the 3/6-cyl VCM + VTEC setup employed by the 2013 Accord).
• Lane Watch (mirror-cam)
• Lane Departure Warning
• Multi view backup camera
• (POSSIBLE) LED headlights/taillights for Touring Elite Model
• Adaptive cruise control

There could be more stuff coming as well, but these are some of the key items that we've heard.

UPDATE: We just received this listing of available colors:
LX
OBSIDIAN BLUE PEARL/GRAY
MODERN STEEL METALLIC/GRAY
DARK CHERRY PEARL/BEIGE
ALABASTER SILVER METALLIC/TRUFFLE
ALABASTER SILVER METALLIC/GRAY
WHITE DIAMOND PEARL/BEIGE

EX
CRYSTAL BLACK PEARL/TRUFFLE
CELESTIAL BLUE METALLIC/GRAY
SMOKY TOPAZ METALLIC/TRUFFLE
OBSIDIAN BLUE PEARL/GRAY
CRYSTAL BLACK PEARL/GRAY
MODERN STEEL METALLIC/GRAY
DARK CHERRY PEARL/BEIGE
ALABASTER SILVER METALLIC/TRUFFLE
ALABASTER SILVER METALLIC/GRAY
WHITE DIAMOND PEARL/BEIGE

EXL/ NAV/RES
CRYSTAL BLACK PEARL/TRUFFLE
CELESTIAL BLUE METALLIC/GRAY
SMOKY TOPAZ METALLIC/TRUFFLE
OBSIDIAN BLUE PEARL/GRAY
CRYSTAL BLACK PEARL/GRAY
MODERN STEEL METALLIC/GRAY
DARK CHERRY PEARL/BEIGE
ALABASTER SILVER METALLIC/TRUFFLE
ALABASTER SILVER METALLIC/GRAY
WHITE DIAMOND PEARL/TRUFFLE
WHITE DIAMOND PEARL/BEIGE

TOURING/ TOURING ELITE
CRYSTAL BLACK PEARL/TRUFFLE
CELESTIAL BLUE METALLIC/GRAY
SMOKY TOPAZ METALLIC/TRUFFLE
OBSIDIAN BLUE PEARL/GRAY
CRYSTAL BLACK PEARL/GRAY
MODERN STEEL METALLIC/GRAY
DARK CHERRY PEARL/BEIGE
ALABASTER SILVER METALLIC/TRUFFLE
ALABASTER SILVER METALLIC/GRAY
WHITE DIAMOND PEARL/TRUFFLE
WHITE DIAMOND PEARL/BEIGE


Last month, the Odyssey trailed Dodge, Toyota, and Chrysler in monthly sales, so it's probably a good time for the MMC to be rolling out soon."
 
Source;
http://www.vtec.net/news/news-item?news_item_id=1136176  

Honda Cars : Japan's Version of the 2014 Honda Odyssey (Codename 2NM) rendering | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

For those of us in North America that are unfamiliar with the JDM Odyssey, it is a very different van than over here, it continues to use a 4cyl (like what we had from 1995-1997) and is much smaller than what we have here.... (This Mazda5 small)....
The current Odyssey is a midsize minivan produce by Honda since 1993.Now the car are devide in to 2 version.

An international version and North American version.The NA is a bigger size and bigger engine target for family transportation.

Now, The fourth generation RL5 Odyssey is produce in Lincoln, Alabama, since 2010 and replacement is not expect until the next fews year.

While the Japanese version which smaller, have low floor,low roof with more sporty styling is arrived since 2008. It now produce in Japan and China.

It’s not a good fortune that the car is not selling as much as Honda’s expectation in Japan as the sell volume is just about a half of the expect figure.

While the sale in China is recover its reputation as it have accepable sale at 30,404 unit and rank as 9th best selling people carrier in 2011.

The new Honda Odyssey is now under develope.

The new car expect to have 4800 mm long X 1800 mm wide X 1680 mm high which consider very similar to the current model.

The new Odyssey will powered by smaller 4 cylinder 2 liter petrol engine pair with electric motor (IMA system).

Fuel economy in JC08 mode is 20 km./liter.

The car information is very few right now but we have computer generate image from the Mag-x for your viewing pleasure.The confirmed sale start date at september 2013.

Source;
http://autointrends.com/2012/04/03/2014-honda-odyssey-codename-2nm-rendering/