Honda Motor Co. showed off its updated Odysseyminivan Tuesday evening ahead of the New York International Auto Show. The 2014Odyssey — last redesigned in 2011 — has a richer, more chiseled look,chrome-trimmed fog lights and other premium features.
But HondaVAC, the hand-held vacuum cleaner integrated intothe cargo area, will likely be its most talked-about feature. Honda says it'sthe first to offer this family-friendly tool, which it developed withheavy-duty vacuum maker Shop-Vac. Honda's system includes nozzle accessories anda hose that can reach every corner of the vehicle. It doesn't need an outletfor recharging, and can work continuously when the motor is running — or for upto eight minutes when the van is turned off.
Honda says the vacuum will be standard on the most expensiveversion of the Odyssey, and it will announce availability on other versionslater.
Tami Giammarco, lead engineer on the van's interior, saidthe vacuum idea came from the daughter of an engineer who saw how frustratedher father was when kids made a mess in his van. "'Dad, you need a vacuumin here,'" she told her father, Giammarco said.
Minivan sales could use a jolt. They peaked at 1.4 millionin 2000, but have fallen rapidly since as buyers shifted to popular crossoverwagons like the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4. U.S. minivan sales totaled 540,188last year.
Still, sales outpaced the industry average last year, andshould grow even more this year when Ford Motor Co. rolls out its first minivansince 2006, the Transit Connect Wagon. And if buyers in their late 20s andearly 30s choose a minivan as they start families, business could boom.
Honda is eager to be part of the action. So far this year,the Odyssey is the third-best selling minivan in the U.S., behind the ToyotaSienna and the Dodge Caravan. Excluding sales to fleet buyers such as rentalcar companies, Honda is No. 1, said Mike Acavitti, senior vice president ofmarketing for American Honda.
Acavitti said the minivan segment should keep growingbecause of its utility, and he expects Honda's share of the market rise withthe revamped Odyssey.
"There is no more flexible vehicle," he said.
Here are more details about 2014 Odyssey:
OUTSIDE: Honda sharpened the Odyssey's looks with a moresculpted hood, two-tone mirror housings and other details. It also improved thestructure so that the van can get top marks in the Insurance Institute forHighway Safety's new frontal crash test, which hits a fixed barrier at anangle. The Odyssey also has some new optional safety equipment, includingforward collision and lane departure warning systems.
INSIDE: There are new materials and a new control center inthe dashboard. Optional new features include keyless entry and pushbutton startand HondaLink, which connects to the driver's smartphone and plays music orreads updates from Twitter and Facebook.
UNDER THE HOOD: The 2014 Odyssey will offer the same engineas the current model: a 3.5-liter V-6 that produces 248 horsepower and gets 22miles per gallon (9.35 kilometers per liter) in combined city and highway driving.It has a six-speed automatic transmission.
PRICE: Not released. The 2013 Odyssey starts at $28,675.
CHEERS: A Honda Odyssey with a vacuum cleaner? What's not tolove?
JEERS: Strategic Vision, a consulting group,says 3 percent of U.S. buyers are considering minivans these days, down from 6percent a decade ago. There are many other family-friendly, fun-to-drivevehicles, like the Mazda CX-5 or Honda's own CR-V, that get better fueleconomy.