The 2014 Honda Odyssey minivan arrives with a host of powertrain, styling, interior, feature and safety upgrades, all designed to meet the needs of today’s family. Key changes to the 2014 Odyssey minivan include the addition of a standard 6-speed automatic transmission on all trims resulting in class-leading fuel-economy ratings, enhanced safety equipment, cleaner front and rear exterior styling, plus revised instrumentation and electronic controls.
For the first time all 2014 Odyssey models will include standard Bluetooth® HandsFreeLink connectivity, a 4-way power passenger seat, Expanded View Driver’s Mirror, Pandora interface and an SMS text messaging function. New available features include the Honda exclusive LaneWatch™ blind spot display, Forward Collision Warning (FCW) and Lane Departure Warning (LDW). Additionally, Odyssey Touring Elite models will now come standard with the much-anticipated HondaVAC™, the world’s first in-vehicle vacuum cleaner, which allows customers the ability to quickly and easily clean-up dirt and debris from every corner of the minivan.
The 2014 Honda Odyssey will have a starting MSRP of $28,825. This represents only a $150 increase in base price for a thoroughly revised Odyssey equipped with additional standard features for increased convenience.
With the addition of a standard 6-speed automatic transmission paired to the 3.5-liter, 24-valve, SOHC, i-VTEC V-6 engine with Variable Cylinder Management (VCM), the Odyssey further solidifies its place as the fuel economy leader in the minivan segment with all 2014 models offering EPA fuel economy ratings of 19/28 mpg city/highway (model-year 2013 EPA ratings were 18/27 mpg on all models except Touring and Touring Elite).
Further enhancing occupant safety, the 2014 Odyssey receives the next-generation Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure. The reinforced frontal structure improves frontal crash energy management through a wider range of offset and oblique collision modes. With the revised structure, the 2014 Odyssey is anticipated to earn the highest rating of TOP SAFETY PICK+ from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), including a GOOD rating in the stringent new IIHS small overlap frontal collision test. The Odyssey is expected to be the first minivan to earn a TSP+ from IIHS.
For 2014, the Odyssey continues with its successful model grade strategy: five different available trim levels include the well-equipped base LX model, EX, the leather-trimmed EX-L, the feature-packed Touring, and the line-topping Odyssey Touring Elite. A DVD Rear Entertainment System (RES) and Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System™ with Voice Recognition3 are available on EX-L models and above.
New exterior colors for 2014 are Modern Steel Metallic and Obsidian Blue Pearl. Interior colors include Beige, Gray and Truffle for the new high-quality fabric that features a refined and dynamic new weave pattern on LX and EX models, while the EX-L, Touring and Touring Elite feature leather upholstery. A full range of genuine Honda accessories is also available.
Advancing the Odyssey
In redesigning the Odyssey for 2014, Honda’s goal was to reinforce and expand upon the vehicle’s already great features, including the exceptional value for money that already defines the Odyssey for its target buyers: Gen X and Gen Y families. Odyssey aims to surprise and delight by adding upgrades and amenities, making it once again the top pick among individual buyers.
Powertrain
The 2014 Odyssey features a 3.5-liter, 24-valve V-6 engine producing 248 hp at 5,700 rpm and 250 lb-ft of torque at 4,800 rpm. Honda’s i-VTEC® enhances power delivery while Variable Cylinder Management™ (VCM®) helps maximize fuel efficiency and reduce emissions.
With the 2014 model, Honda has targeted best-in-class fuel economy ratings for all trim levels. As a result, the transmission has been upgraded to a 6-speed automatic across the model range, replacing the 5-speed automatic previously found on the LX, EX and EX-L. EPA fuel economy ratings are now 19/28 mpg1 city/highway for all trim levels, up 1 mpg in both city and highway for the LX, EX and EX-L trims. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) emissions certification4 remains an impressive ULEV-2.
Body
Refined and youthful, sporty and advanced, the Odyssey’s refreshed styling adds new premium elements for 2014. Highlights include new black-trimmed headlights, new available fog lights, a new muscular hood, and black-surround grille for an upscale appearance. New body-color matched side mirrors and additional bright chrome trim add to the premium appearance. New rear styling and LED taillights with clear lenses and eye-catching perimeter “light pipes” add to the polished look.
Weight savings come from the use of aluminum for the hood, front fenders and front suspension lower control arms. The LX model features 17-inch steel wheels with premium covers, while EX and EX-L models utilize 17-inch premium aluminum alloy wheels. Touring and Touring Elite models feature 18-inch premium sport aluminum alloy wheels.
The 2014 Odyssey EX, EX-L, Touring and Touring Elite models have a wiper-linked headlight system that automatically turns on the headlights when the front wipers are activated. In addition, new standard one-touch turn signals improve convenience for the driver when making routine lane changes. With this system, one flick of the turn-signal lever provides three blinks of the turn signals – ideal for changing lanes. Pressing the lever past the “click point” provides continuous blinking.
A new keyless entry system with push button start on EX, EX-L, Touring and Touring Elite allows the driver to approach the vehicle, open the door and start the engine – all without touching a key. The system only requires the driver have possession of the key fob. The system also simplifies opening the sliding side doors and tailgate – locking all doors when leaving the vehicle requires only touching the lock button on any door handle.
Interior
Redesigned instrumentation, new trim and fabric, and upgraded electronic features and functionality make the 2014 Odyssey interior ideal for families. Design changes include upgraded meter illumination and interior lighting, chrome-trimmed instrument dials and door handles, a new available 7-inch touch-screen, and a repositioned DVD player for the available Rear Entertainment System. Updated styling and a change from blue to white halo lighting make the instrumentation easier to read. Similar changes make the climate control easier to operate.
All 2014 Odyssey models and trim levels get an Expanded View Driver’s Mirror. The driver’s side mirror provides a 19-percent increase in visible area, offering an enhanced view of objects that might otherwise be hidden in the vehicle’s blind spot. Included on Odyssey EX, EX-L and Touring models, the Honda LaneWatch™ blind spot display provides an expanded rear view of the passenger side roadway. The system uses a camera mounted on the bottom of the passenger door mirror, which when activated by the right turn signal or the signal-stalk LaneWatch™ button, displays a live, 80-degree view of the passenger-side roadway, compared to 18- to 22-degrees typical of a standard door mirror.
A rearview camera is standard on all Odyssey models. Odyssey LX, EX and EX-L models feature a single-angle “Normal View” display, while EX-L Navi, Touring and Touring Elite models have a Multi-Angle Rearview Camera with wide, normal and top-down views – all with improved optical quality. All rearview camera systems feature guidelines.
HondaVAC
The Odyssey Touring Elite features the first minivan in-vehicle vacuum cleaner system, HondaVac™ which is designed to help families keep the minivan interior neat and clean. Engineered for dry use, the HondaVAC™ operates on the vehicle’s 12-volt electrical system, and its performance easily surpasses that of a handheld rechargeable vacuums.
Integrated in the rear cargo area of the vehicle, the HondaVAC™ includes an extendable hose that can reach every corner of the vehicle. Two separate head attachments expand versatility, while a removable debris canister and replaceable filter bag makes maintaining the vacuum easy. To protect the vehicle battery’s state of charge, the HondaVAC™ runs up to eight minutes with the ignition turned to the Accessory setting – or continuously if the engine is running.
Audio & Entertainment
Odyssey EX, EX-L, Touring and Touring Elite models have new intuitive touch panel controls that reduce button clutter on the center stack. An upper 8-inch display and a lower 7-inch display provide a simpler overall interface improving usability.
When paired to a compatible cellular phone, Aha™ and Pandora® interfaces are available on EX, EX-L, Touring and Touring Elite models. XM® Radio is included in EX-L, Touring and Touring Elite models, a HDD audio system comes on the EX-L Navi, Touring and Touring Elite models, and a rear DVD player is standard in EX-L RES, Touring and Touring Elite models. The Touring Elite also features HD Radio and new Neural 5.1 Surround™ audio.
Audio system output is 240 watts for Odyssey LX, 270 watts for EX, EX-L and EX-L RES, and 246 watts for EX-L Navi and Touring. The premium audio system in the Odyssey Touring Elite has 650 watts. All audio systems have seven speakers except for the Touring Elite, which features 12 speakers.
Simplified pairing and enhanced functionality with smart phones improve the Odyssey’s telematics for 2014. HandFreeLink® is included on all models, and Bluetooth® audio streaming, SMS and email functions are available with compatible smartphones. Additional features include a phonebook, call history, speed dial and contact picture. Odyssey EX, EX-L, Touring and Touring Elite include HondaLink™ featuring Aha™ which offers content from hundreds of channels through a tethered compatible smartphone.
The Rear Entertainment System (RES) on the EX-L RES, Touring and Touring Elite models features upgraded control layout and screen quality. This system features improved placement of the DVD player and more intuitive operation for the rear audio controls. Screen resolution is VGA on EX-L RES and Touring models, and the Touring Elite’s upgraded ultra-widescreen offers four times higher resolution.
Safety
With the application of the next-generation Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure, significant structural changes to the unit-body were made, including more extensive use of high-strength steel in the A-, B- and C-pillars, roof rails, floor rails, front body area, and front subframe. As a result, the front door opening is now stronger, with less chance of deformation in a frontal collision.
The previous Odyssey achieved a top Good rating in IIHS Front Crash, Side Crash, Rear Crash and Roof Crush tests. For 2014, the Odyssey is targeted to add a GOOD rating in the IIHS’s rigorous new Small Overlap Barrier Test and be among the first minivans to receive the highest IIHS rating of TOP SAFETY PICK+.
Newly available on the Odyssey, Forward Collision Warning (FCW) and Lane Departure Warning (LDW) help the driver indentify potential collision situations. Using the Odyssey’s front camera module, FCW warns of a possible collision with a vehicle detected in front, while LDW notifies the driver of departures from detected lanes5. The two systems are packaged together on Odyssey EX-L, Touring and Touring Elite models, and provide visual and audible warnings.
2014 Honda Odyssey Touring Elite
The 2014 Honda Odyssey Touring Elite made its debut at the 2013 New York International Auto Show, 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.
Honda Odyssey is first minivan to earn the IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK+ award
ARLINGTON, Va. — The 2014 Honda Odyssey minivan earns the Institute’s top safety designation for good performance in all five IIHS crash evaluations, including the challenging small overlap front test. The Institute rates vehicles good, acceptable, marginal or poor based on performance in the moderate overlap front, small overlap front, side, rollover and rear crash evaluations.
The 2014 Odyssey is the first minivan the Institute has evaluated in the small overlap front test. Honda asked the Institute to test the Odyssey to highlight structural changes the automaker made to improve occupant protection in a small overlap front crash. When the Institute conducts a test at a manufacturer’s request, the automaker reimburses IIHS for the cost of the vehicle.
Honda introduced the upgraded Odyssey as a 2014 model. While there are no major styling changes, the new model has advanced high-strength steel in the front door frames, floor pan and front wheel wells for a more rigid occupant compartment. The side curtain airbags extend farther forward to offer comprehensive head protection in both a side crash and a small overlap front crash. Even with these modifications, the Odyssey’s weight didn’t change much because Honda engineers were able to reduce weight elsewhere to compensate for the strengthened structure.
“Safety is high on the list for parents when it comes to shopping for a family vehicle,” says Institute President Adrian Lund. “Consumers look for models with the highest safety ratings. Honda is ahead of many of its competitors in building state-of-the-art crashworthiness into its vehicles.”
Honda and Acura brands have earned six TOP SAFETY PICK+ awards among 20 current models that the Institute has rated. They are the Honda Accord 2-door and 4-door, Civic 2-door and 4-door, Odyssey and Acura TL. Winners must earn good ratings for occupant protection in 4 of 5 evaluations and no less than acceptable in the fifth test.
The Institute added the small overlap test to its lineup of vehicle safety evaluations last year. It replicates what happens when the front corner of a vehicle strikes another vehicle or an object like a tree or a utility pole. In the test, 25 percent of a vehicle’s front end on the driver side strikes a 5-foot-tall rigid barrier at 40 mph. A 50th percentile male Hybrid III dummy is belted in the driver seat.
In the Odyssey test, the driver’s space was maintained reasonably well. Injury measures on the dummy indicated a low risk of injury in a crash of this severity. Because the structure helped keep the steering column stable, the front airbag stayed in front of the driver dummy during the crash to provide good protection. The side curtain airbag deployed and had sufficient forward coverage to protect the head from contact with the side structure and outside objects.