Honda Odyssey Concept: Up Close
Typical of Honda concepts, the 2011 Odyssey concept is a good indication of what the production model will be when it goes on sale this fall. Sort of.
The problem is that there’s no interior — just some backrest silhouettes emerging from a floor that’s just inches below window level. Once the cabin is finished, Honda says, it will have increased headroom and legroom in the third-row seat despite the sloping design, and its second row will be wider, capable of accommodating three child seats across.
As for the exterior, what you see is pretty much what you will get. Compared with the current Odyssey’s dimensions , it has the same wheelbase, is 0.7 inches longer, 1.4 inches wider and a half-inch longer. Its styling isn’t as challenging as the Accord Crosstour wagon. The profile looks less like a minivan thanks to a dramatically raked windshield. The concept seems to have borrowed the shape seen in the Honda Civic, Fit, Insight and many other aerodynamic cars, which probably contributes to the van’s claimed 2- to 3-mpg improvement, to 19/28 mpg city/highway.
Having the A-pillars anchored this far forward can obstruct the forward view, but there are sail-shaped side windows ahead of the front doors, similar to Fit’s. The van’s belt line dips down alongside the third-row seat, which should give passengers — and possibly the driver — a better view, but we can’t say for sure until we can get in the thing.
The rear design isn’t quite as vertical as the current generation, and this combines with a black spoiler to give the van a slightly sportier look. Typically, a less boxy body has less interior volume. Combining this with claims of greater passenger space suggests a decrease in cargo capacity, but a Honda representative said “not necessarily.” There are no specifications yet.
