2011 Honda Odyssey: First Look

The 2011 Honda Odyssey goes on sale this fall and will surely be at the top of minivan shoppers lists alongside the recently redesigned 2011 Toyota Sienna. Today, the company unveiled the production model’s design and the top trim level’s features.

The design is not radically different, but it is closer to the ground and wider, with an interesting profile. A 3.5-liter V-6 engine with cylinder deactivation is standard and is estimated to get 19/28 mpg city/highway. The 2010 Touring gets 17/25 mpg; the most efficient V-6-equipped Sienna gets 18/24 mpg.
Honda says it will only offer six-cylinder engines in the Odyssey – Toyota introduced a four-cylinder in its latest Sienna – and we expect the same, less efficient V-6, which gets 16/23 mpg, currently in the 2010 Odyssey to power lesser trims of the 2011.

However, the engine isn’t what’s going to wow parents. The 2011 Odyssey’s second row has three seats can slide side-to-side to fit three full-size child-safety seats across, and all have Latch connectors. The middle seat can slide forward 6 inches to position a child closer to the driver. Again, Honda hasn’t said whether this will be available on all trims or not. All of the information released today was for the Touring Elite, the top-of-the-line model.

Specifications haven’t been finalized, but Honda says second-row knee room has grown by 1 inch and they’ve removed the under-floor storage behind the front-row seats. There are also 15 cupholders.

Otherwise the Touring Elite model you see here packs a number of unique features that the automaker details below. Hopefully, we’ll be able to tell you how many of these features you can get in other trim levels later this summer before the Odyssey goes on sale in early fall. 

More photos are also now posted below.

2011 Honda Odyssey Touring Elite Features
Interior
•    AM/FM/XM/CD premium audio system with 12 speakers
•    Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System with voice activation
•    Ultra-Wide Rear Entertainment System with split-screen capability
•    External HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) input
•    150-watt AC power outlet
•    Media tray with integrated beverage holder
•    Removable first-row center console with hidden storage
•    New cool box in lower center stack (keeps items cool when vehicle is running)
•    Leather-trimmed seating with heated front seats
•    Memory-linked 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat
•    Latch anchors in five seating positions, including three positions in the second row to accommodate three child-safety seats simultaneously
•    Two captain’s chairs in the second row provide adult comfort with center seat folded down
•    One-strap stowable 3rd Row Magic Seat
•    Second- and third-row passenger window sunshades
•    15 beverage holders
•    Trash bag ring
Exterior
•    High-intensity-discharge headlights
•    18-inch alloy wheels
•    12.6-inch ventilated front disc brakes
•    Power side mirrors with integrated turn indicators
•    Power tailgate