2014 Honda Odyssey: Up Close
More 2013 New York Auto Show Coverage
Up front, the new Odyssey receives a relatively mild update, with new headlights, a twin-bar grille, a more sculpted hood (now made out of aluminum) and chrome-trimmed fog lights. Out back, new LED taillights and badges complete the list of styling updates. The overall impact is minor, with only true minivan aficionados likely to notice the changes.
But the big news with the 2014 Odyssey is all the way in the back cargo area, behind the rearmost third-row seats. Honda has created an industry-first: a built-in vacuum cleaner called HondaVac, developed in conjunction with ShopVac and standard on the Touring Elite trim level. It truly is a novel feature. Completely enclosed into a rear cargo panel, the vacuum features a removable canister and expandable hose with attachments. Honda says it is able to reach any corner of the van, even all the way up front. It is easily as powerful as a hand-held unit, and can run continuously when the vehicle is on or for eight minutes after the van has been shut off.
The HondaVac system is the first real minivan innovation that has come along in quite some time, something that Chrysler used to be tops at before that company started focusing on fighting for its life. Introducing such a novel feature could be the first step in reigniting the hotly contested family minivan wars.
