Motor Authority - blog Category: Odyssey

Americans know the Honda Odyssey as a solid-driving and fun minivan, but the Japanese get a vehicle by the same name that's more wagon than van, and even sportier to drive and look at. The newly redesigned version features several enhancements intended to make it feel bigger and more spacious while keeping a slender profile.

For the driver, the feeling of spaciousness is improved by narrower A-pillars that open up the cockpit and offer better visibility of the road. The passengers in the second and third row of seating are aligned along a steep-sided 'V' to give all occupants a view forward through the windscreen, enhancing their sense of... Americans know the Honda Odyssey as a solid-driving and fun minivan, but the Japanese get a vehicle by the same name that's more wagon than van, and even sportier to drive and look at. The newly redesigned version features several enhancements intended to make it feel bigger and more spacious while keeping a slender profile. For the driver, the feeling of spaciousness is improved by narrower A-pillars that open up the cockpit and offer better visibility of the road. The passengers in the second and third row of seating are aligned along a steep-sided 'V' to give all occupants a view forward through the windscreen, enhancing their sense of the vehicle's size as well. The powertrain of the new JDM Odyssey centers around a 2.4L DOCH i-VTEC engine mated to a CVT tuned to balance performance with fuel economy. Rated at 17.8mpg (13.2L/100km) combined, the Odyssey isn't precisely frugal, roughly matching the U.S. version, which is powered by a 3.5L V6 good for 244hp (182kW), though the different fuel economy measurement standards may account for the apparent disparity. Honda has taken special pains to reduce weight and improve efficiency of the new drivetrain, and even offers a new 'ECON' mode for more economical driving. Inside, the Odyssey features several new design elements, including a redesigned instrument cluster in a '3d arrangement' that helps improve ease of recognition. Repositioned controls, redesigned seating cushions and an updated look wrap up the new interior. Space inside grows a bit by moving the passenger seating to form the V layout, and an under-floor storage system for the third-row seats makes better use of the cargo space when stowed. Honda is considering bringing more of its Japanese-market vehicles to the U.S. as fuel efficiency needs rise and consumer preferences converge with the urban tastes of Japanese buyers. The Odyssey is on the list, especially as Honda has moved focus away from the U.S. version of the Odyssey along with the Pilot to focus its energies on the U.S. Accord and Civic. The Stream wagon is also among the vehicles being considered for U.S. import, itself a somewhat smaller interpretation of the same basic concept as the JDM Odyssey.2008 Japanese-market Honda Odyssey Read More

While U.S. automakers are rushing to develop new small cars to take advantage of the rapidly growing market, established players in the segment like Honda are having trouble keeping up with demand. Sales of the Honda Civic in the U.S. have increased 14.8% in the past four months alone, and demand for the four-cylinder Accord is up by almost the same amount.

To meet this extra demand Honda needs to increase supply, and to do so it will add more shifts and overtime to its East Liberty plant in Ohio and Alliston plant in Ontario. These two plants are primarily responsible for the Civic sedan, which gets 25mpg in the city and 36mpg on the... While U.S. automakers are rushing to develop new small cars to take advantage of the rapidly growing market, established players in the segment like Honda are having trouble keeping up with demand. Sales of the Honda Civic in the U.S. have increased 14.8% in the past four months alone, and demand for the four-cylinder Accord is up by almost the same amount. To meet this extra demand Honda needs to increase supply, and to do so it will add more shifts and overtime to its East Liberty plant in Ohio and Alliston plant in Ontario. These two plants are primarily responsible for the Civic sedan, which gets 25mpg in the city and 36mpg on the highway when equipped with a five-speed automatic transmission and sells for $15,645. The four-cylinder Accord is produced at the Marysville plant, also in Ohio, and to boost capacity for this particular version Honda will move production of the V6 model to a plant in Lincoln, Alabama. While demand for Honda’s four-cylinder sedans is up, the opposite is true for its Odyssey minivan and Pilot SUV. So far this year Honda has cut production of these two vehicles by 10,000 units per year, and there are plans to reduce them by an additional 22,000 units. “We are trying to use our plant flexibility to minimize the effects of the market going down and satisfy our customers’ desire for more cars and fewer trucks,” Honda spokesman Ed Miller told the Detroit Free Press. So far this year, Honda has sold 313,032 Accords through the end of September - up 2.4% from the same period last year. Sales of the Honda Pilot, meanwhile, have decreased 16.8% through September to 79,430, while Odyssey sales declined 14% to 112,041.2009 Honda Civic Read More