Honda Odyssey Continues Safety Leadership with 14-Year History of Top Safety Scores from U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

• 2014 Honda Odyssey achieves highest Overall Vehicle Score, 5-Stars
• Odyssey is the fifth Honda or Acura vehicle for 2014 to achieve both a TSP/TSP+ from IIHS and an NCAP 5-Star Overall Vehicle Score

MARKHAM, ON, Feb. 11, 2014 /CNW/ - Honda announced that The newly updated 2014 Honda Odyssey, has received a 5-Star Overall Vehicle Score, the top score available, in the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) New Car Assessment Program (NCAP).  This means the 2014 Odyssey is the only minivan to earn the highest possible rating of TOP SAFETY PICK+ from the U.S. IIHS, including a top score of GOOD in the new small overlap front test, and the NHTSA NCAP 5-Star Overall Vehicle Score for 2014.

"With a 14-year history of top ratings in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program, even as those top ratings have become harder to achieve, family car buyers have learned that the Odyssey is designed to help take care of their precious cargo," said Dave Gardner,vice president of sales and marketing  at Honda Canada Inc. "For customers looking to buy a minivan that achieves the highest-available safety ratings from the NHTSA and the IIHS, the Odyssey is the one and only choice."

Already the benchmark minivan in terms of fuel efficiency¹ and innovative features, the Odyssey's occupant safety features for the 2014 model year are further enhanced through the application of Honda's next-generation Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure. The next-generation ACE^™ body structure is designed to improve frontal crash energy management through a wider range of offset and oblique collision modes. In addition, other body reinforcements work in tandem with the strengthened body structure to better maintain the occupant compartment volume during frontal collisions by providing additional crash energy pathways to help mitigate the forces transmitted to the passenger compartment.

In addition to applying the ACE^™ body structure to most of its models, standard safety and driver assistive technology on all Honda models includes Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA®) with traction control; an Anti-lock Braking System (ABS); side curtain airbags (some vehicles equipped with a rollover sensor as well); dual-stage, multiple-threshold front airbags; and front side airbags.

While Honda has made structural improvements to the 2014 Odyssey, Honda also has applied a new type of side curtain airbag that includes a front chamber design intended to provide additional protection in situations where occupants move in a more angled outboard trajectory, such as those that occur in oblique or offset crashes.

The Odyssey represents Honda's robust product development and manufacturing capabilities in North America. Designed in Los Angeles and engineered at Honda R&D America's in Ohio, the Odyssey is manufactured by Honda Manufacturing of Alabama, LLC, using domestic and globally sourced parts. More than 93 percent of all Hondas sold in Canada are built in North America.

About Honda 

Honda Canada Inc. was founded in 1969. It has produced more than 6 million cars and trucks since 1986 at its two manufacturing facilities and builds engines at a third manufacturing plant in Alliston, Ontario.  Both manufacturing facilities are extremely flexible and currently build Honda Civic and CR-V models.  Honda Canada has invested more than $2.6 billion in Canada and each year it sources nearly $1.1 billion in goods and services from Canadian suppliers. Honda Canada has sold more than 3.8 million Honda and Acura passenger cars and light-duty trucks in Canada.  

Honda Safety Leadership

Honda has a long history of leadership in the development and application of advanced technologies and designs meant to enhance the safety of all road users, including automobile occupants, motorcycle riders, and pedestrians. The company operates two of the world's most sophisticated crash test facilities and is responsible for numerous pioneering efforts in the areas of crashworthiness, airbag technology, collision compatibility and pedestrian safety.

Further information for Odyssey can be found at www.hondanews.ca.

¹ Based on Fuel Consumption Guide ratings from Natural Resources Canada. Transport Canada approved test methods used. Your actual fuel consumption will vary based on driving habits and other factors - use for comparison only.

SOURCE: Honda Canada Inc.

Maki Inoue [phone]