Pretend you are working to upgrade one of the industry leading family and people movers, as it is the case with this 2014 Honda Odyssey. What feature would you add? Is there anything you would take away? How about introducing an industry first feature? Mercedes-Benz did it with the introduction of the “Active Perfuming System” on the 2014 S-Class. Honda engineers used their imagination and came up with the HondaVAC system for the updated 2014 Odyssey.
HondaVAC is a built-in vacuum which fits in on the driver side of the rear cargo compartment. Honda collaborated with folks at Shop-Vac on designing this system. It uses a powerful electric motor, has a replaceable filter and canister bag, and comes with two nozzle attachments. Honda says that the hose is long enough to reach any corner of the Odyssey interior, yet can be put back and neatly stored inside its compartment. The dust canister can be easily removed and dumped. HondaVAC does not require an outside power source and does not require any special recharging procedure. You can use it freely when the engine is running, or up to eight minutes after the engine is turned off. On first look, this appears to be a very useful feature and is a great differentiator in the highly competitive minivan market. Initial reaction has been very positive. Honda did not specify the pricing of the HondaVAC feature.
Expect the 2014 Honda Odyssey at the dealerships this summer.
TFLcar has been with this generation of the Odyssey from the very beginning. Check out Roman asking about the Honda Odyssey concept at the 2010 Chicago Auto Show in this TFLcar “classics” video:
Andre Smirnov is a life-long automotive enthusiast, software engineer, writer, and reporter. He has been writing and reporting at TFLcar since 2011. When not working or spending time with the family – you can find him tinkering in the garage or scouring the internet and other media for various automotive, mechanical, and computer related information.
