Honda refurbished last-year’s top-selling minivan in the U.S., the Odyssey, to compete with Toyota Motor Corp.’s Sienna and lure younger drivers from “crossover” light trucks that have eroded the segment’s sales.
The 2011 Odyssey goes on sale Sept. 30 with a new look and a base price of $27,800, or $1,000 more than the current version.
“This stigma attached to the minivan as being boxy and not as appealing from a styling standpoint, we tried to address that,” Catalin Matei, Honda’s senior designer for the Odyssey, said in an interview in La Jolla, California. “We kept the functionality and increased interior volume. The appearance is lower, wider, more sporty.”
Fuel economy for the V-6 engine Odyssey improved to a combined 21 miles per gallon in city and highway driving for LX and EX grades, from 18 mpg previously, Honda said. Fuel economy for the Odyssey Touring grade, a high-end version that starts at $40,755, improved to a combined 22 mpg from 20 mpg, aided by the use of a 6-speed automatic transmission.
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