2014 Honda Odyssey Remains the Only Minivan to Achieve Top Rating of GOOD in IIHS Small Overlap Frontal Test Earning a TOP SAFETY PICK+ Rating

TORRANCE, Calif., Nov. 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2014 Honda Odyssey is the only minivan to earn the highest possible ratings of GOOD in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's (IIHS) stringent small overlap frontal crash test and is a 2014 TOP SAFETY PICK+ designation when equipped with optional front crash prevention. The Honda Odyssey became the first minivan to earn the TOP SAFETY PICK+ rating in August of 2013. The IIHS created the small overlap frontal crash test to replicate what happens when the front corner of a car collides with another vehicle or an object such as a tree or utility pole.

"Honda's commitment to the safety of its customers is clearly demonstrated by the segment-leading safety ratings of the Odyssey," said Art St. Cyr, vice president of auto operations at American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "As the only minivan to offer the highest possible IIHS-rated protection in small overlap crashes, car buyers can look to the Honda Odyssey to securely and safely transport what's most important – their families."

Already the benchmark minivan in terms of fuel efficiency and innovative features, occupant safety for the 2014 Honda Odyssey is further enhanced through the next-generation Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure. The second-generation of the ACE™ body structure has also been applied to the 2014 Honda Accord Coupe and Sedan and the 2014 Civic Sedan models that previously achieved the TOP SAFETY PICK+ rating.

The next-generation ACE^™ body structure improves 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.

Standard safety equipment on all Honda and Acura models include 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 providing additional protection in situations where occupants move in a more angled outboard trajectory, such as those that might occur in oblique or offset crashes.

The company also is offering advanced driver-assistive technologies such as LaneWatch™, Forward Collision Warning and Lane Departure Warning as available technologies to a broad segment of its product lineup. Also, Honda has applied rearview cameras as standard equipment to 100-percent of its vehicle lineup for the 2015 model year.

Honda Safety Leadership
Honda has a long history of leadership in the development and application of advanced technologies designed 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, in Ohio and Japan, and is responsible for numerous pioneering efforts in the areas of crashworthiness, airbag technology, collision compatibility and pedestrian safety.

¹ Based on 2014 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) TOP SAFETY PICK and TOP SAFETY PICK+ ratings as of 11/20/14.

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SOURCE Honda