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Honda confirms 2014 Odyssey and Acura MDX for New York

Look beneath the seats of a Honda Odyssey and you'll likely find a handful of that iconic loop cereal loved by toddlers nationwide. And to show that Honda understands its minivan's target market, it is using the breakfast staple to announce its plans to reveal the updated 2014 model at next week's New York Auto Show. While the announcement is creative, it unfortunately lacks much in the way of information, leaving us with little more than a vague teaser alluding to "some innovative new features."
As expected, Honda has also confirmed we will see the production version of the 2014 Acura MDX in New York. We expect the 2014 MDX to look very much like the prototype we saw in January at the Detroit Auto Show with only slight differences. The 3.5-liter i-VTEC V6 will be offered with all-wheel drive or, in a first for MDX, front-wheel drive.
You'll find the official press snippets for both below, and we'll have live images and details on both from the New York show. Until then... Cheerio!

2015 Honda Fit earns 5 Stars from NHTSA

Honda's emergency redesign of the new Fit's front end not only had a positive effect on its scores from Insurance Institute for Highway Safety – it recorded a Top Safety Pick after being retested – but it helped the compact hatch record an impressive NCAP five-star safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Those are two significant achievements for the Fit, and surprise, surprise, the Honda was quick to tout the news. "The Fit shows that owning a smaller car doesn't mean you need to skimp on space, comfort or crashworthiness," said Honda's VP of auto operations Art St. Cyr. "Honda's commitment to the safety of our customers and other road users is second to none, and the Fit demonstrates this commitment in a powerful way." Check out the official PR on the NHTSA announcement, available below. All-New 2015 Honda Fit Achieves Highest Overall Vehicle Score from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Feb 2, 2015 - TORRANCE, Calif. Subcompact Fit achieves both an NCAP 5-Star Overall Vehicle Score and an IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK rating Fit is the fifth Honda vehicle for 2015 to achieve top crash safety ratings from both from IIHS and NHTSA The spacious, fuel-efficient and versatile 2015 Honda Fit (http://automobiles.honda.com/fit/), has received a 5-Star Overall Vehicle Score, the top score available in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). The Fit, completely redesigned in 2014, earns both a TOP SAFETY PICK rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and a NCAP 5-Star Overall Vehicle Score from NHTSA for 2015, making it even more of a standout choice in its segment. "The Fit shows that owning a smaller car doesn't mean you need to skimp on space, comfort or crashworthiness," said Art St. Cyr, vice president of auto operations at American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "Honda's commitment to the safety of our customers and other road users is second to none, and the Fit demonstrates this commitment in a powerful way." Already the benchmark subcompact in terms of passenger and cargo space and innovative features, occupant safety features for the 2015 Honda Fit are further enhanced through the next-generation Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure. The ACE™ body structure improves frontal crash energy management through a wider range of offset and oblique collision modes.

2016 Honda Pilot First Drive [w/video]

For all it had going for it, the second-generation Honda Pilot was stung by one undeniable fact: it looked like a big, boxy SUV at a time when consumer favor was shifting towards car-based crossovers. For 2016, though, Honda is offering a third-generation Pilot that not only does away with the old model's brutalist looks, but also adopts bleeding-edge safety technology and fuel-efficient powertrains. The Pilot's new styling still doesn't really work, to our eyes. That's not because of the CR-V-inspired headlights or Accord-derived grille. It's not even because of the horizontally oriented, reshaped taillights. The biggest problem with the Pilot is its profile. The hood is an inch lower for 2016, and the CUV is 3.5 inches longer than its predecessor with an extra inch ahead of the front axle. Simply put, the proportions are out of whack. The hood is too short, the passenger compartment too large, and the beltline too low. It's little wonder then that both Autoblog staffers and readers have pointed out the 2016 Pilot's minivan-like resemblance. Changes underneath the Pilot's sheetmetal are just as drastic. Honda incorporated a mix of high-strength steel, aluminum, and even magnesium to create the CUV's new bones. Taken as a whole, our top-of-the-line Elite tester is 286 pounds lighter than the previous model, while being 25 percent more rigid overall. Aside from some penny pinching in the cabin – the hard plastic on the top of the rear door panels is particularly egregious – the Pilot's interior is home to soft-touch plastics, quality leather, and handsome piano black accents. Front passengers are treated to broad, comfortable, power seats, complete with heating and ventilation (depending on trim). What they lack in outright support through the turns, they make up for in long-haul comfort. Honda will continue to sell the Pilot with seating for eight, but for the very first time, it's also offering a pair of captain's chairs in place of the second-row bench. Either setup is comfortable, though the seven-passenger layout allows easier access to the third row. As for the way-back, it can accommodate two kids or two adults in a pinch, but we aren't sure how Honda thinks three humans of any size will fit back there. Happily, Honda ditched the two-screen center stack setup found elsewhere in its model range. The Pilot's ample eight-inch display (standard on the Touring and Elite trims) has menus that are easy to manage.