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2014 Honda Odyssey sucks it up for our editor

When we heard that the 2014 Honda Odyssey would be getting the world's first in-car vacuum, we had to check this thing out for ourselves. Called HondaVAC, this tidy little sucker was co-developed with Shop-Vac, and it's actually pretty neat. It comes standard on Odyssey's top-trim Touring Elite model and can be fitted with a wide range of attachments all housed in the cargo area. Honda notes that the vacuum hose is long enough to reach surfaces in every part of the Odyssey's cabin, and that it will even run for a full eight minutes after the vehicle is turned off.
Good thing, then, that Honda chose to show off the new 2014 Odyssey here at the New York Auto Show, as Autoblog west coast editor Michael Harley clumsily managed to spill some snacks all over the cargo area (we tried to convince him to give himself a hickey, but he declined on grounds that his wife might not let him attend any more auto shows). Take a look at the video below to see just how well the new minivan cleans up.

Honda reports $1.9 billion profit in first quarter despite sales lag at home

Ford, General Motors and Chrysler have been living in a world of sunshine and buttercups after their April-through-June financials hit the newswire, and Toyota is doing pretty good as well. Honda? Not so much.
While Japan's third-largest manufacturer saw $1.9 billion in profits, the 5.1-percent jump was lower than expected thanks to a drop in its home-market sales. US sales also took a sting, as Honda hasn't been able to match the SUV and truck demand that are currently permeating the American market, despite an uptick in Accord sales.
Honda's initial forecasts targeted a take of 209.3 billion yen ($2.1 billion at today's rates), and while a $200 million shortfall is nothing to sniff at, we'd hardly take this as Honda being in trouble. And even with the dip, Honda hasn't adjusted its forecast for the fiscal year, which remains at 780 billion yen ($7.9 billion).

Honda shows off Civic Tourer ahead of Frankfurt debut

This is the new Honda Civic Tourer that will be appearing at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month and that will go on sale in Europe early next year. Created by Honda's European studio, it tweaks the lines and the glasswork of the five-door Civic to create a more muscular profile below the shoulder.
When it's time to haul, a lower load height allows access to a slightly higher floor, arranged so that it creates a flat surface when the rear seats are folded. Honda says the Civic Tourer offers class-leading interior space, the cargo area able to swallow 624 liters from the floor to the window line with the rear seats up, 1,668 liters with the rear seats down and items piled up to the roof. Extra storage can be had in below-floor spaces, and even the rear seat bolsters can flip up to make space for tall goods. An included tonneau cover hides valuables in the back and can be stored out of the way when not in use.
Under the hood will be either the Earth Dreams 1.6 i-DTEC diesel engine or the 1.8 i-VTEC petrol engine, working through a choice of manual or automatic transmissions. An adaptive damper system aims to provide handling to match the looks, with available comfort, normal and dynamic settings.