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2014 Honda Odyssey set to clean up in NY with world's first in-car vacuum

Much of the minivan segment's volume has been sucked up by the industry's ever-increasing appetite for crossovers, but a few major players are hanging in there, eager to serve as beasts of burden for America's families. Chief among those players is Honda, which is showing its revamped 2014 Odyssey at this week's New York Auto Show with a potential game-changing feature - an in-car vacuum.
Co-developed with Shop-Vac, the HondaVAC system will come standard on the range-topping Touring Elite model. The system includes a replaceable filter and canister bag, along with a range of attachments located in the cargo hold. Honda says this first-ever feature includes a hose that is long enough to clean the entire interior. Better still, the vacuum will run for up to eight minutes after the vehicle is turned off, so you can get every last Cheerio out of the seat cushions, and it never needs plugging in or recharging, as it runs off of the vehicle's electrical system.
In other news, the 2014 Odyssey gets a new aluminum hood and fenders to pair with its revamped grille and lower fascia. Headlamps get a more sinister look thanks to darker surrounds, and there are new LED taillamps out back, as well as revamped side mirrors on the doors. Underneath the skin, Honda says the 2014 Odyssey has received structural changes to help it ace the Insurance Institute For Highway Safety's new small-overlap frontal crash test, and it's also added active safety features like lane departure warning and forward collision warning to the optional features list.

Honda to use English as its official language

Honda still has its headquarters in Japan and offices all over the world, but expect to hear a little less Japanese from the automaker in the coming years. A small statement in the business' latest sustainability report (available here as a PDF) announces English will become the official language for interregional communication by 2020. Honda believes that the change should foster better contact between countries as Japan becomes a less central focus for the company. As part of this shift, any documents or questions during interregional meetings, plus any other information being shared between territories, must be in English. To put some extra weight behind the mandate, the ability to speak the language is going to be a requirement for future promotions to management. In the meantime, "Honda has implemented measures in Japan that include study programs aimed at boosting English language skills," the sustainability report said. According to Automotive News, former CEO Takanobu Ito called the idea of making English an official language for company communications "stupid" five years ago. Although even under his watch, things were changing. In 2013, Honda adopted English as the main form of discourse in global meetings. The decision to lessen the focus on Japanese within Honda stems in part from changing worker demographics and major sales regions. According to Automotive News, 81 percent of the company's production comes from outside of Japan, and the country only accounts for about a third of the workforce. Also, 40 percent of global sales are from North America. Honda is quickly transitioning into a more global company in general. For example, the latest Civic Type R is assembled in the UK but has an engine from the US. Also, North America is getting the European made Civic five-door hatchback for the venerable model's next generation. English as the Official Language Setting English as the official language in inter- regional communications It is vital to develop an environment that achieves close communication between associates in six regions worldwide in order for the Honda Group to display its comprehensive capabilities while local sites are independent.

Honda tunes HR-V, shows Baja Pilot pre-runner at SEMA

Honda has a lot more at the SEMA Show than just it's tough looking, Baja-prepped Ridgeline, but the automaker isn't really saying a whole lot about them. Even though the company has a massive gallery of photos showing off these aftermarket creations, Honda has kept details about their mods quite sparse. While the Ridgeline Baja Race Truck guns for the checkered flag, the Pilot Baja Chase Vehicle is going along for the ride in case any assistance is necessary. The crossover wears a similar Honda Racing livery as its turbocharged sibling, and the company outfits the machine with an LED bar, bumper guards, and off-road tires to get through the desert. Honda also wants buyers to know that there's tuning potential from their new HR-V. To show what's possible from the little crossover, tuners like Bisimoto Engineering, MAD Industries, Tjin Edition and Fox Marketing have some wild creations on display. The weirdest of the bunch definitely is the bizarre pink example above. The little CUV tries to look tough with a wide-body kit, new front bumper, big side sills, and a lowered suspension over metallic gold wheels. Other takes on the model make it ready for the track or to haul Honda's Grom motorcycle. Finally, the 2016 Pilot Elite Concept "Black Edition" wears production and concept components from Honda Genuine Accessories. Darkened parts for the wheels, grille, and trim give the crossover a handsome, monochromatic aesthetic. You can check out the whole SEMA cavalcade in the gallery above. Vehicles on Display in the Honda Booth at the 2015 SEMA Show Nov 3, 2015 - LAS VEGAS In additional to the Ridgeline Baja Race Truck announced today, Honda also showcased accessorized and customized versions of multiple new Honda models, including: Pilot Baja Chase Vehicle – a specially tuned 2016 Honda Pilot, in desert racing livery, which will operate as a support vehicle in Honda's SCORE Baja 1000 campaign. Pioneer 1000 – Honda's newest and most powerful side-by-side offering, also in custom desert raving livery, will accompany the Pilot Baja Chase Vehicle on the Baja peninsula to assist in the racing effort. 2016 Honda CR-Z hybrid sports coupe – making its North American debut and boasting new styling, upgraded equipment and features and a new EX-L Navi trim. 2016 Honda HR-V -- four custom-designed HR-Vs from top U.S.