Review: Honda RC1.I Odyssey (2014-17)

Overview

Released in February 2014, the Honda RC1 Series I (RC1.I) Odyssey was a large, people mover. Manufactured in Sayama, Japan, the front-wheel drive Honda Odyssey was powered by a 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine which was mated to a continuously variable transmission (CVT). As per the table below, the RC1 Odyssey range consisted of eight-seat VTi and seven-seat VTi-L variants.

From 1 July 2017, the Honda RC1 Odyssey was sold with a five year, unlimited kilometre warranty; if the vehicle was used for commercial purposes, however, the warranty was limited to five years or 140,000 kilometres, whichever came first.

K24W4 engine

Shared with the Honda CR3 Accord , the 2.4-litre K24W4 four-cylinder engine had a die-cast aluminium block, pressure-cast aluminium alloy cylinder head, double overhead camshafts (chain-driven), four valves per cylinder and a compression ratio of 10.1:1. The engine also featured Honda’s i-VTEC (intelligent Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control) system which consisted of:

A VTEC system which adjusted valve lift, timing and duration of the intake valves for low- and high- rpm (i.e. above 5000 rpm) profiles; and,
Variable Timing Control (VTC) which continuously adjusted the intake camshaft phase.

The K24W4 engine also had an ‘Idle Stop’ function which enabled it to shut down when the Odyssey was stationary in traffic and restart when the brake pedal was released.

Honda RC1.I Odyssey specifications
Variant	Engine	Trans.	Peak power	Peak torque
VTi, VTi-L	2.4-litre K24W24 petrol I4	CVT	129 kW at 6200 rpm	225 Nm at 4000 rpm

Dimensions and body

Compared to the Honda RB3 Odyssey , the RC1 Odyssey was 30 mm longer (at 4840 mm), the same width (1800 mm), 150 mm taller (1695 mm) and had a 70 mm longer wheelbase (2900 mm); cargo capacity was 300 litres. While VTi variants had three second row seats, VTi-L variants were fitted with two ‘captain’s chairs’ which could slide forwards or backwards by up to 740 mm.

Unlike previous models, the RC1 Odyssey had sliding second row doors on both sides of the vehicle which had 1230 mm (height) by 750 mm (width) openings. For VTi variants, only the passenger side rear door had a power-operated, one-touch opening/closing; for VTi-L variants, both rear doors had this functionality.

Suspension

The RC1 Odyssey had MacPherson strut front suspension and torsion beam rear suspension with amplitude reactive dampers.

Safety equipment

Standard safety equipment for the Honda RC1 Odyssey included dual front airbags, front side airbags, full-length curtain airbags (i.e. for all three rows of occupants), ABS, electronic brake force distribution, brake assist, electronic stability control, traction control and front seatbelts with pretensioners and load limiters.

The Honda Odyssey VTi-L was further equipped with blind spot monitoring and a rear cross-traffic warning.

ANCAP crash testing

In ANCAP crash testing , the Honda RC1 Odyssey received a five star adult occupant protection rating with a score of 32.75 out of 37. In the offset crash test, protection of the driver’s head, chest and thighs were rated as good, though protection of the driver’s lower left leg and feet were rated as marginal. Maximum points, however, were awarded in the side impact and pole tests.

Features: Honda Odyssey VTi

Standard features for the Honda Odyssey VTi included 17-inch alloy wheels with 215/55 R17 98V tyres, a six speaker sound system with a CD player, MP3/WMA compatibility and auxiliary inputs, a seven-inch touchscreen with satellite navigation and an HDMI port, Bluetooth mobile phone connectivity and audio streaming, dual-zone climate control air conditioning, cloth seats, cruise control, a reversing camera, daytime LED running lights, automatic headlights, a three-seat second row bench, 40/20/40 split and folding third row seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, remote central locking, power windows and mirrors, a height and reach adjustable steering wheel, a height adjustable driver’s seat, tyre pressure monitoring, a trip computer and an immobiliser.

In February 2017, new split-pocket storage pockets were introduced on the back of the front seats.

Features: Honda Odyssey VTi-L

Relative to the Odyssey VTi, Honda Odyssey VTi-L variants were further equipped with three-zone climate control air conditioning, leather seats, an eight-way power adjustable driver’s seat, a four-way power adjustable front passenger seat, heated front seats, two sliding ‘captain’s chair’ second row seats with extending footrests, a 360 degree multi-view camera, Smart Parking Assist, directional LED headlights, front fog lights, a proximity key, power sunroof, courtesy lamps, rear door blinds and push-button start. Visually, the Odyssey VTi-L variants could be identified by their ‘aero’ front and rear bumpers, sports grilles and side skirts.

In February 2017, the Honda Odyssey VTi-L was updated with the following measures:

The second-row ‘captain’s chairs’ were fitted with ISOFIX compatible anchorage points for child restraint systems;
Privacy glass was introduced for the second row, third row and tailgate windows; and,
The front fascia was revised with a dark chrome upper grille, black three-bar lower grille and darkened headlight housings.

Brochure

Review: Honda RC1.II Odyssey (2017-on)