Move on from people-movers

When is a seven-seater not a people-mover? When it's a Honda Odyssey, reports motoring editor ALASTAIR SLOANE


The people-mover segment occupies just 2 per cent of the new-car market in New Zealand. Large cars have a 27 per cent slice. So do small cars. Medium cars have 20 per cent, recreational vehicles (read mostly four-wheel-drive) 16 per cent, and Micro cars 8 per cent.

The lines between categories are often blurred. But not with seven-seat people-movers. They are clearly defined: bells and whistles mini-buses sold as ideal vehicles for mum and the kids.

That's their problem, say the people at Honda New Zealand. "The MPV is not accepted in New Zealand," said managing director Graeme Seymour. "It's a car that many Kiwis need but they haven't been allowed to buy it because it lacks panache."

Seymour cited his experience with the seven-seat Honda Odyssey which he had as a company car. "I liked it, but my wife was uncomfortable in it. Not the seating, but the car itself."

Carmakers have largely themselves to blame. Many picked up on overseas advertising and marketing research, which had people-movers as the soccer mum stereotype.

The rugby mum and dad might have worked better in New Zealand. Maybe the cricket coach, or netball coach. Designated drivers for the Cosmopolitan Club darts team, university drinking team, RSA bowls team. Whatever.

It doesn't matter now anyway. Sales of people-movers still just tick over. Between three and four a day throughout the country, about 1400 a year, said Seymour.

Soccer, rugby and netball mums and dads drive four-wheel-drives instead. "Eighty-two per cent of vehicles in the seven-seat market are large RVs [four-wheel-drives]," he said. Figures show RVs will continue to put the squeeze on people-movers.

That's one of the reasons Honda has pulled its new seven-seat Odyssey out of the category. It's not an MPV, it's a car, the company said. Marketing manager Graeme Meyer even spelled it out: "We have a new anagram for Odyssey - C-A-R," he said.

The decision to market Odyssey as a family car came from Honda Japan. "People-movers suffer from an image of necessary practicality - the car you buy when personal preference and driving enjoyment are sacrificed for family needs," it said. So it set out to sex-up the Odyssey, which sits on the Accord platform.

Engineers were told to think sports car and designers were asked to make it look like anything other than a van. It sharpened the styling, handling and ride and jazzed up the interior, with an instrument panel offering 3D-like dials.

It gave it a new wedge-like look, with a lower roofline to lower the centre of gravity. It redesigned the floor, suspension, exhaust system and fuel tank for more interior room.

The rear row of seats are power-operated. They fold backwards into the floor and the second row tumble forwards resulting is pretty much a flat load surface.

It shortened the distance between front and rear wheels for improved agility but it kept one Odyssey signature: the high driving position and easy entry.

Then it hired Japanese Formula One driver Takuma Sato to give the car a workout. The Takasu test circuit is modelled on the famous old Nurburgring circuit in Germany, with numerous blind crests, high-speed corners and hairpins.

How many does Honda expect to sell? "It depends how well we get our [car] message across. We believe we have a new winner, like the CRV in 1996, the Jazz in 2002 and the Euro Accord last year."

There are four Odyssey models: the entry-level VTi at $38,600; VTI at $43,700; VTIL at $44,500 and VTILS at $47,500. Each is powered by a 2.4-litre four-cylinder producing 118kW at 5500rpm and 218Nm of torque at 4500rpm mated to a five-speed automatic gearbox with manual mode.

As expected the Odyssey comes well equipped. There's no stability system, however. Presumably Honda didn't think the Odyssey needed it.

The range of colours includes green but on order-only as green cars aren't popular. Green policies are, which is why Honda New Zealand will donate 10 trees under its nationwide tree-planting programme for every Odyssey sold.