Ever since its first appearance in 1995, the Honda Odyssey has been at the forefront of the minivan/MPV race. Now over two decades and 2.7 million units later, the fifth generation Honda Odyssey is here to entice prospective buyers away from its competitors.
Exterior
The exterior design of the 2018 Honda Odyssey isn’t a revolution as much as it is an evolution when compared to its predecessor. However, the latest iteration of Honda’s favorite minivan looks distinctly sleeker and purposeful in its stance. The heavily revised front fascia now adorns a sportier bumper with cutouts for the turn signals and LED fog lamps, a reworked grille with a signature ‘flying wing’ design chrome bar that extends right into the new and more aggressive-looking headlamps, and a more sculpted hood.
The side profile of the 2018 Honda Odyssey gains a couple of character lines to lend it a more sleek appeal, and the blackened D-pillars provide the roofline a ‘floating’ effect. The aforementioned character lines not only give this minivan a tauter and edgier look, they also contribute in making it seem a lot longer than what it really is. Honda has also moved the rails for the sliding doors and placed it just aft of the C-pillar, thus lending the design a cleaner look. And despite the slight increase in length and height, the wheelbase remains unchanged at 3.00 meters.
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The rear facade of the 2018 Honda Odyssey gets a thick chrome bar that runs across the tailgate, and then seamlessly merges into the new C-shaped, wrap-around taillamps. In addition to the reworked tailgate design, the shark-fin antenna and roof spoiler further help reduce the visible bulk of the new Odyssey.
Interior
The 2018 Honda Odyssey comes with a highly versatile cabin that can carry eight occupants, while still retaining a decent volume for hauling their stuff behind the third row. Whilst the latter can be split or folded down completely, the second row can be arranged in a multitude of ways to cater to your specific needs.
The 2018 Honda Odyssey will also prove quieter for its occupants - thanks in part to the thicker glass all around, an acoustic windshield and active noise cancellation. In addition, Honda has also improved the aerodynamics and added additional sound insulation to ensure better NVH levels.
Features and Tech
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On the safety front, the 2018 Honda Odyssey comes as standard with 8 airbags, ABS with EBD and BA, Vehicle Stability Assist, Traction Control, ISOFIX points, Hill-Start Assist, Electronic Parking Brake with Auto Hold feature, and a Tire Pressure Monitoring System. Higher variants will also add Adaptive Cruise Control, Blind-Spot Monitoring, Lane-Departure Warning, Collision-Mitigation System and Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, amongst others.
Standard features include power windows, power-adjustable driver and front passenger seats, electrically-operated sliding rear doors, a multifunction steering wheel with paddle shifters, and an 8-inch touchscreen audio system. The latter comes as standard with 7 speakers and supports USB, AUX, Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Other features on the 2018 Honda Odyssey include cruise control, alloy wheels, keyless entry with push-button start, rear-view camera, ambient lighting and automatic climate control.
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Specs & Trims
The 2018 Honda Odyssey is powered by a 3.5-liter naturally-aspirated V6 unit that develops 280 HP and 355 Nm of torque. This engine is mated to an all-new 10-speed automatic transmission that sends power to the front wheels and can hurl the two-ton Odyssey to 100 km/h in around the 7-second mark.
In the UAE, the 2018 Honda Odyssey is set to go on sale in November 2017. The price for the base LX will be AED 140,000, while it will be AED 153,000 for the mid-level EX-L, and the top Touring trim will wear a price tag of AED 173,000.
Verdict
Featuring a decent list of safety kit, great interior space, powerful V6 engine, and a more polished and refined driving experience than ever before, the new 2018 Honda Odyssey should give its competition a run for their money.
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