Honda unveiled the production 2018 Odyssey today at Detroit’s North American International Auto Show, revealing a thoroughly redesigned but wholly familiar family hauling box. New features include second row seats that slide side-to-side, as well as an interior camera to monitor mischievous rear-seat occupants.
Mechanical innovations include an optional, all-new 10-speed automatic transmission built at Honda’s Georgia transmission plant, and an upgraded 3.5 liter V6 that now produces 280 horsepower.
The cabin is where it’s at in a minivan, however, and Honda has piled on plenty of new features to satisfy drivers and passengers alike. The new Magic Slide second row seat will slide side to side to allow for multiple seating and rear-seat access configurations, as well as the usual fore and aft adjustment. Removing the center seat allows the outboard captains chairs to slide together for easier third row access, or the chairs can remain apart to minimize sibling conflicts.
When the kids are getting rowdy, parents up front can easily be distracted by the need for discipline — dad’s threat of, “I’ll turn this car around right now” is familiar to anyone who’s taken a long road trip.
To ease the burden, the Odyssey offers Cabin Watch — a night vision-enhanced camera, mounted on the ceiling, that allows front seat occupants to monitor the rear rows for horseplay, or to check the status of a sleeping baby. When that doesn’t work, the driver can easily speak rearward with Cabin Talk, which broadcasts either through the vehicle speakers or through the rear-seat entertainment system’s wireless headphones.
Because everything these days must have an app, Honda has one that allows passengers to control the rear-seat entertainment system, heating and cooling. The screens for the system are larger than previous models at 10.2 inches (diagonally), and can now stream video via an integrated 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot, public Wi-Fi, or tethered through an existing cellphone data plan.
In recent years, the excellent Honda Sensing suite of driver assistance and safety systems have been expensive add-ons, keeping these features out of reach of some shoppers. Now, on trims EX and above — which Honda states makes up approximately 95 percent of all Odysseys — the minivan will have Lane Keeping Assist, Collision Mitigation Braking System, Adaptive Cruise Control, and Road Departure Mitigation systems as standard equipment.
Sadly, the styling doesn’t reflect the spy drawings we spotted last month — the “lightning bolt” profile to the rear quarter window remains, echoed in a pair of body-side slashes. The tracks for the sliding side doors are now integrated into the bottom of that quarter window, rather than separate.
The 2018 Honda Odyssey will be in showrooms in fall 2017. Pricing will be announced later.
[Images: © 2017 Chris Tonn/The Truth About Cars; Honda]
Centered 2nd row is perfect for parents who’d like added cushion zone between their kid and glass/metal intrusions in the event of a side-impact. Weird front side windowlettes. Downgrade in that aspect, though I wonder if it’s better in an overlap crash.
Also want to see which trims get the glossy black window pillars vs. the matte plastic ones. The matte ones looked so cheap. =/
I have the cheap matte plastic pillars on my LX. I don’t feel bad when beating them senseless with the scraper as I get ice off the van in -25C weather. Same goes for the side “guard” moldings and mirror caps. Cheap black plastic ftw!
I grew up with base 1998 Sienna with black plastic bumpers and it looked terrible no matter how often I washed it. And my parents made me wash it a lot. =P Funny thing is, now Land Rover, Jeep and other companies charge extra for the blacked out trim bits. Mercedes even calls it Night Edition.
But here the matte stuff breaks up the silhouette and makes windows appear to be disjointed boxes instead of one continuous shape, especially when the greenhouse shape is central to the Odyssey’s design.
All the Previas used the same (polypropylene) bumper covers (and cladding). After a while, they develop a zebra stripe effect.
Methinks this and the other premium minivan have long been styled, optioned and priced onto a plateau that is unreachable by most American families having enough kids to need a minivan.
I guess there’s always used.
Street price of an EX-L will likely be $35K, which is about average these days for a new vehicle. You want inexpensive, you go to your FCA store.
The average new vehicle, adjusted for inflation, is no more expensive than 25 years ago and much better equipped. The problem is that wages/earning power haven’t kept pace.
A Chrysler Town and Country in 1992 was around 26k, which is about 44k in today’s money or the same as an Odyssey Elite or a top end Pacifica.
Can you quote your source for those numbers in 1992? I bought one of the first minivans in 1984 for right at 10K. I purchased another in 1987 with 3 liter V6 for 13K. 22K seems like a pretty danged big jump over a 5 year period. My mother in law’s T&C in 2006 was only 25K. Of course, these were negotiated prices, except for the 84 model of which there was such a great demand, there was zero negotiation, particularly on the LE model.
https://www.cars.com/research/chrysler-town_and_country-1992/
The LX Odyssey is very nicely equipped and not very expensive. The tech added on top is what makes minivans expensive. Keep it simple and it’s much better.
I had a loaner LX when our EX-L was in the shop overnight. It wasn’t a huge downgrade, but it reminded me why we went for the EX-L. I’ve never had a problem in 3 years with the power doors either. Or anything else really.
People don’t buy Odysseys because they need the room, they buy them usually because they want the ~premium~ option in the class. I saw a base model the other day (with the matte black trim/door handles) and realized it’s probably the first one I’d ever seen. Of course, now that there won’t be any dirt cheap Grand Caravans to go around, who knows who will pick up the low-end minivan market slack. It should be Kia, owner satisfaction is surprisingly high for the Sedona.
While the new Odyssey may change things (Honda managed to make the Odyssey even uglier), the “premium” option in the segment has been the Sedona im SX-L trim.
Again, with the floating roof.
That is a really ugly minivan. It’s way over styled. These swoops on the side remind me of the Mazda 5. Not a good look to be reminded of. The “floating” D pillar and strange “lightning bolt” effect make the back end look like it’s got a droopy ass. Pacifica undoubtably the best looking minivan on the market.
Our 08 Mazda 5 is fine, if a bit generic. I was never sold on the 2nd gen “Happy Mazda” style. And the rear styling went from “spacevan” to “station wagon” in its look.
“Cabin Talk”? More like Cabin Yell.
That third interior photo… I’m still convinced there’s a Tiny Man modelling agency that sprung up solely for the needs of CAFE-inflicted OEMs.
My only question is will Honda put the same POS Pilot transmission into this new Odyssey?
“all-new 10-speed automatic transmission built at Honda’s Georgia transmission plant”
I only wonder if it still has air-filled electric motor mounts.
http://www.autozone.com/external-engine/motor-mount/duralast-motor-mount/695558_0_4222?checkfit=true
$211.99 each? That’s some pricey air. VatoZone parts – I wonder where they’re made?
“The 2018 Honda Odyssey will be in showrooms in fall 2017.”
This says Spring 2017: http://www.hondanews.com/releases/all-new-2018-honda-odyssey-minivan-makes-world-debut-at-2017-naias-takes-family-friendly-design-performance-and-technology-to-the-next-level
So just to confirm, if you have three seats in the second row (so 8 seat configuration) and you remove the middle seat then the two outboard ones can slide? Or is it just with the captain chair option (7 seat configuration) and those seats slide?
“Removing the center seat allows the outboard captains chairs to slide together for easier third row access, or the chairs can remain apart to minimize sibling conflicts.”
Now, my question is, could this system be rigged up to work with a single seat? Alternatively, are the outboard seats removable?
The middle row of the current one is removable, don’t know if the captains are but I would think so.
Are we approaching “Peak Minivan”? Each redesign/refresh/cleansheet design seems to get closer to a late 1980s Conversion Van in size and seating configurations.
If the rearmost seat converted into a bed, we’d really have something. :-)
Most full sized minivans are about 200″ long, 78″ wide, and 79″ high. The dimensions aren’t much different than the 1996 Dodge Grand Caravan, although curb weight has gone up a few hundred pounds.
If the van’s a rockin’…
Looks like a solid refresh, but breaks no new ground. Chrysler now owns the green market with the hybrid Pacifica. Toyota owns the AWD option. Chevy has the SUV-like with the new Traverse, and Kia owns the budget market.
I’d like to see Honda start taking some chances again.
Odyssey from 1999 to 2010 had the same basic structure and looked almost identical (except tail lights) from the A pillar back.
This new Odyssey was rumored to have an SH-AWD option to finally compete with the Sienna. The latter holds a commanding margin of takers in our circle of friends due to the AWD option and the desire to get up to the ski areas without chains. I’m not seeing any AWD mentions since the debut so hopefully they are just holding it back until after the initial release.
Is an intercom really necessary? It’s a minivan for crying out loud, not a bus.
With the road noise on lower trim models, yes. I can’t hear the front row when I’m sitting in the second row of my mother’s CR-V, although granted, I am hearing-impaired.
“Cabin Talk” should be an option on all Hondas.
Not attractive. It reminds me of the Chinese Buick G8 van. Design has become a real struggle at Honda lately.
Lately? Honda’s been messing up designs for a decade now. I *hate* that 2008 Accord to this day.
Anyway, yes, it’s still a weird mess of angles and lines, but it did fix a few of the flaws of the hideous current model, at least.
I thought you got renamed ‘Rouge Sport’
I would submit the droopy a$$ 2003 Accord or the dopey block-eyed 2009 Pilot or the last decade of Civics as much worse Honda styling atrocities over the 2008 Accord.
in my lifetime so far I’ve bought 9 hondas, 5 of em bought new.
I will not be buying any honda in the future with those tackyass s2000 instruments.
And this thing is just as ugly as the last minivan.
no
I’m sure your departure will be much lamented.
I was gonna say from the first pic that the roofline looks like the world’s first fastback minivan, but I think its just the caera angle. It looks alright in the rest of the pics.
Well would you look at that. Honda finally hid the sliding door tracks.
Yeah, it’s not like some other manufacturer like Dodge hasn’t been doing it since 1996.
Hopefully Honda doesn’t botch that new 10 speed transmission. They don’t want a repeat of the late-90s to mid-2000s.
I don’t know why they stopped at 10…….I want a 12 or 15-speed.
Huh. My 02 Odyssey has…drum roll, please…sliding second row seats.
For their marketing people to throw this out as if it’s “all new” for this model is, frankly, lying.
Rear end looks like somebody cribbed the Chrysler design.
All new 10 speed transmission? Oh, goodie–another one for Honda to get wrong and spend years denying while their buyers spend $6K on repairs. Or dump their Odysseys and just get a Toyota. Or Chrysler.
Nothing to see here, folks. Move along. It’s a small refresh of the current model.
I can buy any FCA vehicle, new or used, and put an FCA lifetime $0 deductible warranty on it for a small sum of money. If Chrysler can make their second row Pacifica seats actually comfortable, it’ll be the replacement for my Honda.
Do they slide laterally or longitudinally, though? That’s what’s being hyped as all-new.
On the second and third generation Odyssey, there was an extra set of second row seat anchors so that the captain’s chairs could be pushed together like an old school two person bench. The new van has a set of tracks that runs the width of the van and expands upon the idea.
Kinda seems like feature overkill, but whatever.
I can move the passenger side middle row seat either to the middle, to make a bench, or to the side, to make a center aisle.
This isn’t new technology at all…
Was the seat belt integrated into the seat? That looks new
Nah, looks more like my 2003 Accord in the rear.
It’s good to make children comfortable with total surveillance – they will grow up to be good citizens.
Might wanna loosen the tinfoil hat there.
I’m glad to see Honda developing their own 10 speed trans especially after that 9 speed ZF debacle they stuck TLX (V6) owners with.
Do you always use new riddles when people try to cross your bridge, or do you re-use older material and hope no one remembers?
Maybe the new Odyssey is better looking in the flesh, but judging from the photographs, it’s one ugly minivan. I especially dislike the trapazoidal styling on the side which doesn’t appear to be doing anything or going anywhere. Bring back the lightening bolt. Judging from exterior styling along the FCA Pacifica is a much more attractive ehicle.
Honda still managed to make their minivan look like a hearse. Seriously, am I the only one? Every time I see a black Odyssey I think “hearse.” It must me something about the rear quarter treatment…My son has one, and his wife loves it…it does nothing for me…
People are concerned about how a minivan looks? Minivans are as constrained by their function as sedans are by CAFE: boxes and blobs. It’s God’s will.
I could really do without the “floating iPad” center stack that is all the rage now. The all digital gauges appear to be a cross between the S2000 and a 95 Town Car.
Our ’14 lease ends in May. I’ll reserve final judgement until I drive it. Not a fan of Honda styling anymore, too bloated and it makes the van look even larger. I’m glad they finally hid the door tracks, really cleans up the side. I like that they also found a way to make the second row seats work better and covered the anchor points.
Perhaps it will look better in a darker color? I’ve never found the Odyssey attractive in white.
The 10 spd is worrisome, as I don’t find the current six speed to be all that great in many regards, as did TTAC’s Tim Cain. My wife likes our current van, but we shall see. I’m liking the Sienna SE or Pacifica better after seeing this.
We went and drove a Sienna SE. I’m fairly certain this will be our new van unless the terms aren’t favorable. We looked at the Pacifica at the auto show and my wife was not impressed with it.
Didn’t the Mazda MPV have second row seats that slid side to side in 2000? Personally, I think I would use this more often than stow-and-go (makes third row access easier). So, I like that but it is hardly revolutionary. I would worry about an all new transmission, though. 10 speeds seems like overkill.
As a father of 6, I am glad they have not abandon the 8 seat configuration. This was the prime reason we picked up a 2012 a few years ago. However, we have now out grown it, and my wife’s ride is now a 2016 Transit 350 wagon.
Just don’t get the popularity of these. Not only is the refresh ugly but the interior looks like it was designed by iRobot and the dash looks like a tacky childish mess. Ditto the overdone Nike swoosh on the sides and all the weird angles and triangles. I wonder if Honda finally sees fit to put a timing chain in this engine and also wonder if the lower trims 9 speed is going to be that same mess as used by Chrysler and Acura. Compared to other Honda models this also has more problems like the rear suspension and some with the power doors not working right, to complaints of wind noise, jumpy transmission and throttle response and still other complaints regarding the navigation and infotainment system. And the biggest complaint I keep hearing. Having to remove the seats and not being able To store them in the floor aka Chrysler style.
The seat issue alone would keep me away since we are always moving and transporting things around and I sure wouldn’t want to be struggling with seats no matter how magic they are supposed to be.