2025 Honda Odyssey.
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It seems like Honda achieved the bare minimum in this 2025 refresh of the Odyssey minivan.
This includes very small changes up front and even smaller in the rear. And basically almost nothing new inside. Except for a screen one inch larger and some slight trim updates.
The good news is that the super smooth 3.5 Liter V6 is still the only item on the powertrain menu. But the bad news is that we won’t be seeing a really new Odyssey for at least another couple of years.
The current 5th generation Honda Odyssey started production over 6 years ago. New bumpers and grille aren’t going to do much to keep it fresh. However, its competition from Chrysler is pretty stale with the Pacifica being a year older than the Odyssey.
Although the Toyota Sienna and Kia Carnival are much newer offerings.
Honda sold over 71,000 units of the Odyssey last year, and almost 40,000 this year already. I guess it’s working well enough for them and they don’t see the need for a new one any time soon.
I test-drove the Honda minivan a while ago and it was fine. In a very predictable sort of way. As I mentioned in the video below, it is also one of the best ways to enjoy classic kids’ movies like the 1928 film, “The Man Who Laughs”.
To be fair, they’ve been updating the Odyssey something like every two years. Of course, its super old. But its a formula that still works until they get their large format hybrid act together. And their V6’s are nice. If I were thinking of buying a truck for our business, I would probably buy an Odyssey instead of a pickup. Its just more useful once the seats are out.
How is this not a hybrid yet, Toyota has been for a while, Kia is introducing one. Honda needs a hybrid option for their V6 option and roll it out to their Odyssey and Pilot asap. I feel like Honda is just falling behind and this refresh is continuing that fear.
@BlueFace –
yes, they are behind and it shows on this Odyssey in particular. Toyota has a huge lead.
The issue is that the larger models (Odyssey, Pilot, Passport, Ridgeline) in the North American Honda lineup are designed and built here for our market. Even the Accord was for a while. Thats how we got the Crosstour. And NA Honda doesn’t have the kind of tech resources Honda Japan does. Also, Honda had a major blow to its R&D efforts when several facilities were heavily damaged in 2011’s major earthquake. At that time, Takanobu Ito was CEO and he had a very cynical view of development – he directed the 2012 to be the cheapened thing it became, and many of the problems Honda had with their hybrid systems originated in that period. Its taken them a while to dig out of that situation. First, Honda Japan has slowly taken most vehicle development back (Ex. Acura didn’t design the Integra… Japanese Honda did, using the existing design language). Honda put out a better hybrid system by 2018, but it still based on what Ito’s Honda had developed. Honda R&D went back to the drawing board for the much better system in the 2021 Jazz hybrid (aka Fit) 2022 Civic hybrid – both in Japan, Europe. Then, the US with the new CRV and Accord hybrids for a larger version of that design. I would say in 1 yr, Honda will debut something by 2026MY for the large platform vehicles like the Odyssey. They’re busy rolling out the two Civic hybrids, and I’m also expecting the HRV hybrid in 2025 – all of which are existing cars elsewhere in the world. Honda’s battery plant is expected to open in 2026 – that timing is not a coincidence.