Already the most popular minivan with individual American car buyers for seven years running, the next-generation Odyssey brings a host of new features and technologies for 2018, including a uniquely versatile new Magic Slide second-row seat; new CabinWatch and CabinTalk technologies; new Display Audio touchscreen with Honda-developed OS; 4G LTE Wi-Fi connectivity; new Rear Entertainment System with streaming video; and Honda Sensing safety and driver-assistive technologies.
The Odyssey’s sophisticated and modern new styling adopts Honda’s signature flying wing front grille flanked by available LED front headlights. The bold and sporty front fascia also conceals a new Active Shutter Grille for improved fuel efficiency when cruising. The Odyssey’s signature lightning bolt beltline now provides an even more elegant design element with the sliding door tracks hidden in the lower portion of the rear quarter windows. At the rear, there are LED tail-lights and an available hands-free power tailgate with foot activation.
Inside, the new Odyssey features high-grade materials including a soft-touch instrument panel. The driver’s instrument cluster features a new 7-inch full-colour TFT display, and in the centre of the dashboard, there is an available 8-inch high-resolution Display Audio touchscreen interface.
In upper grades, stain-resistant leather first- and second-row seating surfaces and door trim, along with black carpeting and black seatbelts, are designed to conceal stains, while a new grooveless tambour lid on the spacious and versatile centre console resists the accumulation of crumbs and debris.
In-vehicle connectivity is taken to a whole new “family connectivity” concept. Old-fashioned family connectivity – sometimes called a conversation – is made easier than ever with the quietest cabin in the class, and is augmented with a multitude of new connected-vehicle features and technologies.
A major innovation for family-friendly cabin seating flexibility is the Odyssey’s new Magic Slide second-row seat, easily reconfigurable for optimal passenger comfort, people- and cargo-hauling flexibility, and easy access to third-row seating, even when one or two rear-facing child seats are placed in the second row.
The 2018 Honda Odyssey will be powered by a 3.5-litre, direct-injected i-VTEC V6 engine with Variable Cylinder Management. Peak engine output of 280bhp benefits from the advanced capabilities of the car’s two available new transmissions – a 9-speed automatic and, for upper grades, an all-new, Honda-developed 10-speed automatic, the first of its kind in a minivan, providing more confident and refined performance. 
Read our review of Honda’s 2015 Asian Odyssey.
Read our 2016 comparison test of Honda Odyssey, Toyota Vellfire and Nissan Elgrand.
