Honda’s onslaught of new products will continue in January with the debut of the 2018 Honda Odyssey minivan at the Detroit auto show.
The fifth-generation Odyssey that will debut in Detroit promises redesigned styling, powertrain updates and undisclosed “innovative features” -- remember this is the brand that first put a shop-vac in the cargo area.
The basics of the Odyssey are expected to be the same: It will use a 3.5-liter V-6 engine and ride on Honda’s light-truck platform that underpins the Pilot large crossover and the Ridgeline midsize truck. Current Odyssey models are front-wheel drive only, though all-wheel drive could be added for the new generation.
As consumer demand crossovers grows, retail minivan sales slipped in 2016. Segment sales were up 11 percent overall through November to 516,229, but those gains were entirely thanks to the Dodge Grand Caravan, Kia Sedona and Nissan Quest, which relied heavily on fleet sales.
Sales of the outgoing Odyssey were down 4.7 percent through November, with 110,435 units sold.
The 2018 Odyssey is expected to go on sale by next summer. When it does, it will face considerable competition from Chrysler’s Pacifica minivan, a rare bright spot in Chrysler’s lineup. An updated Toyota Sienna minivan is also expected to go on sale sometime in 2017.
The 2018 Honda Odyssey will debut at the Detroit show on Jan. 9.
