The Honda Odyssey e:HEV hybrid will be a JDM model made in China.
Back in 2021, it looked like the plant that produced the Honda Odyssey would be shut down, potentially ending the life of this much loved MPV. Fortunately, production was moved elsewhere and Malaysia received the new Odyssey with the familiar 2.4L naturally-aspirated engine. Now, the Japanese market will be receiving an updated version of the Odyssey with minor design changes but a major powertrain overhaul, now featuring the 2.0L e:HEV hybrid electric system. As some publications have reported in April, this version of the Odyssey will be built in China and imported into Japan for sale, which is pretty rare but perhaps a taste of how things will start to look in the future.
The new Honda Odyssey will go on sale in Japan today (8 December 2023) in three variants, Absolute, Absolute EX and Absolute EX Black Edition. Here’s the pricing in case you want to estimate what it’ll cost if it arrives via the grey market.
All variants will be available in Platinum White Pearl, Premium Venus Black Pearl or Formal Black. Meteoroid Gray Metallic is an option on the Absolute EX model.
Honda anticipates that they can sell 1,000 of these every month domestically.
Changes To The Odyssey
While most of the design changes have already occurred in the last iteration of the Odyssey, there are some to note of here. The new grille features enlarged opening with five horizontal plated bars. On the Absolute EX Black Edition, the front grille is finished in black chrome while the taillights get finished with black smoked lenses. The rims are matte Berlina Black 18″ alloys and there’s a black roof, pillar linings, decorative parts and more.
All versions will come with a 7-seater configuration featuring four way power seats on the second row. These electrified ottomans feature reclining controls for precise adjustments of the seats.
They’re also heated and feature a foldable centre table and USB-C charging ports can be found at the foot of the seats. The third row of seats can fold quickly and easily into the boot floor for a larger cargo space.
The Absolute EX and Absolute EX Black Edition models come with genuine leather seats, a wireless charging pad, and a hands-free powered tailgate.
The new e:HEV powertrain necessitated some changes to the driver interface. This means the Odyssey e:HEV gets a shift-by-wire system and now features a deceleration selector, allowing the driver to adjust the deceleration rate when the accelerator pedal is released.
Honda Sensing has also been enhanced with three new functions – Low Speed Brake Function, Auto High Beam Headlights and Unintended Acceleration Mitigation. The front camera has also had its field of view widened while the Collision Mitigation Braking System’s detection range has been expanded. It can now detect vehicles crossing in front, oncoming vehicles when turning right (in left-hand traffic), bicycles crossing in front, motorcycles, and pedestrians at night
