2018 Honda Odyssey on sale in Australia

Just in time for Christmas, Honda has updated its Odyssey MPV for the 2018 model year. Crucially, the people mover is now equipped with the HondaSensing suite of active safety equipment as standard on the higher-end VTi-L model. The 2018 Honda Odyssey is on sale in Honda dealerships now.

The Odyssey has also undergone a mid-life update with improved styling, extra equipment for both available model grades and improved noise, vibration and harshness levels inside the cabin to align it with newer Honda products such as the Civic and CR-V.

“The addition of Honda Sensing on the new Odyssey VTi-L represents another step in our plan to introduce the full suite of intelligent driver-assist features and active safety technologies right across the Honda vehicle range over the next few years,” said Honda Australia Director, Mr. Stephen Collins.

“So while it will take some time before the Honda Sensing system is standardised across all models and all grades, we are committed to supporting the safe and comfortable driving of our customers with Honda’s driver-assist technologies.”

The biggest news with the Honda Odyssey range is the availability of HondaSensing on the VTi-L model. Incorporating radar cruise control, forward collision warning with autonomous emergency braking, lane departure warning and lane keep assist, road departure mitigation and blind-spot monitoring with rear traffic alert, the Odyssey is almost alone in the people mover segment in offering such technology.

The Odyssey has also undergone light styling changes to its exterior, with revised front and rear bumpers giving off a ‘sportier and more luxurious look’, according to Honda. Inside the car, captain’s chairs in the second row of seating are now standard equipment on the VTi-L model, which reduces its passenger capacity to seven.

Mechanically, the 2018 Honda Odyssey remains unchanged. It is still powered by a 2.4-litre petrol engine that produces 129kW of power and 225Nm of torque. It’s matched to a CVT automatic transmission with a manual mode to shift manually. Fuel economy ranges from 7.6L/100km to 7.8L/100km, depending on model, with CO2 emissions ranging from 178g/km to 183g/km.

As before, the 2018 Honda Odyssey lineup offers just two variants: the entry level $37,990 plus on-road costs VTi, and the higher-spec $47,590 VTi-L. VTi models are equipped with 17-inch alloy wheels, dual-zone climate control, automatic headlights, a 7.0-inch touchscreen with Bluetooth and USB inputs, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with paddle shifters, heated and electric-folding mirrors, LED daytime running lights and eight seats.

Step up to the 2018 Honda Odyssey VTi-L, and it comes with LED headlights, different 17-inch alloy wheels, keyless entry and start, inbuilt satellite navigation with live traffic updates, rear privacy glass, power-sliding rear doors, a 360-degree parking camera, leather trim with heated front seats, an 8-way electric driver’s seat, power-folding rear seating, automatic-folding mirrors, and the HondaSensing suite of active safety technology incorporating radar cruise control, forward collision warning with autonomous emergency braking, lane departure warning and lane keep assist, road departure mitigation and blind-spot monitoring with rear traffic alert, the Odyssey is almost alone in the people mover segment in offering such technology.

Whilst the addition of HondaSensing to the 2018 Honda Odyssey VTi-L is good news, that it remains unavailable on the entry-level VTi is not. The Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring technology that is standard across the whole Civic and CR-V ranges also remains unavailable on the Odyssey, as does much of the technology available on the recently renewed Odyssey that’s sold in the US – complete with a 3.5-litre V6 and 10-speed automatic.