Automotive
After six years of the fifth-generation Odyssey’s debut, Honda has updated its flagship minivan for the 2025 model year, attracting customers with new features and a fresh exterior design.
Honda introduced the fifth-generation large MPV Odyssey at the 2017 North American International Auto Show, produced at the Honda Manufacturing of Alabama. The following year, the minivan sold over 100,000 units, but that was far from 2006, when the automaker delivered almost 200,000 units of this model in North America. Sales continued to decline during and after 2020. Despite Honda’s efforts to attract customers with a refreshed 2021 model year, the MPV did not succeed. Then, in 2024, the automaker tried another update with a refreshed 2025 model year that promised to provide customers with a better experience for all passengers.
The 2025 Honda Odyssey model year came with a slightly different front fascia. While the LED headlights underlined by daytime running lights were identical, the grille between them was not. For the second update, the minivan sported a hexagonal-shaped one adorned by a black horizontal slat instead of two as on its predecessor. Furthermore, the wrapped-around plastic bumper had a redesigned apron that had a lower air intake adorned by a honeycomb-styled mesh.
While it was challenging to create a unique profile for a minivan, Honda’s design team managed to do that. It created an unusually shaped window line, where the first side ascended up to the rear sliding doors and then dropped on the quarter panels. The automaker offered the vehicle with new wheel options, including a 19-inch set for the top trim level, the Elite, with a machined finish look. In addition, customers could order the vehicle in two new colors, Solar Silver Metallic and Smoke Blue Pearl. At the back, on the tailgate, the 2025 Honda Odyssey was available with a black trim that visually connected the C-shaped taillights.
Inside, the seven-seat people carrier received a new instrument panel that fronted the driver. Unlike its predecessor, which featured a three-panel layout, the 2025 Honda Odyssey had a single, seven-inch digital display with large dials for the speedometer and tachometer. In addition, a 9-inch touchscreen placed atop the center stack in a free-floating position was standard across the range. Furthermore, all vehicles featured wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility. Honda also introduced a new steering wheel with a more conservative design and buttons instead of the round ones that mimicked a PlayStation controller from the 2021 model year. In the back, the automaker offered an option for a 12.8-inch screen for the entertainment system. One of the most popular grades of the vehicle, the Touring, received a standard Satellite-Navigation System.
Under the hood, the second-refresh version of the Odyssey’s fifth-generation retained the same 3.5-liter V6 gasoline engine, producing 280 hp (284 PS), paired with a ten-speed automatic transmission. To improve efficiency, Honda created an engine management system that cut the fuel for three cylinders when not needed, for instance, at constant speeds under light load.
