Things move a bit slower in the minivan world. If the Honda Odyssey were an SUV, right now we’d likely be looking at a next-gen model swathed in full camouflage front-to-rear. Instead, we have a second facelift coming for the current-generation van, with the emphasis here on the face.
This is our first look at Honda’s refreshed people mover, which we expect to see revealed later this year. The solid camouflage covers at the front do an admirable job of hiding details, though we believe the changes will ultimately be minor. We see the outline of the grille and headlights in the fabric, showing the same general shape as the current version. Rectangular cutouts on the corners show stacked driving lights that also have a similar shape, though the structures look a bit different. Further down, we can barely see the bottom of the front fascia with some interesting new notches.
As such, we expect a redesigned lower fascia, possibly with small notches not unlike those on the Honda Pilot. Further up, the grille could also adopt a new structure while keeping the same size and shape as the current Odyssey. That would be a low-effort update to give the enduring minivan a revitalized look, and changes are also coming at the rear. The gate and taillights carry over, but a new fascia with vertical reflectors can be seen behind the black covers.
Are changes coming to the interior? Possibly, as we can see covers on the center touchscreen. The photos don’t offer a clear look inside, but zooming in on the passenger window shows the tablet-style screen draped with a cover, along with another cover on the passenger side dash. This could simply be something belonging to the passenger in the van, but a small interior upgrade to accompany changes on the outside certainly isn’t out of the question.
Under the skin, however, we expect no changes. That means a 3.5-liter V6 engine making 280 horsepower, driving only the front wheels through a 10-speed automatic transmission. Honda doesn’t offer hybrid or all-wheel drive are not offered.
We know an updated Odyssey is coming, but will there be a next-generation model after it? Details haven’t been announced on that but for the near-term, we’re expecting Honda to unveil the facelifted 2024 model within the next few months.
