drive

The all grown up new Honda Odyssey

BY DINESH APPAVU
October 16, 2014

The Honda Odyssey 2.4L EXV's roof is higher, with a roomier interior with all the comforts and classiness expected of a Honda. – October 16, 2014.Low slung, long and a looker, the previous Honda Odyssey projected a silhouette more akin to a wagon than a traditional high-roof MPV with its amenities and convenience occupying a nice middle ground between the two that was enough to deliver the benefits of an MPV without looking like one.

So the new Odyssey is here and it’s grown up quite a bit. The roof is higher, but not walk-in high though; and that has propagated a roomier interior with all the creature comforts and classiness expected of a Honda, not forgetting the usability.

With the expansion of dimensions, the styling has unfortunately fallen into the “love it or hate it” category and the opinions were quite evenly split over the weekend we had with it. Nonetheless, we found ourselves quite fond of the looks, as brash as it was from some angles.

Interior packaging is something Honda engineers have near-perfected over the years – the new City is testament to that – and the Odyssey has put the boffin’s knowhow to full use. The third row seats fold into a completely flat floor when not in use, and allow the second row captain chairs with ottoman to slide all the way back over them for limo-style legroom. Automatic sliding doors serve to complete the premium feel.

Ingress and egress is easy, as with a low floor and no sill although you will need to bow down a little to navigate the rear. Make no mistake though, the Odyssey is huge inside, with more than generous amounts of legroom, knee-room and shoulder room for both the rear rows.

Typical of Honda too, the design and materials are top notch with excellent fit and finish. The premium EXV variant gets a classy black leather interior accentuated with wood trimming on the dash and doors. The soft-leather lends the seats an almost lounge chair like feel and the driver’s seat is electrically-adjustable, including for height.

The dash (right) consists of a double level layout with the touch screen multimedia head unit taking the upper one. The unit is extremely user-friendly and is easily navigated with the usual tap and swipe although it is missing navigation, something buyers have come to expect in this price bracket. A HDMI slot and dual USB slots run the connectivity department.

The Odyssey also features a multi-view camera system, with views of the front, side, rear and front sides that can even be combined for a real-time aerial 360-degree view for ease of mobility in tight spots.

Parking is made a cinch as well with the Smart Parking Assist System that one-ups the rest of the field by being able to reverse park into a spot instead of the usual parallel parking other marque’s offer. Disappointingly however, the reverse parking only worked half the time we tried it but the parallel parking was precision-driver worthy.

Calling the lower deck of the dash its own is the touch screen air conditioning controls that governs a tri-zone system with dual temperature adjustability for the front and the third for the rear, that cools the entire interior via vents for all rows.

As futuristic and techno-savvy the touch screen controls are though, the protective panel over them makes it prone to glaring even in the slightest conditions. However, it would take an overly nitpicky person to find fault with the interior that is bombed with cubby holes, cup holders and storage spaces everywhere.

On the road, the previous Odyssey mimicked a proper car rather than an MPV with a high centre of gravity, and the additional metal led us to believe this one would lose that edge. Honda countered that with shrewd use of lightweight materials to keep the weight down as much as possible, allowing it to still handle well, as a Honda should.

The 2.4-litre Earth Dreams Technology engine has enough pull with a good torque spread even when lugging a full load of six and luggage to boot, but the black spot in the drivetrain is the CVT transmission. It may be one of the better ones as the torque converter blurs the rubber-band effect typical of CVTs but there’s no running away from it completely.

Putting around in urban driving, you’ll almost forget that there’s a CVT under the floor but prod the throttle a little more and the whining reminds you what’s linking the engine to the front wheels. And believe us, the whining does make itself heard on the highway, although cruising is near effortless. Paddle shifters are standard and you get seven virtual ratios to play with for quick overtakes.

The control for the Odyssey's multi-view camera system, offering views of the front, side, rear and front sides that can even be combined for a real-time aerial 360-degree view. – October 16, 2014.We ran the Odyssey quite comprehensively during its time with us, approximately 900km in total with an even split between highway and urban driving. It returned an average fuel consumption of around 11.5km/l although we have to stress that we were very kind with the throttle throughout.

The ride is surprisingly improved over its predecessor with impressive noise, vibrations and harshness levels. The lightweight materials allow it a car-like driving impression courtesy of the low centre of gravity, keeping it quite level around bends. It rides on a torsion bar at the rear but a good setup has maintained a fine balance between interior room, comfort and handling.

Occupants are well insulated inside with even the worse of potholes eliminated through proper damping that still delivers a supple ride.

The new Odyssey has grown a lot over the outgoing model; in more ways than one, and fortunately it has matured into a practical and comfortable people-mover that sacrifices some style for a little more functionality.

Specifications of the Honda Odyssey 2.4L EXV

Engine: 2,356cc, 16V, chain-driven DOHC, inline-four, PGM-FI, Earth Dreams Technology
Max power: 173hp@6,200rpm
Max torque: 225Nm@4,000rpm
Transmission: CVT with torque converter, seven virtual ratios
Safety features: Six airbags, stability control, ABS, EBD, BA, Hill Start Assist, ISOFIX anchorage points, multi-view camera system, Smart Parking Assist System, Blind Sport Information w/ cross traffic monitor,

Price: RM248,005.90 OTR w/insurance

Also in Class:
Toyota Previa: RM258,017.10
Volkswagen Sharan 2.0 TSI: RM272,888.00
Ford S-Max 2.0 EcoBoost: RM198,918.60
Mazda8 2.3L: RM191,928.80 – CBT Online, October 16, 2014.