I was really surprised to see the news on Honda’s delay on 2027 Odyssey. it seems like Honda wants to redesign their core models.
Most of us thought that the sixth generation minivan (Honda Odyssey) would be a fully hybridized model by the 2027, or even 2028 model year. Instead, Honda is massively stretching the iterations until at least March of 2030.
Why Honda Delayed 2027 Odyssey?
To get an idea on why is Honda delaying redesign of current generation Honda Odyssey we need to observe the financial problem goin inside the company. its not only Odyssey getting delayed but they have also canceled plans for three upcoming electric vehicles in the United States, including their highly publicized 0-Series models. This is mainly because their plant in Ohio caused financial loss with $15.8 billion asset write down.
As per reports, Honda is doing some serious damage control here. To offset that massive financial hit and generate cash, they are choosing to squeeze every drop of profit out of their existing, reliable internal combustion engine architectures.
By stretching the lifecycles of established, high-volume models, they can avoid the immense capital expenditures required to launch entirely new platforms right now.
Four other models also getting delayed or cancelled:
- Honda Accord (Redesign delayed until 2030)
- Honda HR-V (Production extended to 2032)
- Acura MDX (Redesign delayed until 2031)
- Acura Integra (Production extended to 2032)
13 Years of Honda Odyssey
Fifth generation Odyssey debuted all the way back in 2017 and 2025 model was it’s third mid-cycle updates. This has been in market since 13 years which is a lot for a single design.
Reportedly, Honda executives considered the Odyssey for discontinuation during the EV restructuring, but thankfully chose not to remove it.
The lack of innovation from Honda is dissapointing, but I’m glad they kept it around during restructuring.
Good and the Bad
For me, the aging platform means consumers will have to wait much longer for modern tech upgrades (front and rear climate control touch systems), but I appreciate the delay because I also like Honda’s critically acclaimed 3.5L V6 engine and 10-speed automatic transmission, so they will stick around for a few more years.
| Current Architecture (Gen 5) | Future Architecture (Gen 6) |
|---|---|
| Active through 2029 | March 2030 Release |
| 3.5L Naturally Aspirated V6 | Next-Gen V6 Hybrid System |
| Front-Wheel Drive (FWD) | All-Wheel Drive (AWD) Available |
| ~22 MPG Combined | ~30%+ Improvement |
I know many tech-loving families will think that there is a long time till we see next gen Odyssey but let me tell you that the Honda is shifting its focus on the modern engineering to produce new hybrids. They are about to launch 13 new hybrid models in 2027.
Honda is planning to convert their bigger platforms like Odyssey and Pilot into fully hybrid V6 engine with AWD. According to their early tests, the new hybrid system could expect a 30% increase in gas mileage and a 10% increase in acceleration compared to the gas-only V6 system.
If you ask me, the current Odyssey remains a remarkably safe, highly competitive choice. However, with Toyota’s hybrid-only Sienna and Kia’s newly launched Carnival Hybrid actively scooping up market share right now, I suggest Honda dealers start offering some serious buyer incentives.
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