Honda Odyssey 2021 pricing and specs detailed: Kia Carnival nemesis gets significant update

Honda’s Odyssey people mover will take the fight to the new Kia Carnival in 2021, with an overhauled model lineup, new features, and competitive pricing.

The heavy facelift for the 2021 model year includes a new front grille, front bumper, LED headlight clusters, 17-inch alloy wheels, and rear bumper design.

The new Odyssey forgoes an eight-seat configuration (available in the current VTi grade) and is now a seven-seat only affair, consisting of the base Vi L7 wearing an MSRP of $44,250 and top-spec Vi LX7 wearing an MSRP of $51,150.

The Odyssey’s updated cabin now features an 8.0-inch multimedia touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, a 7.0-inch semi-digital instrument panel, a new leatherbound steering wheel design across the range and LED light clusters with progressive indicators. Meanwhile, the top-spec Vi LX7 scores a new automated tailgate with gesture control, gesture controls for the sliding doors, ambient interior lighting, and memory seats for the driver.

The Odyssey's interior tech scores a significant upgrade.

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The Japanese brand’s ‘Honda Sensing’ suite is now available on both grades consisting of auto emergency braking, lane keep assist with lane departure warning, and adaptive cruise control. All grades also score acoustic glass panels and wheel resonators for increased cabin refinement, and boast a 1000kg braked towing capacity.

The Odyssey continues to be powered by a 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine producing 129kW/225Nm which drives the front wheels via a continuously variable automatic transmission. The 2021 Odyssey has an official combined fuel consumption figure of 10.2L/100km and is able to run on base grade 91RON unleaded fuel.

The Odyssey is available in just four colours, but its design benefits from a heavily updated nose and tail.

The refreshed Odyssey will go into battle against the all-new Kia Carnival (from $46,880), and the larger Toyota Granvia (from $64,090) both of which it undercuts by a significant margin. The brand hopes this will help it maintain its strong share of the private buyer market when it comes to people movers.

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This iteration of the Odyssey could be its last however, with reports out of Japan indicating the brand could be looking at axing the people mover due to slow global sales (not including the American-market Odyssey which is an entirely different product).

Australia is one of the few countries outside of the Japanese domestic market to receive the Odyssey, although we miss out on the hybrid variant. Dubbed the e:HEV, the hybrid Odyssey trades out the dated 2.4-litre engine for a 2.0-litre petrol (107kW/275Nm) mated to an electric motor (135kW/315Nm).

Honda Odyssey 2021 price