Next-Gen Honda Odyssey Spied Testing in California

With the unveiling of the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica, the replacement for the aging Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan, competition in the minivan segment is about to heat up again. Honda is hard at work preparing the next-generation Odyssey, which we captured today testing in the hills of Southern California.

The prototype was captured by our own associate editor Scott Evans while on a video shoot. The Driver of the van took off as soon as he spotted Evans snapping photos. The test mule is still heavily camouflaged, so there isn’t much to see. The exterior maintains the Odyssey’s basic shape, but expect an updated design given that the current model has been on sale nearly unchanged since 2011. A 3.5-liter V-6 making 248 hp and mated to a six-speed automatic transmission can be found in the current fourth-generation Odyssey, and could be replaced by the Pilot’s updated 3.5-liter for the next model. That engine makes 280 hp in the Pilot thanks to direct injection. It’s possible the next Odyssey could also get Honda’s nine-speed automatic transmission as an option.

You can also expect the HondaVac to return for the Odyssey’s next generation, as Chrysler now offers an onboard vacuum cleaner of its own in the new Pacifica. We won’t know more about the next-gen Odyssey until it drops some more camo, but this early look should tell you the new model will be more about evolution than revolution.

The post Next-Gen Honda Odyssey Spied Testing in California appeared first on Motor Trend.

from Motor Trend http://ift.tt/1PA16Zu