The Honda Concept S unveiled at today’s Beijing motor show previews the design of the next-generation Honda Odyssey.
Honda describes the Concept S as a “global concept model of a new-value passenger mover”.
Developed primarily for the booming Chinese market, the production version of the Concept S will initially go on sale in its domestic market through Dongfeng Honda before it is released globally.
The Concept S is expected to influence the design of the fifth-generation ‘international’ Honda Odyssey, which is sold in markets outside North America, including Australia. (The US and Canada get their own larger Odyssey.)
The current fourth-generation Odyssey has been in production since 2008, although it shares it underpinnings, powertrains and basic design with the third-gen model that launched in 2003, making it due for a replacement.
Honda says the ‘S’ in the concept’s name stands for “stylish, smart and surprise”.
The exterior design is sharp and purposeful, with assertive LED headlights incorporated into a large front grille that dips between chunky fog lights. The profile has clean surfaces and a large glass area to improve the outlook for passengers, while the back gets highly stylised taillights that flow from the rear window and join at the base of the boot.
Honda says the hybrid powertrain in the Concept S makes it both fun to drive and environmentally friendly without taking away from its spacious cabin.
A Honda Odyssey hybrid would give the Japanese brand a direct competitor to the seven-seat Toyota Prius V, which goes on sale in Australia in May.