A couple of journalists headed to SAE’s annual world conference and Honda’s 2018 Odyssey was on hand to reveal some of its weight saving party tricks.
Although crossover SUV’s are all the rage nowadays, that doesn’t mean people aren’t scooping up full-size minivans. For its low loading floors and ability to carry a bunch of kids, the minivan can’t be beaten. According to our Honda insider friends over at the Temple of VTEC on their post earlier yesterday (Apr. 4,2017) they dropped some inside information as to just how Honda engineers managed to squeeze more than 75 pounds out of the 2017 Honda Odyssey. Check out an exclusive video of the event thanks to our intrepid Honda man in the know, Honda Pro Jason, and click here to see the full album TOV posted.
Back in January Honda announced that they’ve updated the 2018 Honda Odyssey and given it a full redesign. Each year Odyssey always seemed to gain a little weight. Just seventeen years ago an Odyssey weighed in around 4200 pounds. On the highest trim levels on the 2017 Honda Odyssey today, that figure can balloon by almost 400 pounds. For this year, Honda dropped at least 75 pounds.
Based on Honda’s all new light duty truck platform, the Odyssey’s weight savings came from such innovations like all-new aluminum control arms, a rear subframe that is more compact thanks to construction efficiency, and an overall body that shed weight in key areas without sacrificing structural integrity and rigidity.
If you opt for the all-new 10-speed transmission on higher trim levels you can expect to save another 30 pounds.
And according to TOV,
Also notable are the improved spring and bump stop lever ratios, thanks to the new rear suspension design. This should result in better ride quality and NVH.
Honda didn’t seem content always playing second fiddle to the more popular Toyota Sienna. A quick look at the sales figures thanks to “Good Car Bad Car” shows that on average Honda misses out on the full-size van king of the mountain by a couple thousand each year. Both sell about 120,000 units a year with the sales rate increasing since 2011.
While crossovers are sales leader at the moment that doesn’t mean there won’t be a place for minivans as an important vehicle chioce for families. Honda has ensured that although there vans are getting better, that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll get bigger.
