Whether it is the hot market GAC Toyota Xena, or the old and strong SAIC-GM Buick GL8, this type of MPV products, more or less with some commercial MPV positioning. That kind of pure home MPV, going around is still there and only Odyssey.
If the Buick GL8 is the value benchmark of commercial MPV, then in the domestic MPV market, Odyssey is the benchmark for home MPV. The presentation of this home MPV value benchmark is derived from the design concept of the Japanese version of the Odyssey.
All of this began in the early 1990s.
The original Odyssey: the integrator of two MPV understandings
In the early 1990s, the concept of MPV became popular. From the moment of its birth, the concept of MPV has been interpreted as two very different design concepts – one is called "Multiply Purpose Vehicle" and the other is called "Mini Passenger Van". The concept of the former has been fully interpreted by Europeans, and products such as Volkswagen Sharon and Renault ESPACE have been created in the way of large hatchbacks. The latter was born directly in North America, and on the basis of the original van, it created products such as chrysler Grand Jaylon, the original Buick GL8, and Chevrolet bullets.
From the beginning, these were two parallel lines of development.
Also in the 1990s, the Japanese auto industry had just completed a round of brain-opening strides stimulated by the bubble economy. Stimulated by the continuous pursuit of new product configurations, Honda's MPV has also been put on the agenda. In 1994, the first generation of Odyssey was officially launched.
The debut of the first generation of Odyssey can be said to be based on the American box MPV concept and the European style large hatchback MPV concept, made a merger. Honda's designers were well positioned for the Odyssey – a van that could accommodate multiple people, a need that was highly consistent with the bubble economy era when domestic hedonism was prevalent in Japan at the time. Therefore, the first generation of Odyssey, which is based on the platform of honda accords, is more like a station wagon with an elevated roof, with a smooth and modern shape, taking into account the positioning of the three-row ride space, to meet this demand.
So even if you look at this original Odyssey today, it's hard to associate it with the boxy MPV. In other words, from the very beginning, Odyssey has clearly defined the product positioning of home and play.
The Second Generation Odyssey: The Beginning of Differentiation
However, for the original Odyssey, North American consumers who are accustomed to van image do not pay the bill - MPV without side sliding doors and V6 engines, not serious MPV. So, when the second generation of Odyssey appeared in 1999, the Odyssey family began to distinguish between American and Japanese models. The U.S. version of the model is tailored to a standard large-size MPV according to the needs of North American consumers, while the Japanese version of the Odyssey continues the fun positioning of the original Odyssey van station wagon. The two are thus divided into two independent development lines.
From the layout point of view, this differentiation of Odyssey and the differentiation of Toyota Xena and the Great Bully are one-to-one correspondence. Compared to the Japanese version, the American version of the Odyssey is larger in size and more in line with the appearance of the Mini Passenger Van. However, the American version of the Odyssey is not the focus of our concern, and closely related to us is the Japanese version of the Odyssey.
The second-generation Japanese version of the Odyssey basically continues the design of the first generation in style, but the overall style has become more fashionable and more refined. The balanced and playful positioning of the Japanese home MPV has been further amplified on the second generation of odyssey. In 2002, the second-generation Japanese version of the Odyssey was officially domestically produced and became the main model of Guangqi Honda. Thanks to this differentiated positioning, the second generation of domestic odyssey after the listing is very clear and GL8 opened up the difference, in the private car consumption market just opened up, it defined the benchmark of home MPV, harvested all the forerunner dividends.
The third generation of Odyssey: a young and energetic car of fun
At the request of fun, Honda launched the third generation of the Japanese version of the Odyssey in 2003. Compared with the previous two generations, the physical characteristics of the third generation Odyssey are extremely groundbreaking. If the first two generations of the Japanese version of the Odyssey is still a van wagon image, then the third generation of the Odyssey is completely the appearance of a seven-seat version of the small steel cannon - the body is lower, the overall more slender. The layout of the car is also completely steel gun image, the center console is layered, and the steering wheel angle is very upright. Even if you look at the third-generation Japanese version of the Odyssey twenty years ago today, you can still feel the strong atmosphere of sports and fun.
How can someone not like an MPV that can play and live at home?
In 2005, GUANGQI Honda officially released the third generation of Odyssey, and the extremely eye-catching image of the new car officially opened the consumer market of private MPV, and this influence has continued until now.
Fourth Generation Odyssey: Wagonized MPV
In 2008, the fourth generation of Odyssey was officially unveiled in the Japanese market, and in 2009, the domestic fourth generation of Odyssey was officially launched. From a physical point of view, the fourth generation of Odyssey is basically the same as the third generation of Odyssey, and it is still the appearance of a slender and low high-performance MPV. In terms of details, the fourth-generation Odyssey followed the evolution of Honda's family-owned design, re-adjusting the design of the front and details of the car, making it more avant-garde and tougher. The overall sense of sticking to the ground presented by the front of the car is also more clearly expressed.
In this generation of Odyssey, Honda once again emphasized the low center of gravity design, and the handling texture of the MPV has been fully differentiated from other models on the market. This generation of Odyssey has also become the last generation of van station wagons to be japanese version of the Odyssey.
Fifth Generation Odyssey: Return to the look of a van MPV
It is not difficult to find such a trend from the development of the first four generations of the Japanese version of the Odyssey - it is to build a physical relationship with two generations of models as a node. At the beginning of the fifth generation of the Japanese version of the Odyssey, a new form appeared. This time, the Odyssey is no longer going down, but back to the box MPV.
Compared with the previous four generations, the fifth generation of the Japanese Odyssey emphasizes the consistency of the front and body, thus constructing the contours of the sedan. The side sliding door, which did not appear in the japanese version of the previous four generations of the Odyssey, is now also used in the fifth generation of the Odyssey. The design concept of low center of gravity and low flooring that has been strived for in the first four generations of models has been carried forward in the fifth generation of Odyssey.
As a result, the floor is lower than other MPVs, and the roof is higher than that of previous generations, resulting in a more spacious interior space for the fifth-generation Odyssey. As a result, in the internal seat layout, the arrangement of the middle two independent captain's seats has also been realized, and the third row of seats is no longer emergency equipment. After the third row of seats is opened, the trunk of the fifth-generation Odyssey also has the same large storage slot as an American MPV, maximizing the utilization of space under full load.
These changes have made the fifth-generation odyssey instantly become the hot darling of the global market, and have also greatly expanded its target consumer groups. In 2014, the fifth generation of Odyssey officially realized domestic production, and in eight years, it has undergone two major upgrades and achieved a fully hybrid product configuration. At the end of 2021, the five generations of Odyssey, which has been overhauled, are officially listed. Although eight years have passed, from the perspective of the market, the fifth-generation odyssey is still the top MPV in this market, especially the layout of the whole series of hybrids, which is a huge product differentiation advantage in the market of home MPV.
A good product can always stretch the competitive advantage infinitely.
Write at the end
Although competing models are endless, to this day, GUANGC Honda Odyssey is still the benchmark product for home MPVs. Economical, efficient, and very well utilized, who else but Odyssey?