In Brief...
People movers are back in vogue, so where do you turn to when every manufacturer wants to get in on the trend? Well, some might point to the Hyundai iMax or Kia Carnival, both of which are fantastic cars, but there’s a case for the Honda Odyssey to be first cab off the rank. Although it’s very much a large-size people mover, body styling is reminiscent of a wagon, so it looks much more suave than the VW Multivan, LDV G10 and arguably the Kia and Hyundai offerings as well. Some of the areas that bring down other large family vehicles, like rear-seat ventilation, fuel consumption, driver’s field of vision and safety inclusions, are non-issues here. It’s clear each area has been of particular focus to the Honda team, not to mention the optimisation of space has created sweeping room for the seven (VTi-L) or eight (VTi) occupants. While the premium VTi-L has capacity for one less occupant, it makes up for this with a sunroof, tri-zonal air-con, LED lights, sat-nav, keyless operation, 1 tonne towing capacity, flexible second-row seating and adjustable front seats that are fitted with leather and heating. More importantly, the upgrade brings with it numerous safety aids such as forward collision warning, blind spot monitoring and Honda’s equivalent of AEB. By way of its out-and-out complete offering, the Honda Odyssey is a standout people mover.
