I get enough inquiries about this van that is currently not available in North America but has been rumoured to be brought aboard for the 2009 or 2010 model year (2009 seems unlikely, I haven't seen anything in Honda's ordering for the 2009 model matrix, although they could bring this vehicle over in limited supply and just 'drop ship' the vehicles into our inventory).
This is a van that would make a whole lot of sense for North America right now, people are looking for economical people-movers, and it doesn't get much better than the 1995-1998 Honda Odyssey (which is esentially what this van still is-a 4 cylinder, 7 passenger van).
Based on what Honda brought over to the malaysia, here is what I think will be brought over to us in North America;
-1.8 or 2.0 Litre sohc i-vtec engine with 140 - 160 horse power - 5-speed automatic transmission, with 4th and 5th being overdrive gears for better highway gas mileage.
-Front wheel drive
-Electric power steering and drive by wire throttle system
-MacPherson struts with a new side cancellation spring at the front, while the rear uses a compact reactive-link double wishbone.
-15" or 16" tires
-Tilt and telescopic steering wheel
-Air conditioning with micron filter
-Cruise Control
-Anti-lock Brake system with electronic brake distribution
-Front, side, and curtain airbags
-Available DVD and Navigation packages
-Both the second and third row seats can be folded down individually for a flexible seating configuration.
-Traction control with Vehicle stability assist
-Cd player with Mp3 playback and Auxillary input for i-pods etc.
-Keyless remote entry
-I hope they keep the 4-door aspect! (not a huge fan of sliding side doors).
-I'd expect a EX-L (leather package) with heated front seats.
Anyway, I think this van would be a sure winner in our market.
Here's a link to Honda's website on the van;