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Honda Odyssey

A minivan manufactured by Japanese automaker Honda since 1994, marketed worldwide, and now in its fourth generation in North America and Japan.

The Odyssey had originally been conceived and engineered in Japan, in the wake of country's economic crisis of the 1990s – which in turn imposed severe constraints on the vehicle's size and overall concept, dictating the minivan's manufacture in an existing facility with minimal modification. The result was a smaller minivan, in the Compact MPV class, that was well received in the Japanese domestic market and less well received in North America. The first generation Odyssey was marketed in Europe as the Honda Shuttle.

Subsequent generations diverged to reflect market variations, and Honda built a plant in Lincoln, Alabama, incorporating the ability to manufacture larger models. Since model year 1999, Honda has marketed a larger (large MPV-class) Odyssey in North America and a smaller Odyssey in Japan and other markets. Honda also offered the larger North American Odyssey in Japan as Honda LaGreat between 1999 and 2004.

The Honda Odyssey was a raised wagon from Honda and was launched in Japan and North America in 1994. It was offered with an optional 4WD (with RA2 and RA4 chassis), and 3.0L J30A engine with the RA5 chassis (Prestige version). L and Aero models were equipped with a sunroof. All the JDM Odysseys had the double-air conditioning system, separate for the front and rear seaters. Since the first generation all the models have been six or seven seater versions.

At its debut, the Odyssey won the Japan Car of the Year Award (Special Category) and the RJC New Car of the Year Award. By September 1997, the Odyssey had sold more than 300,000 units, becoming Honda’s fastest-selling new car and breaking the Civic’s record. The Odyssey was Wheels magazine's Car of the Year for 1995. At the Odyssey's European launch, where it was marketed as the Shuttle, British ex-Grand Prix driver Jonathan Palmer described its handling as equal of any "executive saloon".

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