The Odyssey had originally been conceived and engineered in Japan, in the wake of the 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.
Subsequent generations diverged to reflect market variations, and Honda built a plant in Lincoln, Alabama, incorporating the ability to manufacture larger models.
All the JDM Odysseys had a dual air conditioning system, separate for the front and rear seat rows.
In December 1999, a new, larger second-generation Odyssey appeared in Japan and Australia and in a left-hand drive format for China.
While base models had slightly smaller dimensions and a smaller 2.3L engine, models with more options as well those with the 3.0L V6 engine featured slightly larger bumpers and chrome inserts, larger grille as well as a unique chrome number plate surround.
The 3.0-litre J30A VTEC V6 engine from the first-generation, now producing 210 PS (154 kW), was available in the RA8 (2WD) and RA9 (4WD) Absolute sport and Prestige luxury models.
In May 2003, the Fine Spirit variant was introduced, based on Absolute, Absolute Limited and M grades equipped with a special body colour and special aluminum wheels, metal-beating panel, and genuine leather and metal-beating combination steering wheel.
Going on sale in Japan in October 2003, and in Australia and many other countries from early 2004, it continued with a 5-door body style, with a much sleeker, lower, and more car-like appearance.
In Australia, the Odyssey achieved its best-ever sales year in 2005 with a total of 3,543,[7] and outsold the Toyota Tarago for the first time.
Sales of the fourth-generation Odyssey in the Japanese market began on 17 October 2008, and it was initially available in M, L, Li and Absolute grade levels.
It is equipped with a 2.4-litre engine and CVT with a torque converter for the FWD, and 5-speed automatic transmission for 4WD and high-output 206 hp Absolute grade.
One of the biggest changes to this generation of Odyssey was the inclusion of electronic stability control and standard curtain airbags on all grades.
[12] The fifth-generation Odyssey for the international market was teased on the website on 26 September 2013, and went on sale in Japan on 1 November 2013.
It is powered by Honda's newly developed 2.4-litre i-VTEC Earth Dreams engine which produces 175 PS (173 hp; 129 kW) and 225 N⋅m (23 kg⋅m; 166 lb⋅ft).
[13] Its suspensions were switched from four-wheel double wishbone used in the four previous generations to a MacPherson strut in the front and a torsion beam in the rear.
[14] In Japan, this model also replaced the first-generation Elysion to compete against Toyota Alphard and Nissan Elgrand in the full-size luxury MPV category.
[19] The fifth-generation Odyssey is also a basis for the second-generation Elysion for the Chinese market, but with a different front fascia, and adopts a design resembling the Honda Legend.
It also has a new chrome front grille fascia, an improved NVH (noise, vibration, harshness) and a plusher captain's chair in the second row.
[21] The Odyssey Sport Hybrid based on the Japanese market Absolute grade was launched in China on 29 April 2019.
[22] The second facelift model went on sale in Japan in November 2020, featuring redesigned bumpers with a two-piece grille, headlamps and tail lamps with a thin chrome bar across them.
In the interior, it receives a redesigned dashboard with a 7.0-inch info display replacing the previous 3.5-inch found on the instrument cluster, and motion detection sliding doors using hand gestures.
[26] Production of the Odyssey ended in Japan in December 2021 due to the closure of Honda's Sayama plant,[27] with remaining inventory sold out by September 2022.
[31] 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".