The 2018 model, which includes a high-performing automatic braking system, qualifies for the Top Safety Pick+ award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
by Staff
September 22, 2017
Photo of Honda Odyssey courtesy of Honda.
2 min to read
Photo of Honda Odyssey courtesy of Honda.
The redesigned 2018 Honda Odyssey minivan has won the Top Safety Pick+ award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the organization said.
To qualify for the top safety honor, the Odyssey maintained its top ratings of “good” in all IIHS crashworthiness tests. But the 2018 model is available with a high-performing automatic braking system and acceptable headlights, according to IIHS. Those new attributes elevated the minivan to Top Safety Pick+ status this year.
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Honda's Collision Mitigation System is included in the Honda Sensing suite of advanced safety and driver assistance technologies. Honda Sensing is now standard on EX and above trims, accounting for 99% of 2018 Odyssey sales, according to Honda.
To earn a 2017 Top Safety Pick+ award, a vehicle must garner the highest possible rating of “good” in all five crashworthiness tests: small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraints. The vehicle also must draw an “advanced” or “superior” rating for front crash prevention and an “acceptable” or “good” rating for headlights.
The 2017 Odyssey was available only with optional forward collision warning, earning the minivan a “basic” rating for front crash prevention. The headlights weren’t evaluated.
In contrast, the 2018 model’s optional front crash prevention system earned a “superior” rating from IIHS. In the institute’s track tests at 12 mph and 25 mph, an Odyssey equipped with the system avoided collisions, IIHS said. The system also has a forward collision-warning component that meets criteria from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The Odyssey’s Elite and Touring trim lines earned an “acceptable” rating for their LED reflector headlights. The two trims include high-beam assist — a feature that automatically switches between high beams and low beams, depending on the presence of other vehicles.
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Headlights on other trim lines, however, drew a “marginal” or “poor” rating from IIHS.
In related news, the Odyssey has also drawn a five-star overall vehicle score in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). The vehicle scored five stars in the frontal crash tests for driver and passenger, five stars for side crash tests for both front and rear seats and pole, and four stars in the rollover test.
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