2021 Honda Odyssey Breaks Cover With Minor Redesign, More Tech

2021 Honda Odyssey breaks cover with minor redesign, more tech

The 2021 Honda Odyssey is getting its midlife refresh and biggest update since it was totally redesigned for the 2018 model year. Honda says we'll receive more information and photos at the New York Auto Show, but the preview today is pretty comprehensive.

From a design perspective, the Odyssey gets a new blacked-out grille, eschewing the chrome, blocky design on the current car. Now, there's a small chrome strip atop the grille, making for a much cleaner look. The lower front bumper was redesigned, in conjunction with the fog light housings. New LED headlights are said to be more powerful and efficient than the last ones, too. We only have the one photo for now, but it already looks more handsome than the previous design. Honda upped the black trim even further by using it around the rear window, too. The photo doesn't show the back, but Honda says there's a chrome strip just above the black trim, mimicking the front grille style.

2020 Toyota Corolla Hybrid Drivers' Notes | Fuel Economy, Design, Tech

2020 Toyota Corolla Hybrid Drivers' Notes | Fuel economy, design, tech

The 2020 Toyota Corolla Hybrid marks the first time we've seen a hybrid powertrain in a Corolla in the U.S. It uses the same hardware as the Prius, consisting of a 1.8-liter four-cylinder and single electric motor that combine for 121 horsepower. So no, the power numbers aren't scintillating, but the EPA fuel economy figures are. The Corolla Hybrid is rated at 53 mpg city, 52 mpg highway and 52 mpg combined. Those numbers put it right on pace with the 52 mpg combined rating of the Prius LE (though the Prius Eco achieves 56 mpg combined). Its price is significantly less than the Prius LE, though — at just $24,055, it's $2,435 less. Impressive stuff, but the Prius is more practical with its hatchback body. You can also get the stripper Prius L Eco for just $25,280, closing the gap by a bit.

Toyota positioned the Corolla Hybrid like this on purpose, letting it be the budget option for Toyota's small, hybrid lineup — the Prius C hatchback is no longer with us. Our tester was the LE trim, because that's the only trim Toyota offers on the Corolla Hybrid. After a couple of accessories were tacked on (body side molding, mudguards and a carpet mat package), our tester came to $24,467. A few of the standard features are impressive at its low price point. You get LED headlights, an eight-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay compatibility and Toyota's full Safety Sense suite of driver assistance aids that includes adaptive cruise control and lane-centering.