Leaked Memo Shows Honda Is Going To Delay Next Generation Accord, Odyssey, HR-V And More

Being a popular car brand means, typically, developing a next generation car almost as soon as the one you just designed gets out the door. Does that make sense? People are keeping their cars longer, and modern cars are generally very good.

I’m sure Honda would like to refresh its current lineup of vehicles. I’m sure Honda also would like to have back the billions it poured into EV development. If you can’t change the past, at least you can hope to change the future. That’s what Honda is trying to do, but it ain’t happening overnight.

Your humble Morning Dump author meets a fair number of celebrities in this line of work, but I’m not one to brag. I did meet Serena Williams last year and she was an absolute delight. Now, she’s getting her own Lincoln, and it’s as charming as she is. Oh, and guess who helped it come to life?

There are more tariff threats and, honestly, this is all getting pretty exhausting, so I’ll keep it brief. In less exhausting news, the Kia EV6 isn’t a bad little electric car, and now it’s way more competitively priced. I’d still probably buy a used one, but the delta between new and used has gotten a lot smaller.

I Hope You Like The Odyssey, Because It’ll Be Mostly The Same Odyssey For A While

The EV hype cycle led a bunch of companies to make a bunch of weird decisions, many of which collided with both market realities and a sudden shift in government priorities. Honda tried to hedge its bets a little by having GM build its first large scale EV project. That worked until it didn’t.

Instead of putting a lot of time and money into developing a V6 AWD hybrid system, Honda poured billions into EV projects it would eventually cancel. Toyota, on the other hand, put a lot of its cash into developed various hybrid platforms, including an AWD system for larger vehicles. Looking at the market, Honda has, essentially, four hybrids whereas Toyota has nearly 30.

You can see where this is going, and Automotive News has the update you were probably expecting:

Honda, in a supplier memo reviewed by Automotive News, said it will extend production of the Odyssey, Accord and HR-V, as well as the Acura MDX and Integra.

Next-generation models of the nameplates won’t arrive until the end of the decade at the earliest, according to the memo.

Here’s Honda’s statement on the story:

“We are not going to comment on future product plans. We are very confident and excited in our future product strategy including our previously announced plans to advance our award-winning hybrid technology to more models.”

The last Odyssey got approximately seven years before redesigns. At this rate, the current Odyssey may go as long as 13 years. The Kia Carnival is relatively new and has a hybrid. The Toyota Sienna is newer and has an AWD hybrid version. Only the Pacifica is older.

I like the Odyssey, obviously, and perhaps the extension of the platform means that Honda can offer it at an increasingly competitive price? Maybe that’s true of the other vehicles in the lineup that are also aging?

As one dealer points out to AN, it’s not quite that simple:

“New product drives new consumers to the brand and reinvigorates existing loyalists,” the dealer said. “When we extend the product cycle beyond the standard five-year period, the product tends to start getting stale, and you start seeing defections.”

There’s an obvious solution here. Our pal Bisi already pointed out that you can make a manual, Type R Odyssey minivan. You know Toyota isn’t going to do it. In fact, no one else is going to do it. The Honda is already the best-handling minivan in the class by a large margin, so why not make a fun halo model for a little while?

It’ll make everyone happy. Everyone. Well, it’ll make me happy, but I’m a Honda owner!

[Ed Note: I think family cars can be old, as long as they’re safe. Families just need seats and a low asking price, which is why the Dodge Journey did so well late into its life and why the Durango is still crushing it after 15 years. -DT]. 

Serena Williams Got A Custom Navigator From Lincoln And Galpin Auto Sports

It was a big deal when Lincoln poached Christine Park Cheng from Cadillac to head up the luxury brand’s design direction. I’m not sure if getting to work with Serena Williams to build a 1-of-1 Lincoln Navigator was one of the perks the company offered, but after hanging out briefly with Williams at Pebble Beach last year, I definitely get why that would be persuasive.

Celebrities and large Ford SUVs go together historically, and while this one might not be as brash as the Flexpedition, it’s far more tasteful:

The vehicle was customized by Galpin Lincoln in Los Angeles, a partner with a long history of offering customization and personalization options to Lincoln clients. The result is a luxurious one-of-a-kind Navigator that reflects Serena’s individuality, strength, and grace.

Serena shared that she has always loved three things: pink, hearts,
and roses. Our Brand-on-Vehicle Design Team created an elegant rose symbol, with one petal shaped like a heart, to merge her favorites together. The symbol appears on the B-pillar and as well as on the rear Split Gate.

Oh, hey, Galpin Lincoln? That means the folks at Galpin Auto Sports who did this bespoke work of art are also the same people who helped lift our Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet. I wonder if this means they’ll be open to my super bespoke Ford Tempo project…

If there’s a feature I like best it’s the Clay Court interior, which is not a color I’d have imagined would work as well as it does.

If you can touch it or see it, GAS did something to make it a little extra special. You know… Ford did end up selling the Flexpedition. Perhaps a Serena Edition Navigator?

If I Had A Nickel For Every Tariff Threat…

Here’s hoping you’re not trying to import a European-built car in the near future, because the President has raised tariffs by 25% again.

Per Bloomberg:

“I am pleased to announce that, based on the fact the European Union is not complying with our fully agreed to Trade Deal, next week I will be increasing Tariffs charged to the European Union for Cars and Trucks coming into the United States,” Trump said Friday in a social media post. “The Tariff will be increased to 25%.”

Trump said the levies would not apply to automobiles built in US facilities. “It is fully understood and agreed that, if they produce Cars and Trucks in U.S.A. Plants, there will be NO TARIFF,” the president said.

President Trump didn’t explain what, exactly, the EU has done. The EU has moved slowly to pass a final deal and is still working through some finer points, but moving slowly is the EU’s whole thing. It would be like getting upset that I chose a TMD song of the day featuring a woman with a guitar.

The New Kia EV6 Is Now Under $40k, Delivered

Kia dropped the EV6 GT for 2026 which, having driven it and the GT-Line, is totally fine. A super-fast EV6 was fun, but a regular GT6 is quick enough for most people. Kia also dropped the price.

Without the destination charge, the new EV6 is $37,900 for the Light SR RWD, which is $5,000 cheaper than the 2025 MY car. Even better, the Long Range RWD is just $41,200, which is also $5,000 cheaper.

Did Kia jack the destination charge a bunch to make up for it? Kia did not! The new destination is just $1,545, or a mere $70 more than last year (with fuel prices, that seems reasonable). Obviously, the $7,500 tax credit is gone, but if you’re buying and not leasing the lower base price is probably better.

What I’m Listening To While Writing TMD

This was apparently a thing on TikTok last year and I missed it, mostly because I’m an Unc. Elizabeth Nichols has had me laughing this weekend with “I Got A New One.” So much modern country music is bad. This is good, with a real Robert Earl Keen energy I love.  Also, the video has a half-ton of great trucks.

The Big Question

Do we care that platforms are lasting longer?

Top photo: Honda