Honda teased the Avancier, a seven-seat SUV coming to Australia, while Japanese brands go backwards and Chinese brands keep climbing.
Honda’s teaser for the Avancier shows a silhouette and a lighting signature, nothing more. Details remain under wraps, with more promised in due course. Honda calls it the next generation of its design philosophy. We call it, “yet another model dropping into a sea unprecedented in size.”
Where Honda Avancier Fits
Reports from Malaysia and Taiwan say Honda Avancier is a global seven-seat SUV positioned above the CR-V. It’ll be built in Thailand for South-East Asia, and Honda is spending 12 billion baht on its Prachinburi plant. The Avancier is the first of 2 new models from that factory, so Honda is very much giving it a go.
A 2.0-litre hybrid is expected, with all-wheel drive possible, though Honda hasn’t confirmed either, nor a price, any specs or a launch date. This is meant to wet the whistle in a cornucopian marketplace burgeoning to the gunnels.
It goes on sale in South-East Asia early next year, then Japan sometime in March 2027, where it replaces the Odyssey people mover. There is a short history with Avancier starting off in 2016 as a China-only model. This Honda SUV is built by GAC-Honda and follows a pattern repeated with many legacy makers who paired with a Chinese partner to sell cars in that market.
Honda hasn’t had a large three-row SUV in Australia for almost 20 years. It never sold the Pilot here, and Odyssey is long defunct after failing sales, so will a new large car bode well?
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ABOVE: Honda Avancier teaser, CR-V and Odyssey
The Odyssey Wasn’t Selling
Honda killed off the Odyssey in 2022 after its Sayama factory in Japan closed, with no successor proposed. It wasn’t a surprise, with the people mover struggling long before that. The Odyssey sold 1,091 in 2020, against 3,543 in its best year, 2005. In contrast, Kia Carnival sold 5,862 in 2020. Since then, super-luxury Chinese SUVs and people movers have appeared, most being better equipped for less cash.
So putting a big seven-seat Honda back in showrooms now is a brave move, and the numbers since show why.
Japanese Brands Slide, Chinese Brands Climb
In the year to the end of October, Honda sold 12,919 cars, up 0.3%, or 34 more than the same period last year, and is the only Japanese maker not slipping. Toyota is down 13.9%, Mazda 16.5%, and Subaru 30.4%, while Mitsubishi and Nissan are both down 32%. The future of Japanese car making is looking tenuous.
Over the same months BYD sold 86,639, up 107%. Chery sold 42,339, up 54%. Geely is up 618% to 27,997, with Omoda Jaecoo up 557% to 17,786. In October, China supplied 36.3% of new cars sold, Japan 23.3%.
About a dozen more Chinese brands are coming or have just started selling, among them Jetour and Xiaomi.
They compete on equipment for the money. Chinese rivals give buyers the Kia Seltos Hybrid GT-Line’s head-up display and cooled seats for about $9,000 to $11,500 less. Geely Starray EM-i Inspire is a larger SUV at $39,990 plus on-roads. Legacy brands’ sales are slowing, and Hyundai cancelled the IONIQ 3 launch because its local chief said it couldn’t compete on price.
As we said, Honda Avancier will face seven-seat Chinese rivals offering more kit for less money.
Honda’s 2026 plan includes the Prelude, the Super-ONE, and more hybrid versions of the CR-V and ZR-V. Honda has been in Australia for 60 years, holding steady while its Japanese rivals slip, and the Avancier is its bet that it can keep doing so.
Source: VFACTS
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Alan Zurvas is the founder and editor of Gay Car Boys, Australia's leading LGBTQI+ automotive publication. Before launching GCB in 2008, Alan's automotive writing was published in SameSame.com.au and the Star Observer. With over 16 years of hands-on car reviewing experience, Alan brings an honest, irreverent voice to every review — championing value and innovation over brand loyalty.
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