The Isuzu Oasis was a minivan that Isuzu sold in North America from 1996 to 1999. It was a rebadged version of the first-generation Honda Odyssey, part of the model-sharing agreement under which Honda also sold Isuzu-built SUVs, and it was Isuzu’s only minivan.
Isuzu Oasis at a glance
| Maker | Isuzu, built by Honda |
|---|---|
| Production | 1996–1999 |
| Class | minivan, compact MPV |
| Based on | first-generation Honda Odyssey |
| Platform | Honda Accord |
| Engine | four-cylinder petrol |
| Gearbox | four-speed automatic with column shifter |
| Seats | six or seven |
| Drive | front-wheel drive |
| Market | North America |
The Oasis is covered only briefly in the English Wikipedia article on the first-generation Honda Odyssey, so this page is short and based on one source.
History of the Isuzu Oasis
Honda’s first minivan
The Odyssey on which the Oasis was based was introduced in 1994 as Honda’s first minivan. It was built on the Accord platform with a four-cylinder engine, all-disc anti-lock brakes, all wishbone suspension and a four-speed automatic transmission with a steering-column shifter and a hill-hold feature called Grade Logic. The design used unibody construction, dual airbags, dual gloveboxes, dual-zone heating and cooling, conventional rear swing-out doors rather than sliding ones, and a third-row seat that folded and tumbled into a compartment under the floor. The LX seated seven and the EX six, the latter with captain’s chairs in the middle row, alloy wheels, a power moonroof and a 200-watt six-speaker audio system. In North America the Odyssey came only with four-cylinder engines and front-wheel drive.
The Isuzu version
Isuzu offered a rebadged version of the Odyssey from 1996 to 1999 as the Isuzu Oasis, which gave Isuzu dealers a minivan to sell without developing one of its own. The arrangement ran the other way as well: Honda sold Isuzu-built SUVs as the Honda Passport in the United States and the Honda Jazz in Japan. The Oasis disappeared when the Odyssey was replaced by a larger, American-built second generation in 1999.
Design and features
- Rebadged Odyssey: the same body and mechanicals with Isuzu badges.
- Folding third row: the seat tumbled into a floor compartment.
- Accord platform: wishbone suspension and a four-cylinder engine.
- Only Isuzu minivan: the company never built one of its own.
Isuzu Oasis versions
- Oasis (1996–1999): the single North American model, based on the Odyssey LX and EX.
The Oasis came from the same model-sharing deals that produced the Rodeo and Trooper-based Hondas. More models are in the Isuzu collection.
Video: Isuzu Oasis 1998
Video by Josh Shortlidge on YouTube.
Sources
- Honda Odyssey (North America), English Wikipedia: the Oasis as a rebadged Odyssey, first-generation equipment
