Honda Stepwgn
Encyclopedia
The Honda Stepwgn appeared in the Tokyo Motor Show
Tokyo Motor Show
The is a biennial auto show held in October-November at the Makuhari Messe, Chiba City, Japan for cars, motorcycles and commercial vehicles. Hosted by the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association , it is a recognized international show by the Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs...

 as the "F-MX" in 1995, and in 1996 May 8 the Stepwgn emerged. At that time, Japan's commercial delivery vehicles was based on the engine being under the driver's seat, or a cabover type like the Stepwgn was based on the Civic
Honda Civic
The Honda Civic is a line of subcompact and subsequently compact cars made and manufactured by Honda. The Civic, along with the Accord and Prelude, comprised Honda's vehicles sold in North America until the 1990s, when the model lineup was expanded...

 FF layout of the floor, a low-price strategy. The English name "STEPWGN", a grade name "W", "G", "N" and "pleasure. Only the passenger side has an sliding door. To improve profitability, cost reduction measures were used to reduce the cost of the engine
Engine
An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert energy into useful mechanical motion. Heat engines, including internal combustion engines and external combustion engines burn a fuel to create heat which is then used to create motion...

s and transmission
Transmission (mechanics)
A machine consists of a power source and a power transmission system, which provides controlled application of the power. Merriam-Webster defines transmission as: an assembly of parts including the speed-changing gears and the propeller shaft by which the power is transmitted from an engine to a...

 to one type at a time Aperture, and the vehicle design reduced the use of steel, panels and parts in the division's efforts to reduce the price.

On 1997, August 25, the driver's seat and passenger's seat had airbag
Airbag
An Airbag is a vehicle safety device. It is an occupant restraint consisting of a flexible envelope designed to inflate rapidly during an automobile collision, to prevent occupants from striking interior objects such as the steering wheel or a window...

s and ABS as standard. Simutaneously, "Armas", a vehicle care service, launched.

On August 27 1998, G-only seats based on skin type, such as collard bumper-equipped "DERAKUSHI".

The vehicle received a facelift on 1999 May 20. The appearance of the headlight and the rear license plate position was moved down.

On April 6, the "Speedy" part of thr equipment was based on a simplified "Krafty".

On November 30 2000, a G-type of privacy glass was used as well as a remote controlled car key eas used in a special "Goodie" model, which was the first and last special Stepwgn car.

Second generation (2001-2005)

The second generation Honda Stepwgn debuted in 2001. However, its design was very much alike the 1st generation's design, despite the addition of a 2.4L petrol engine.

The second generation Stepwgn used a design that was geared towards families with children. The Stepwgn retains its sliding doors located on one side of the vehicle, which is largely attributed to lower costs and also to prevent children from causing accidents. The vehicle's seating allows 4 different seating arrangements, including "Play mode" (sitting opposite each other), "food mode", and "sleep mode". "Cargo mode" is when the 2nd row seats are folded flat. The fuel tank was moved from the left side to the right side of the vehicle. A 2.0L K20 DOHC i-VTEC engine powers the second generation Stepwgn, providing 158 hp, improving both driving performance and fuel economy. Some parts were stiffened in order to further enhance driving performance.

May 2002
Minor improvements. Woodgrain panels and keyless entry are added. Improvements are made to the interior design.


October 2002
Slight changes are made. Front and rear bumpers are now color-keyed, while a radio equipped with a CD player is now standard.


June 5, 2003
In order to enhance sales, Honda significantly modifies its design for keen customers. Both the front and rear fascias are now reminiscent of other Honda vehicles. Power windows have been adopted and a cooler box, which utilizes the rear air conditioner is installed. A power tailgate is also adopted.

For the younger generation. the "Spada" series is made available with a 2.4L DOHC i-VTEC (160HP) and fender are added.


June 2004
Minor improvements. A CD/Mini Disk radio and a large-sized instrument panel have been adopted. HID headlamps are made available with the special "HID Edition".

Third generation (2005-2009)

The 3rd generation Honda Stepwgn is an entire makeover of the series. For mechanical changes, the 2.0L model received a 4 speed automatic transmission while the 2.4L model received a CVT
CVT
CVT may stand for:* Chemical vapor transport a method for growing crystals* Continuously variable transmission, a vehicle transmission providing an infinite number of possible ratios...

 transmission.

The 3rd generation is popular among Asian sales points like Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

 and Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

.

Honda announced the third generation Stepwgn on May 26, 2005. Unlike previous generations which only featured sliding doors on one side, the third generation featured sliding doors on both sides, in order to compete with other vans such as the Nissan Serena
Nissan Serena
The Nissan Serena started life as a very small people carrier, but grew larger with each generation over the years. Earlier versions were FR layout with a live axle mounted on leaf springs. Later versions had a multilink independent rear suspension, and were FF layout or 4WD...

 and Toyota Estima. Thanks to the new low-platform chassis, though the size of the car was shrunk, interior accommodation space remains unchanged. This also improved the handling of the vehicle. The overall length had also been shortened, although the platform retains the Civic-based design and employs a thin plastic fuel tank in order to provide a low floor. The Stepwgn was available with a double wishbone-type suspension with an FF axle or a de-Dion style suspension (4WD models).

The third generation Stepwgn is powered by either a 2.0L K20A engine providing 153HP, and was also available with a 2.4L K24A engine, providing 160 HP. The 2.0L engine, which was geared towards fuel economy, saw a decrease by 5 HP, while a CVT was adopted in the 2.4L FF models.

While the previous generation was criticized for its uncomfortable interior and second row seats, Honda improved the comfort in the third generation as well as the driving performance. Honda has also added large triangular windows to the front cabin in order to reduce blind spots.

Options available in the Stepwgn include a rare bright woodgrain "wood floor," which was available to the 2.4L model, as well as translucent glass to allow light through its "skylight roof". Since the third row seating is heavy, Honda incorporated a mechanism for flip-up storage.

May 2006
Total domestic sales of 100,000 units achieved.


May 18, 2006
Honda implemented a minor change. Rear power-sliding doors on both sides were standard in the G-L and G-LS trims, while G and G-S trims featured power sliding doors on the rear left side as standard equipment and smart key option was added. The Pearl color was discontinued.


October 4, 2006
Honda introduces a G "Style Edition"


February 15, 2007
Minor changes implemented. All models now featured a second row center armrest as standard equipment. Various colors were discontinued or replaced. In addition, the power tailgate, tip/chip rise, and slide seat setting have been removed.


June 7, 2007
New trims are added including "G Aero edition", “G HDD Nabi Aero edition" and "G HDD Nabi style edition". The special "Style Edition" also enters the lineup. Moonrise metallic color is discontinued.


November 1, 2007
Modifications were made to the design of the front mask and the front bumper, and the Stepwgn Spada type was revived. Captain seat specification also appears. Basque Red Pearl, Premium White Pearl and other various colors are released as Spada-only colors.


August 6, 2008
Honda's minivan total domestic sales reach one million units.


August 21, 2008
In order to commemorate Honda's achievement, 4 different trims of the Stepwgn are released.

Facelift

In 2008, there was a minor change to the stepwgn, featuring a new front grill, a new front bumper, new rear lights and rims. Also, a parking camera was included in all models.

Fourth generation (2009-present)

The fourth generation Honda Stepwgn is a full redesign of the model, and was launched on October 9, 2009. The model grew in size, increasing in height and length, but remained the same width. The Stepwgn Spada model returned, keeping its unique grille and headlamp design, giving it an imposing, more upmarket and sporty look. The Stepwgn is available in seven trim levels: G, G L Package, L, Li, Spada S, Spada Z and Spada Zi. The 2.4 litre engine has been dropped from the lineup, with only a 2.0 litre petrol option currently available. The Stepwgn is available with either front- or four-wheel-drive across the range. Step WGN Spada and Step WGN Spada special-needs vehicle to debut in Japan on Friday, October 23.

External links

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