This site is written by a Stepwagon Owner and Enthusiast for Stepwagon Owners and Enthusiasts. My van
was built in 2004 one the last of the original "real" Stepwagons before the design altered radically
the next year.
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This is is a site written by a foreigner in Japan who runs a 2004 Stepwagon. 
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This site is written by a Stepwagon Owner and Enthusiast for Stepwagon Owners and Enthusiasts. My van
was built in 2004 one the last of the original "real" Stepwagons before the design altered radically
the next year.
The Honda Stepwagon/Stepwgn, is a great mid-size people-carrier which made its debut on the Japanese market in 1996.
All are petrol engined automatics, and almost all are 8-seaters. There was a five-seat
N Type available from 1999 to 2001, but not many were built. Originally powered by a 2 litre engine,
it was thought a little underpowered, and a 2.4 litre engine was available as an option between June 2003 and August 2009.
The Stepwagon has had four incarnations. It was rebodied in full model changes in 2001, 2005 and again in 2009.The first two Stepwagons were basically the same, a compact square-profile people carrier of ingenious interior design with a huge amount of useable space and a great deal of utility. A choice of two centre seat types made the Stepwagon a real Multimode Van. A People Carrier, a Load Carrier and a Mini Camper. 
The Third and fourth Stepwagons are not so very different mechanically, but the bodies are radically different. They are full five
door, very stylised and modern-looking. Passenger access to the middle and centre seats is now better, and
there are lots of small improvements. But the Stepwagon has lost a lot of the utility of the first two types,
and no longer functions as a Camper.
The Stepwagon is a real multimode van. Ingenious folding centre and rear seats have made all Stepwagons into
both excellent people carriers and capacious load carriers. In the original square profile vans, built up to 2005, there were
two seating options for the centre seat row, Butterfly Seats and Pop Up Seats. Revolving mounts for the two front seats were available
as a cheap option.
With the seats folded up, almost of the Stepwagons built have been full eight person people carriers.
With the first two versions the central Pop Up/Bench Seat types gave slightly more comfort and easier
access to rear seat passengers. With the central Butterfly Seat type, access was a little tighter,
but the rear two seat rows folded down to make a near flat bed. With the central Butterfly Seat type
plus the revolving front seat option the Stepwagon could also seat five around a table.The later Stepwagons are seriously comfortable mid-sized eight seaters with very easy passenger access, but without the bed or dinette option.
All Stepwagons double as capacious load carriers. The rear seats fold away up against the side windows,
and the centre seats tip up and slide to rest behind the front seats, giving a cavernous cargo area. The
Stepwagon is a really flexible as a load carrier, too. The centre and rear seat rows fold in several
alternative ways, and both rows are on slides, so it's possible to arrange the seats in different
configurations to change the passenger/load balance. My own Steppy has moved a Fashion Queen and all
her worldly goods between apartments, transported a Classical trio of full sized
persons together with a full sized 'cello, and taken a group of seven to a barbeque with all the food
and cooking gear conveniently stowed away.
Stepwagons up to 1995 with Butterfly seats quickly convert into Mini Campers.
The centre and rear seat rows fold down to make a really flat bed. With the optional curtain set, it's
an instant Sleeper Van. The centre row can also be folded so that the seat back becomes a table, and
with optional rotating front seats the van goes into restaurant mode with seats for five. With
the built-in table option itfs a pukka diner, just like in a motor caravan. My Steppy has been
my comfortable home from home on countless weekends away in the mountains of Japan.More about Stepwagon Sleepervan... More about Stepwagon Dinette... Please come again soon. UK visitors, please click here for our sister site StepwagonUK.co.uk. Email Stepwgn.com stepwgnfan@stepwgn.com/ Please click here to visit Honda`s Stepwagon Page (In Japanese) Please Click Here for more about the Wellhouse Leisure Stepwagon Motorcaravan Please Click Here for JAS, a UK supplier of Stepwagon parts. |