All-new 2022 Honda Stepwgn drops 'Waku-Waku' doors for regular tailgate, becomes normal breadbox on wheels

The Honda Stepwgn is one of the few non-kei vehicles that are exclusive to the Japanese market, though the H brand seems to be struggling in its home market compared to overseas. After 7 years, an all-new generation was introduced in early 2022 with sales beginning this week.

There are 10 variants offered including 3 welfare variants that are wheelchair accessible and two engine options which are the petrol 1.5-litre VTEC Turbo (150 PS/203 Nm) and the petrol-hybrid 2.0-litre e:HEV system (184 PS/315 Nm) that are seen on the FE Civic and Civic Hybrid respectively.

The Stepwgn will be competing against the Toyota Noah/Voxy which also saw an all-new generation being introduced around the same time. Granted, these two breadboxes on wheels are mainly sold for the Japanese market so the only way Malaysians could get their hands on either minivan is through parallel importers.

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The sixth-generation Stepwgn is designed to bring back memories of the first generation which revolutionised the Japanese minivan landscape with its boxy design that emphasised space. It was a part of Honda’s “Creative Mover” series of models which also included the CR-V and Odyssey.

Also read: 10 things you might not know about the original Honda HR-V

Despite being the pioneer, the Stepwgn’s sales continue slipping against the Toyota twins and the Nissan Serena in Japan. The fifth-generation introduced a truly exciting tailgate mechanism dubbed “Waku-Waku Gate” which was literal as the double wakus were an expression to show excitement in Japanese.

The tailgate can be split to either open like a regular door sideways for easier access into the third row or like a normal tailgate upwards. Still, the innovative minivan was more of a gimmick than a sales phenomenon not to mention it was too heavy and expensive to build.

Despite losing out some excitement in the rear, the Stepwgn’s regular tailgate has one trick up its sleeve though; it’s designed to be opened even in the tightest of parking spaces via a smart key.

With the latest generation, Honda decided to mix old and new with the boxy design evoking the successful first-generation Stepwgn as well as the Honda N-Box which is one of the best-selling kei cars in Japan.

Also read: Honda is very popular among Malaysians, so why isn't anyone buying its recond models?

Space is the main priority on the Stepwgn so the interior features high visibility to reduce blind spots as well as second and third-row seats that can be arranged in various manners with the last row being able to be folded into the floor for flat cargo space.

The 2022 Honda Stepwgn starts from nearly JPY 3 million (~RM 103k) with Honda Sensing available as standard across the range. With Honda losing market share in Japan, is the Stepwgn enough to step up against its rivals from Toyota and Nissan?

Also read: Across the world, the Honda Civic is an unstoppable force, so why is it ignored in Japan?