Read the build date
Do not use one transmission label for all RK-era cars. At the 2009 launch, FWD meant CVT and 4WD meant five-speed automatic; revised 4WD versions with CVT went on sale in June 2012.
HONDA / STEPWGN / RK ERA / JAPAN 2009
A practical three-row Honda MPV whose transmission depends on drivetrain and date. The details matter.
Generation reference · no current stock implied
01 / KNOW THE GENERATION
Honda introduced its fourth-generation Stepwgn in Japan on 9 October 2009; the Spada followed on 23 October. The launch range used a 2.0-litre i-VTEC engine and a third row that stores beneath the floor. Original front-wheel-drive versions used a CVT, while the original four-wheel-drive versions used a five-speed automatic. Honda changed the four-wheel-drive range to a new CVT in a 2012 update.
Do not use one transmission label for all RK-era cars. At the 2009 launch, FWD meant CVT and 4WD meant five-speed automatic; revised 4WD versions with CVT went on sale in June 2012.
Honda launched the standard Stepwgn on 9 October 2009 and the Stepwgn Spada on 23 October. Confirm the trim, equipment and any later updates on the actual car.
The original standard and Spada launch tables list eight seats for ordinary grades. Adapted vehicles and later option combinations can differ. Test the third-row under-floor storage and inspect the seating hardware.
Obtain the Japanese model code, export documents, service history and condition evidence. Confirm the UK paperwork, insurance and costs for that car rather than for “a Stepwgn” in general.
02 / MANUFACTURER REFERENCE
These figures describe the dated Japanese manufacturer releases below. Match the exact build date, grade, chassis and fitted equipment before applying them to an individual car.
The 2012 Honda release changes the 4WD transmission story. Avoid universal claims about RK transmission, seating or Honda equipment until the exact build date, drivetrain and grade are checked.
03 / UK BUYER CHECKS
Use the generation as a shortlist, then verify the vehicle and its route to UK registration before committing.
Ask for: a readable Japanese chassis or identification plate, original registration or export evidence, auction or condition records where available, service history and clear photographs of the relevant grade and equipment. Compare the documents with the vehicle itself.
Plan the UK route: establish what import declaration, tax, approval or exemption, DVLA registration and insurance steps apply to the individual car. GOV.UK’s importing-vehicles guide ↗ sets out the current official process. An overseas launch fact does not establish UK compliance, cost or registration status.
Tell JMH whether you want front- or four-wheel drive, seven or eight seats, and a particular year or grade. The RK facts here are research context, not a live listing or a promise about a specific import.
04 / SOURCE NOTES
Manufacturer statements are tied to their publication date and market. They do not describe every later variant.
Checked 4 October 2026. This is an editorial generation profile. The abstract title artwork is a graphic, not a photograph of a vehicle. No individual car, price, stock status or condition is represented.