There’s a lot of ‘forbidden fruit’ cars from Japan we wish were sold here. It includes kei cars, the Mitsubishi Delica, Toyota Crown, and so much more. Japan is also home to some of the most clever family vans out there with Honda making a cople we’d love to see here.
One of them would be the Honda Step WGN. It’s ever so slightly smaller than a Toyota Alphard, and is a little bit more family oriented than VIP shuttle. It also looks incredibly boxy and airy thanks to those massive windows, and we think it could be a hit in the Philippines if it were sold here.
Admittedly, the chances of it coming here are slim, which is why we’re genuinely jealous of the Indonesian market. It was recently announced that the boxy van will make its way over there with its launch set for next month.
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The Honda Step WGN was actually previewed in Indonesia a year ago, signaling its intent to be launched there down the line. Honda has since opened the reservation books for it, pretty much confirming its impending arrival. But why Indonesia first?
It’s simple: Indonesia has a very strong MPV market. Think we buy Innovas and Xpanders like no tomorrow? Well, MPVs are a way of life over there. If anything, Indonesia is one of the biggest MPV markets in the world in terms of market share.
There are a few differences between the Japanese and Indonesian models, though. For instance, only one variant might be offered in Indonesia which is the Premium. In Japan, there are three to choose from, namely Air, Spada, and Spade Premium. Also, the wheels are smaller from 17-inches down to 16-inches.
That said, the powertrain choice is expected to be the same as the Japanese model. It’s confirmed that only the e:HEV will be sold there, meaning a 2.0-liter Atkinson Cycle engine mated to two electric motors. The arrangement is no different from the CR-V and Civic hybrids, but power output is more aligned with the latter. That means it makes 181hp and 315Nm coursed through the front wheels.
Since it’s coming to Southeast Asia, why are the odds of it coming here are slim? It’s simple: we’re left-hand drive. By the looks of it, there are no plans to build left-hand drive versions of this van. Sure, there’s clamor for it here, but that might not be the same case for the few countries in ASEAN that drive on the right.
Oh, how sometimes we wish we were a right-hand drive nation.
