A small-sized vehicular planetary gear type step-variable transmission having seven or more forward drive gear positions with a wide range speed ratio and suitable for use on a vehicle. A transmission includes three planetary gear sets, four clutches, and two brakes to provide seven or more forward drive gear positions with a wide range speed ratio. A counter gear pair is constituted by an output gear disposed between a first transmission portion and a second transmission portion, and a driven gear which is mounted on a counter shaft rotatably about a second axis parallel to a first axis and which is held in meshing engagement with the output gear. A fourth clutch reduces an amount of increase of an axial length of the transmission, so that the transmission is small-sized and used on the vehicle.