The third-generation Mitsubishi Delica is one of the darlings of the JDM import scene. In both diesel and petrol versions, the funky little van from the Land of the Rising Sun offers an arsenal of options that have huge appeal for overlanders around the globe. True 4WD with a low-range transfer case, high ground clearance, and a short wheelbase make it a capable off-roader. A dizzying array of clever and useful equipment for the interior means it easily converts to a mobile habitat with just a few modifications. In fact, Expedition Portal’s own Jack Mac recently bought a Delica as a companion to his VW Westfalia. This popularity has not gone unnoticed by Mitsubishi, and they are teasing the rollout of an all-new Delica platform by 2030.
The Delica nameplate has endured in Japan and some ROW markets but has never been formally offered as a new vehicle in North America. Mitsubishi debuted its D:X PHEV concept van at the Japan Mobility Show in the fall of 2023, and it featured quite a few design cues that harken back to the third-gen Delicas. The short overhangs and huge expanses of glass, along with moveable seating options and high-mounted headlights, all make the futuristic people mover instantly recognizable as a Delica.
Of course, plenty of snazzy technology and features that manufacturers showcase in concept cars never see the light of day in production versions (those T-shaped “laser headlights” don’t look like they would pass federal lighting requirements). But panoramic seating, a camera-rendered “see-through” hood, as well as Mitsubishi’s S-AWC electronically controlled 4WD drive system all seem entirely plausible for a road-going new Delica. A plug-in hybrid EV drivetrain would ease range anxiety and certainly return better fuel economy than the aging diesel or petrol Delicas of yore.
Don’t expect a new Delica to hit American shores for another five years or so, as this van platform is part of Mitsubishi’s “Momentum 2030” project. The vanlife movement surely will not have slowed much by then.
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Image: Mitsubishi
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