Mitsubishi has revealed a new version of one of its most enduring and endearing models in the form of the Mitsubishi Delica Mini.
Australians might remember the Delica from its days in on sale here as the Starwagon, but in Japan the Mitsubishi Delica is still available.
Now, the company is readying a miniature version of the people mover, seemingly based on a version of the similarly sized Mitsubishi eK kei van’s platform.
The Mitsubishi Delica Mini, which is due to be released in 2023, isn’t bound for Australia. Instead, Japan will likely be the primary market for the off-roading kei car, as with its full-sized parent model, which is also available in Indonesia.
Mitsubishi’s product planning manager Kosuke Fujii saod the Delica Mini aims to take the practicality of a Delica and the convenience of a small kei car, and combine the two for an adventurous buyer.
In the statement, translated from Japanese on the Mitsubishi website, he said the intended buyer is the kind of person who is willing to try something like taking their family camping, even if they never have before.
Specifications of the Delica Mini haven’t been detailed officially yet, as the images and early information revealed so far is a teaser before the official launch, touted as an ‘early summer’ debut in 2023.
What is clear from Mitsubishi’s teaser is that the Delica Mini will have 4WD capability, and intends on being ‘small but tough’. Essentially, it seems a van-like rival to the Suzuki Jimny is on the way.
In terms of visual options, the only information Mitsubishi has revealed is that there will be 12 paint options, six black-paired two-tones ranging from Ash Green to Sunshine Orange, or six single colours in a more muted palate.
As a kei car, and with the likelihood of the Delica Mini sharing its basis with the Mitsubishi eK, the Mini could use the same Nissan-sourced 0.6-litre BR engine, which can be had with a turbocharger. Kei cars, to classify as such in Japan, must have an engine capacity of less than 660cc, or 0.66 litres.
The Delica nameplate is, in 2023, set to turn 55 years old. The first iteration of the Mitsubishi van was released in 1968 as the Delica Coach, before becoming the Delica Starwagon for its second generation.
The third generation Delica, also called Starwagon, is the first of two versions Australians will be most familiar with, the second being the fourth generation (known as the Spacegear), though the Mitsubishi Delica D:5 still made it to Australia albeit in fewer numbers.
Keyword: Forget the Suzuki Jimny, the Mitsubishi Delica Mini is the ultimate tiny off-roader!