Mitsubishi Australia still wants a new Delica

Mitsubishi Australia is champing at the bit to bring the next-generation Delica people-mover to local showrooms and is in active conversations with Japanese HQ to do just that.

Sold primarily in Japan in a few flavours, the current D:5 Delica will be replaced by an all-new model before the end of the decade.

Expected to be based on the thoroughly cyberpunk D:X Concept of 2023, the new Delica will likely be offered globally.

Since 2023, Mitsubishi Australia purchased a D:5 Delica of its own and has been canvassing opinion from media and the general public with it. So far, the feedback has been positive enough for the company to thrust their hands in the air for its next-generation replacement and begin preparing a business case for it.

So far, it appears the feedback has been positive enough for the company to thrust their hands in the air for its next-generation replacement and begin preparing a business case for it.

“The Delica has been a bit of a cult car in Australia for a long time,” Mitsubishi Australia product strategy manager Bruce Hampel said.

“It’s had a strong following through the grey imports, and we still see quite a large number of those being sold every year at quite significant prices, so it’s a model we’re interested in pursuing.”

The D:X Concept plonks an egg-shaped MPV body atop a rugged platform with jacked-up suspension and chunky tyres, yielding plenty of ground clearance.

While Mitsubishi stopped short of mentioning powertrain specifics about its big-bodied off-roader concept, the company said it used a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) system.

At this point, it’s not clear which features will translate from the D:X Concept to the Delica production car. However, the availability of a PHEV powertrain – likely donated by the Outlander PHEV – seems highly likely, as does the use of that vehicle’s platform.

Mitsubishi Australia’s said it’s definitely made its Japanese counterparts aware the new Delica will need to be an authentic off-roader in order to be successful, not a high-riding pretender.

The next-generation Mitsubishi Delica has yet to be shown in production form, but we should expect to surface in the next few years.

A D:X-shaped silhouette was shown as part of Mitsubishi Australia’s future line-up when it announced its Momentum 2030 plan, underscoring the local arm’s intent to offer a reborn Delica in local showrooms – it could even be locked-in already.

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