Mitsubishi Delica Mini is big on charm

If you thought the Suzuki Jimny was the coolest and/or cutest compact Japanese 4x4 mud-plugger ever made, think again.

Meet the Mitsubishi Delica Mini, an ultra-compact version of the Japanese car-maker’s six-seat Delica off-road van – one of the most popular privately imported vehicles in Australia.

Set to be revealed at the 2023 Tokyo Auto Salon in January, the tiny Delica Mini is ‘small but tough’, says Mitsubishi, and while pint-size rock-hopper is a 4WD vehicle, it doesn’t appear to have much ground clearance... although that’s nothing a few aftermarket modifications couldn’t fix.

Featuring sliding rear doors to improve passenger access, the Delica Mini will be offered with a hybrid powertrain but for now Mitsubishi is keeping most details under wraps, including power output and whether it has locking diffs and so forth.

It will be available with solid and two-tone exterior paint jobs and Mitsubishi’s global product chief, Kosuke Fujii, says the new Delica Mini takes the design of its bigger sibling and crams it into an adorable compact form.

“While having the strength of a Delica, it is somehow lovely. It expresses the image of a mischievous boy that is unique to mini vehicles,” said the Mitsubishi product boss via translation software.

“Not only is it easy to use in everyday life but when you are with this car, your heart naturally gets excited and you become an active lifestyle,” insisted Fujii-san.

If the Suzuki Jimny-rivalling odd box on wheels is a kei-car, it will measure less 3.4 metres long and 1.5 metres wide and is likely be small enough to drive on a dedicated bike path.

It would also have to be powered by sub-0.7-litre (660cc) three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, most likely hooked up to an automatic continuously variable transmission (CVT).

The rugged and much larger Delica 4x4 has been on Mitsubishi Australia’s wish list for a while now and the Japanese car-maker reckons the Delica is a one-of-a-kind “4WD off-road minivan that packs a lot of family and gear and jumps out into the outdoors”.

However, it’s unclear whether its little brother would be suitable for Australia.

If it turns out to be a tiny, underpowered kei-car its chances of coming to Australia will drastically diminish. Mitsubishi Australia has been contacted for comment over its local chances but is yet to respond.

The Delica has been around since the late 1960s and the sixth-generation model is sold in Japan as the Delica D5.

Whether the new Delica Mini can usurp the Suzuki Jimny as the hottest ticket in the compact 4x4 world remains to be seen. Would you buy one of these compact nostalgia boxes if it came to Australia? Have your say on our Facebook page.

Related: New-look Mitsubishi Delica under study for Oz

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