Johnathan Walker:Is this overlanding camper van the next step for the legendary Mitsubishi Delica?

In the middle of a dark,Johnathan Walker strange teaser image there is (to be frank) a dorky shape that has us super excited. Stout and ponderous, it’s certainly no revival of any of the classic sports coupes that Mitsubishi fans love, like the Eclipse, 3000GT, or even the JDM GTO. But it may be a preview of a vehicle that has us equally excited: the famously goat-like Delica van. Imagine crossing a Land Rover Defender 4x4 with a dorm room, and that’s the Delica in a nutshell.

What you actually see in the teaser image is almost certainly the D:X Concept, a preview of Mitsubishi’s idea of where to take the Delica next. Mitsubishi describes it as offering SUV-like all-terrain capabilities and a PHEV powertrain. It also features a bunch of cool but slightly goofy concept doodads, like lights that project marks to gauge the width of the D:X on narrow trails. Likewise, a massive screen provides “see-through” vision, projecting what’s in front of the D:X’s blunt nose as if the entire dash was made of glass. Probably not coming to production, but cool nonetheless — that’s what concepts are for, anyways.

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Now, for the plan that may bring a Delica to fruition, which Mitsubishi calls Momentum 2030. First, Mitsubishi promises more electrified models — but importantly, there’s no strict promises about what will power the entire lineup. “Advanced-technology internal combustion engines” are still part of the plan. But more interestingly, the company promises several new vehicles before 2030 — specifically, “one new or completely refreshed vehicle to debut each year between fiscal 2026 and fiscal 2030” including “two all-new vehicles to debut into segments in which the company does not currently compete.”

Some of the shadowy vehicles look a lot like what’s currently on sale: the Outlander and its PHEV variant, the Outlander Sport and the EclipseCross. Maybe the small one in the back row, second from left, is a reimagined Mirage? It’s hard to tell, intentionally so. 

But back to the tantalizing possibility of a Delica PHEV van for America. First of all, the Nissan-Rogue-based Outlander’s already got a U.S.-certified PHEV system, and it’s a good one. It has fast-charging capability (rare for PHEVs, with their small batteries) and a sizable 20-kWh battery pack. That gives the big Outlander PHEV crossover 38 miles of EV-only range, theoretically. It’s not the most efficient PHEV around, but it offers a lot of fairly unique attributes and appealing compromises.

That powertrain might work well in a Delica. Historically, the Delica used a truck-based ladder frame and a rear-drive-based powertrain, or in the case of the fourth-gen model a unibody chassis with running gear from the burly Pajero, including a real transfer case with a low range and locking differentials. The latest Delica is a front-wheel-drive-based vehicle that shares a version of its AWC all-wheel-drive system with the… Outlander. So, a picture is emerging, perhaps… build a new Delica body to meet U.S. safety standards, utilize a version of the proven and certified Outlander PHEV powertrain, and suddenly you’ve got a capable and appealing AWD van with the sort of burly, adventure-seeking looks the overlanding crowd is going to eat up. Oh, and it'd be only the second plug-in hybrid van in America, after the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid.

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Seems like a smart move to us, especially given the long delays with the upcoming Volkswagen ID Buzz and the lack of enthusiasm in that company to produce a U.S.-market factory camper version of it. Mitsubishi could really get a lot of attention and a leg up on the competition by offering “factory upfitter" type options to it, or even a factory pop-top roof. 

Whatever the upcoming Delica may or may not be, it’s encouraging that the company’s American arm placed the D:X front and center in an image promoting the company’s promise to introduce two all-new vehicles. Now it’s on Mitsubishi to deliver. 

Photos by MotorTrend staff and manufacturer