Mitsubishi Has Unveiled the Delica of the Future: The D:X Concept

And we really hope the brand decides to build it.

mitsubishi concept parked in a rocky area

Published October 25, 2023

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It’s hard to find a vehicle that’s more catnip for a particular type of automotive enthusiast than the Mitsubishi Delica. It’s a boxy, off-road-capable JDM van from the late 1980s and early 1990s. Now, Mitsubishi has not committed to bringing the Delica back yet … but the company just unveiled a Delica of the future, the D:X concept, for Japan Mobility Show 2023.

Here’s what you need to know about this cool new off-road adventure van.

The D:X concept is NOT an electric car

Even in its wild future, Mitsubishi doesn’t see itself going all-electric. The D:X features a plug-in hybrid powertrain that offers an EV mode for local trips and a hybrid mode for longer journeys.

The D:X Concept has four-wheel-drive

The D:X concept has an electric four-wheel-drive system with a vehicle dynamics manager. And Mitsubishi says that the system will help the ride feel less like a swaying, high-riding van and more like a standard passenger car. The D:X concept also sports front and rear skid plates.

Mitsubishi gave the D:X concept a see-through hood

The D:X concept one-ups your typical terrain camera with a see-through hood with a display extending from the front window glass to the bottom of the vehicle. It displays info on road surface conditions, off-road obstacles and tire angles.

Is Mitsubishi actually going to revive the Delica?

Mitsubishi says the D:X concept provides a “hint” of the Delica of the future. But the brand has not announced plans to base a production car on it in the near term.

On the positive side, the D:X concept isn’t relying on solid-state batteries or some other technical hurdle to come into production. So Mitsubishi could theoretically build something like this today — maybe without the see-through hood. But modern Mitsubishi doesn’t have the sort of robust, profitable lineup that would allow the company to divert resources into something cool and weird.