Mitsubishi Delica Mini Debuts in Japan as A Rugged Kei Car with AWD Option

Following its preview many moons ago, Mitsubishi Motors Japan has finally debuted the Mitsubishi Delica Mini into the Japanese market. This rugged-looking kei car comes with the typical boxy kei car silhouette, while boasting some outdoor-sy features, including an all-wheel drive (AWD) drivetrain option, as well as a hybrid powertrain.

The Delica truly lives up to its “Mini” nomenclature, as it only measures 3,395 MM long, 1,475 MM wide and 1,830 MM tall – making it on par with other kei cars out there. What makes the Delica Mini special is the inclusion of a rugged-looking styling around the car.

From the front, the Delica Mini sports a rugged-looking facade, thanks to the aggressive front grille and bumper design, featuring aluminium-finished skid plate and blacked-out grille finish. Said front grille is flanked by a pair of trapezoid LED headlights with adaptive function and automatic high beam as standard/

Moving to the side, the Delica Mini rides on either 14- or 15-inch wheels, depending on the trim level. Also noticeable here is the blacked-out side mirrors and door handles, that really go well should you opt for the dual-tone body colours, which apply gloss black finish on its roof and pillars. There’s also pronounced body claddings on the side skirt, as well as the wheel arches, finished in black.

The rear part of the Delica Mini comes with a big dark-hued trim connecting both the vertical taillights with Delica embossing written on it. The rear bumper also comes with an aluminium-finished skid plate that pairs up with the gloss black lower bumper part.

Just like any other kei cars, the Delica Mini’s powertrain is limited to only 660 CC as per regulations. This small, naturally-aspirated mill delivers 52 HP and 60 NM to boot. There’s also a punchier variant that outputs 64 HP and 100 NM instead. All variants, including both the front-wheel drive (FWD) and AWD models come standard with a CVT gearbox.

Aside from the different wheel option, the AWD variant of the Delica Mini also sports some special suspension tuning for better off-roading capabilities. Elsewhere, there’s also a Hill Descent system and Grip Control to help you manoeuvre this rugged kei car through rough surfaces.

On board, the Delica Mini boasts a spacious cabin, where the seats are all foldable to give more space when needed. The seats are wrapped in special stain-resistant, water-repellent fabric upholstery – a practical addition for your outdoor trips.

Aside from that, the cabin also features stowable tables for the rear passengers, sizable infotainment screen with reverse and 360 camera display, as well as digital rear-view mirror to help you park this already small car much easier.

The 2023 Mitsubishi Delica Mini comes available in 12 hue options, with half of them being the dual-tone option. This rugged kei car is poised to go on sale in May this year, priced from JPY1.804 million (RM60,209) to JPY2.238 million (RM74,694), depending on the trim level.

To no one’s surprise, Mitsubishi Motors Japan has already received more than 9,000 pre-orders for the Delica Mini, with the bulk of them being for the range-topping AWD variant.