The production of the Delica began in 1968 with a light commercial cab-over pickup. The Delica pickup with a payload of 0.6-ton had a top end speed of 115km/h adopting the 1,088cc, KE44 engine with a power output of 58ps. A year later, in-line with consumer needs, a cargo van and a passenger van were added to to the lineup. The passenger van adopted the name Star Wagon and could
seat 9 passengers in total comfort.
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The Delica proved so popular that in 1979 the pickup and van lineup was expanded to include 10 model variations to encompass a wide variety of passenger, cargo as
well as recreational applications. To add versatility to the Delica lineup, Japan's first 4WD van was introduced in 1982. Marketed as the L300 outside of Japan, the Delica, like so many of the other Mitsubishi Motors vehicles soon acquired an international reputation for reliability, durability and outstanding performance.
In 1986 the Delica underwent its third full model change. The new aerodynamic form was an attractive and stylish statement by itself. The durable monocoque body as
well as a host of other built in safety features provided the go-anywhere Delica with greater appeal for the fast growing recreational crowd in Japan.
1993–1996 model is based on the chassis of the Mitsubishi Pajero and has full off road capabilities, with four-wheel drive, high and low ratio gears and differential locking. It has engine variations from 2.5 litres through to a 2.8 L intercooled turbodiesel. A 2.4 L and a 3.0 L V6 petrol engine with 12 or 24 valves, each with 4 gears and overdrive. Apart from the 2.8 L diesel model they are available as a two or a four wheel drive version
The Delica Space Gear was added to the lineup in 1994. Sometimes refered to as the fourth generation in the Delica lineup, the Space Gear represents Mitsubishi's cutting edge people transporter. Known as the Mitsubishi Space Gear and the L400 van outside of the Japanese market, it includes a host of safety oriented features and the go-anywhere performance which has made the Delica so popular for nearly 20 years.
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On October 30, 2006 Mitsubishi Motors announced that the next generation of its monobox minivan would be called the Delica D5, based on the Concept D-5 prototype first exhibited at the 39th Tokyo Motor Show in 2005. It is an eight-seater, that features Mitsubishi's AWC four wheel drive system and an INVECS-III continuously variable transmission, coupled to a 2.4 L MIVEC straight-4 engine. It was released in Japan on January 31, 2007,
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