Mitsubishi Motors North America Might Bring the D:X Concept to the U.S
Mitsubishi Motors North America (MMNA) released some big plans for the rest of the decade. As detailed in their new business strategy “Momentum 2030”, a handful of new models will be coming to the North American lineup. New hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), or battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) are on the menu for the future of Mitsubishi Motors electrification. With the intention of expanding its North American lineup for the U.S., several old concepts have popped up with new ones coming in. The most promising example is the D:X Delica Concept that was revealed at the Japan Mobility Show last year.
We’ve talked about the Mitsubishi Delica before. A multi-purpose vehicle designed to blend a minivan with an SUV, the Delica has been a returning concept for Mitsubishi Motors. Equipped with LED lights, heavy-duty guard rails, under-guard bars, red mud flaps, and other accessories, the Delica was primed for going off-road. The call to adventure became even more apparent when Campers Scotland modified a Mitsubishi Delica into a camper – a four-wheel drive campervan.
At the moment, it would seem that the Delica is a project shared between Nissan and Mitsubishi. Nissan called the new D:X concept an “electrified crossover MPV”, and Mitsubishi representatives call it a “futuristic-looking six-seater plug-in hybrid”. With roomy cabin space and road handling for going off-road, these details follow the current theme of Mitsubishi Motors, adding off-road capability into its models and slowly turning them into lifestyle vehicles. It’s hard to say, but could the Delica be the new BEV Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors are working on?
In 2023, Mitsubishi Motors invested in a facility Renault proposed for the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance. Needing to separate the energy and resources needed for internal combustion engine (ICE) models and electrified models, the plan was to create a new subsidiary to handle the latter. The facility and possibly the name for this new group was called Ampere. Renault and Nissan quickly invested in the new facility, but Mitsubishi Motors waited a whole year before making the choice to join the other two automakers.
Following the investment by Mitsubishi Motors, news from the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance announced a new midsize SUV for Mitsubishi is already under development. The D:X Delica concept could fit either of these descriptions. It’s quite as large as a regular SUV, and it’s much smaller than a minivan. The model being developed between Nissan and Mitsubishi could be a plug-in or a BEV. There really isn’t a whole lot of information aside from features like cargo space, passenger room, safety, and off-road capability keep popping up.
Mitsubishi Motors plans to introduce new models into the North American lineup over the rest of the decade with at least one new model every year. The D:X concept is said to be revealed during the second half of the decade. It may not be revealed this year (2024) or next year (2025), but there should be at least one new model, whether it’s the Engelberg Tourer or the Mitsubishi e-Evolution, two of the many concepts Mitsubishi Motors is digging up for Momentum 2030.
Want to learn more about new Mitsubishi Motors vehicles? Follow along with us on Miami Lakes Automall social media.