Mitsubishi may have packed its bags and quietly slipped out of the UK back in 2021, but that doesn’t mean the brand’s story ended there. Over in Japan, the company has been busy nurturing one of its most enduring oddballs — the Delica D:5, the go-anywhere, do-anything minivan that’s equal parts family shuttle and mountain goat.

At this year’s Tokyo Mobility Show, Mitsubishi rolled out what it calls a prototype of the latest D:5. Don’t expect an all-new generation just yet — this is more of a deep facelift than a clean-sheet design. But considering the current D:5 has been around since 2007 (with a nip and tuck in 2019), the fact it’s still evolving at all is something of a minor miracle.

And yet, somehow, it works. The new D:5 has been “enhanced” with improved steering stability and road handling, while Mitsubishi’s design team has leaned into the van’s rugged cult appeal. The updated styling swaps out the old chrome-heavy mug for a bolder, upright front grille that looks ready to headbutt a trailhead. The rear end gets a cleaner treatment with simplified lighting and a stretched “Delica” badge across the tailgate. Chunkier wheel arches and fresh 18-inch alloys round out the makeover, giving it that slightly unhinged “dad just bought a roof tent” energy we can’t help but admire.

Mitsubishi says it aimed for an “impression of a higher center of gravity” — which sounds like PR-speak for we lifted it because it looks cool. And honestly, it does. Few vehicles wear their off-road cosplay as earnestly as the Delica.

Inside, things have been brought up to date with a new digital instrument cluster, richer leather/suede upholstery, and khaki contrast stitching that’s both tasteful and outdoorsy. The water-resistant seats return (because, of course, this van assumes you’re always damp from some heroic adventure), and there are even USB-C ports sprinkled around for modern gadgetry.

Details on powertrains remain under wraps, but given Mitsubishi’s recent focus on electrification, a hybrid or plug-in hybrid variant would surprise no one.

So while British buyers might never again see a new Mitsubishi badge on local dealer lots, Japan’s latest Delica D:5 proves that the brand’s spirit of functional eccentricity is alive and well — and probably halfway up a volcano somewhere.

Source: Mitsubishi