TOKYO, Dec 8, 2023 - (JCN Newswire) - Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (hereafter, Mitsubishi Motors) announced that the Delica Mini super height-wagon kei-car1 won the Design Car of the Year, awarded to car with excellent exterior and interior design, at the 2023-2024 Japan Car of the Year awards2. This is the first time for Mitsubishi Motors to win this award.
In awarding the Design Car of the Year, the organizing committee highly evaluated the Delica Mini for adopting a cute and attractive look, turning around from the rugged front mask which had been Mitsubishi Motors' brand language in recent years. Moreover, its average monthly sales volume is more than three times that of its predecessor, the eK X space, proving that design is an important element directly linked to product appeal. It was also recognized for not only bearing the Delica name but also embracing the iconic design elements of the Delica.
Based on the concept of being a reliable and active super height-wagon kei-car, the Delica Mini takes its name from the Delica minivan and brings together a tough SUV styling, spacious interior and powerful driving performance.
In terms of design, the Delica Mini was developed based on the theme of Daily Adventure. The combination of the three-dimensional Dynamic Shield front design, expressive of power and security, with headlights that have distinctive semicircular LED position lights built in gives it a dignified yet friendly, Delica look, while the front bumper and liftgate garnish adopt an embossed Delica logo. To convey Delica's powerfulness of an SUV and a quality feel, the wheel arches are colored in glossy black, and the lower parts of the front and rear bumpers are designed in a skid-plate form, providing a sense of protection.
Furthermore, the Delica Mini features a functional cabin convenient for both outdoor recreation and everyday use, spacious interior room allowing for comfort even in the rear seats, MI-PILOT driver assistance technology and active safety technologies that support safe driving, and secure, pleasant road performance even when driving on unpaved surfaces such as gravel roads. It offers an enjoyable time with family and friends in situations ranging from daily life to leisure use.
Product website for Delica Mini (in Japanese only):
www.mitsubishi-motors.co.jp/lineup/delica_mini/
Special website for Delica Mini (in Japanese only):
www.mitsubishi-motors.co.jp/lineup/delica_mini/special/
About the 2023-2024 Japan Car of the Year
The awards of the 44th Japan Car of the Year were given to models which premiered or started sales in the Japanese market from November 1, 2022, to October 31, 2023. The 10 Best Cars were selected on November 3, and after the 10 Best Test Drive on November 22, the jury voted for each award. The results were announced on December 7, and winners were selected for the 2023-2024 Japan Car of the Year, Import Car of the Year, Design Car of the Year, and Technology Car of the Year.
1. Kei-car is a vehicle category in Japan for microcars.
2. Held by the Car of the Year Japan steering committee
About Mitsubishi Motors
Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (TSE:7211) —a member of the Alliance with Renault and Nissan—, is a global automobile company based in Tokyo, Japan, which has about 30,000 employees and a global footprint with production facilities around the world. Mitsubishi Motors has a competitive edge in SUVs, pickup trucks and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and appeals to ambitious drivers willing to challenge convention and embrace innovation. Since the production of our first vehicle more than a century ago, Mitsubishi Motors has been a leader in electrification—launched the i-MiEV –the world's first mass-produced electric vehicle in 2009, followed by the Outlander PHEV –the world's first plug-in hybrid electric SUV in 2013.
For more information on Mitsubishi Motors, please visit the company's website at
https://www.mitsubishi-motors.com/en/