Mitsubishi’s Delica has always been an odd vehicle, probably the only MPV we’ve ever liked thanks to its bubble shape, range of turbodiesel engines and AWD configurations. Sounding more like a Japanese sports car than people mover, the new Delica D:5 combines full off-road capability with seating capacity for eight. Performance comes from the 2.4L MIVEC engine mated to an electronically controlled 4WD system. Sadly, the latest generation has toned down funkiness of the previous model, and is looking more like a boring econo-box.

Sales of the Delica D:5 will start in Japan early next year alongside the newly released Pajero and eK Wagon and Sports that were released earlier this year. There are no immediate plans to launch the vehicle in other markets but we sure like the previous models, the private import market will be huge.