Isuzu Bison

The is a range of vans and pickup trucks designed and built by the Japanese automaker Mitsubishi Motors van and pickup truck introduced the previous year, also called the Delica, its name a contraction of the English language phrase ''Delivery car''. This pickup truck, and a commercial van derived from it has received many names in export markets, being sold as the L300 (later L400) in Europe, Jamaica (discontinued after the third generation) and New Zealand, Express and Starwagon in Australia, and plain Mitsubishi Van and Wagon in the United States. The passenger car versions were known as Delica Star Wagon from 1979 until the 1994 introduction of the Delica Space Gear, which became simply Space Gear in Europe at least. The most recent version (not available as a commercial vehicle) is called the Delica D:5. With the exception of the first, versions of all generations are still being sold in various international markets.

In Japan, the Delica Cargo and Delica D:3 nameplates were used on rebadged Mazda Bongo Brawny (between 1999 and 2010) and Nissan NV200 (between 2011 and 2019) respectively. Since 2011, the Delica D:2 nameplate has been applied to the rebadged Suzuki Solio. Starting 2023, the Delica Mini nameplate will also be used as a kei car model based on the eK X Space.

First generation (1968)

The production of the Delica light commercial cab-over pickup began in July 1968. It received the chassis code T100, in line with the recently (January 1968) introduced "T90" Canter. Using a '' KE44'' 1,088 cc engine producing , its maximum payload was and had a top end speed of . A year later, in line with consumer needs, a cargo van and a passenger van were added to the line-up. The passenger van, discontinued in 1976, was called the 'Delica Coach' and could seat nine people in three rows of seats. The engine was upgraded to in 1969.

In March 1971, a slightly facelifted version, called the Delica 75, arrived. This (the T120) received a small grille rather than the naked metal front of the earliest Delicas, and a new 1.4-litre '' Neptune (4G41)'' engine rated at was added to the line-up. The smaller 1.1-litre engine may have remained available in a version of the truck but if so, it soon vanished entirely.

After a fall 1974 facelift, the Delica received a new nose with much plastic cladding and double headlights, now mounted beneath the swage line. It was now known only as the "Delica 1400", as this was the only engine with which it was available (mention of a Delica 1200 is most likely apocryphal, perhaps an issue of confusion arising from the "120" chassis code). A longer wheelbase (T121) one-ton truck was added in 1976.

In export markets, this car was usually called simply the Colt T100/T120. It became a massive success in Indonesia, where "Colt" became synonymous with minibus. Mitsubishi dominated the market and the T120 remained in production until 1982. The nametag was revived in February 1991 with a rebadged version of the Suzuki Carry Futura. Record, a Greek manufacturer of agricultural vehicles, plagiarized the Delica T120 design (even using the same windshield) for their fibreglass-bodied "GS2000" truck.

ColtT120Pickup.JPG, 1975–1979 Colt T120, equivalent to Delica 1400 (Indonesia)
Mitsubishi Colt T120 light van, rear.jpg, Late Colt T120 van (Malta)

Second generation (1979)

The Delica series was replaced in June 1979 by an all new design, bringing overall width up to the maximum dictated by Japanese regulations for "compact" vehicles. Suspended at the front by an independent wishbone construction and a leaf spring at the rear, the Delica also features sliding side doors and one-piece gas strut tailgate. The line-up was expanded to include ten model variations encompassing a wide variety of passenger (eight seats in a three/two/three configuration), cargo and recreational applications. A four-wheel drive option was made available in 1982, a first in the Japanese van market. Engines were all four-cylinders well known from MMC's passenger cars and included the 1,439 cc, '' Saturn (4G33)'' and 1.6-litre '' Saturn (4G32)'' engines. A 1.8-litre '' Sirius (4G62)'' version producing appeared in May 1980, and a 2.0-litre '' Sirius (4G63B)'' petrol version became optional in 4WD versions from November 1983. A 2.3-litre '' Astron (4D55)'' diesel appeared in October 1982 and was replaced by the larger 2.5-litre '' Astron (4D56)'' in 1986.

The four-wheel drive version of the Delica was first introduced to the Japanese market in October 1982. This versatile vehicle utilized a modified version of the Mitsubishi Pajero's chassis, albeit usually with smaller engines (originally only the 1.8-litre petrol). After the introduction of the third generation Delica, the truck (separate cab) version of the second generation continued to be built until 1994. Japanese consumers were liable for higher amounts of annual road tax due to the larger engines installed in higher trim level packages.

1981 Mitsubishi L300 (31781066825).jpg, Pre-facelift Mitsubishi L300 pickup (New Zealand)
Mitsubishi DELICA STAR WAGON XL-5 (E-LO33PW) front.jpg, Pre-facelift Mitsubishi Delica Star Wagon (Japan)
Mitsubishi DELICA STAR WAGON XL-5 (E-LO33PW) rear.jpg, Pre-facelift Mitsubishi Delica Star Wagon (Japan)
Dieppe, Seine-Maritime - France (8540843289).jpg, First facelift Mitsubishi L300 converted to a recreational vehicle (Europe)
Mitsubishi Delica Truck 201.jpg, Second facelift Mitsubishi Delica pickup (Japan) with double rear tires intended for heavier payload duty
1981 Mitsubishi L300 Star Wagon (31921528713).jpg, Mitsubishi L300 Star Wagon 4-door high roof van (New Zealand)

Markets

Australia

Chrysler Australia introduced the ''SA'' series Delica to the Australian market on 14 April 1980 under the name "Chrysler L300 Express" after debuting at the Adelaide Motor Show in 12 April. After acquiring control of the Chrysler Australia operations in the same month, Mitsubishi Motors renamed the firm Mitsubishi Motors Australia in October 1980. This resulted in the rebranding of the L300 Express as a Mitsubishi. Fitted with a 1.6-litre engine and four-speed manual, both van (three-seater commercial) and wagon (eight-seater) variants were offered, with the commercial (van) version available with or without side rear windows. The utility (pickup) version was not sold in Australia, as the L200 Express covered that segment of the market. In November 1981 the ''SB'' series was introduced, now fitted with radial ply tires on larger diameter wheels, thus increasing the payload capacity from . The following month, Mitsubishi introduced the high-roofed luxury "Deluxe" trim, fitted with electric sunroof and cloth upholstery. The next update to the ''SB'' series arrived in October 1982, resulting in the "Deluxe" trim being renamed "Starwagon" and gaining a larger 1.8-litre engine—offered with a five-speed overdrive manual or optional three-speed automatic. The "Star Wagon" (this was written either as one or as two words) moniker was also used on examples assembled by Todd Motors in New Zealand, albeit with the 1.6-litre engine. Mitsubishi extended the availability of the 1.8-litre engine to the lower-specification variants, albeit in automatic guise only. The 1.8 was also available in the long wheelbase, high roof, panel van version.

From May 1983, the L300 Express received rectangular headlights in chrome surrounds as part of the ''SC'' iteration. The ''SC'' also featured newly designed black resin bumpers and adjustments to the front suspension spring rate to improve ride and handling. The four-wheel drive version, badged "4WD", came in October 1983 as a 1.8-litre model with floor-mounted five-speed manual only, therefore becoming a seven-passenger model by losing the front-row center seat. After another facelift in October 1984, the car became the ''SD'' series, introducing better equipment and black headlight surrounds along with a black trim piece between the headlights on "Starwagon" and "4WD" trims. The ''SD'' revision also upgraded the "4WD" to a 2.0-litre engine, with the 1.8-litre standard issue in a new long-wheelbase commercial (van) model. A final minor update, the ''SE'' series appeared in 1986.

1982 Mitsubishi L300 Express (SB) van (18353958456).jpg, Mitsubishi L300 Express van (SB, Australia)
1984-1985 Mitsubishi L300 Express (SD) 2.0 van (2015-07-21) 01.jpg, 1985 Mitsubishi L300 Express panel van (SD, Australia)
1985 Mitsubishi L300 Express (SD) 4WD van (2009-11-14) 02.jpg, Mitsubishi L300 Express 4WD van (SD, Australia)

Asia

;Philippines
This generation has been produced in the Philippines since 1987 as the "Mitsubishi L300 Versa Van" (discontinued in April 2012) as well as the Cab/Chassis variant where local coach builders assemble rear bodies for passenger and cargo hauling purposes. Variations such as the FB (family business), PET (personal and equipment transport), WT (water tight aluminum van) and DS (drop side) have been made to cater to those needs. In 2010, an extended rear body variant for the FB variant called the Exceed was added. In 2014, local truck body manufacturer Centro Manufacturing launched a minibus version of the L300 called the XV Mikrobus. It is built on the FB Exceed platform and is meant to be used as a public utility vehicle, a school bus, or an ambulance. It is also meant to revive the Versa Van and to be an alternative to the FB variant. In 2017, Mitsubishi Motors Philippines