Buyer's guide
15 min read
Buyer's guide & specs
Quick answer
The Mitsubishi Delica line began in 1968. These guides cover the three Japanese passenger generations import buyers meet: the Star Wagon (June 1986 to September 1999), the Space Gear including the PD8W (May 1994 to January 2007) and the fifth-generation D:5 (from January 2007). Match each car to its chassis code and build month.
Background
The Mitsubishi Delica has been sold since 1968. The guides on this site cover three generations: the Star Wagon of 1986 to 1999, the Space Gear of 1994 to 2007, represented by the PD8W, and the D:5 from 2007. Each has its own 4WD system, engines and recalls, so use the guide that matches the chassis code and build month.
The Star Wagon is a rounded monocoque cab-over wagon with part-time 4WD and a 2.5-litre 4D56 turbodiesel rated 85 PS in the catalogued cars. The Space Gear moved the engine into a nose ahead of the cabin and gave 4WD cars Super Select; the PD8W is its short-wheelbase 4M40 diesel, 125 PS in the 1996 Jasper entry. The D:5 added a 2.2-litre 4N14 diesel in January 2013 (148 PS), a diesel-only facelift in February 2019 and a revised 145 PS model in January 2026, with no low range. Do not read one generation's figures across to another.
Related: delica STAR-WAGON guide.
The US federal safety exemption covers a vehicle 25 or more years old (49 CFR 591.5(i)), counted from the car's own build date. Response's catalogue ends the Star Wagon in September 1999 and the Space Gear in January 2007, and Mitsubishi gives D:5 manufacture from January 2007, so no D:5 meets the age rule yet. EPA is a separate check: its exemption for vehicles at least 21 years old requires the original unmodified configuration or an equivalent or newer EPA-certified replacement engine and emissions-control system. Canada does not regulate vehicles older than 15 years at importation, counted by manufacture month and year.
Related: delica PD8W guide.
Quick read
Constants
Chassis history
Each page covers one Japanese-market generation with dated engines, grades and import age. Years are Mitsubishi or catalogue dates, not build ranges.
Identification
Generation names are broad families. The factory chassis codes below identify the variants represented in JDMBUYSELL's current Mitsubishi Delica guide data.
Confirm the complete code on the vehicle's frame or VIN plate; drivetrain, body, and market variants can use different prefixes within one generation family.
Market
Each generation page sets out the Japanese-market details and what differs on cars sold elsewhere; start with the delica STAR-WAGON guide.
Specs
Ratings are Mitsubishi, Response or government figures, listed with the grade and date. They describe named entries, not every car.
4,460 × 1,695 × 1,975 mm, wheelbase 2,240 mm, 215SR15 tyres (Web Motor Magazine).
4,485 × 1,695 × 2,090 mm, wheelbase 2,240 mm, interior 3,150 × 1,530 × 1,325 mm, 1,740 kg, eight seats, 75-litre tank (Response).
4,685 × 1,695 × 1,965 mm, wheelbase 2,800 mm, 1,990 kg, eight seats, 75-litre tank, 225/80R15 tyres (Response).
14.9:1 compression; JC08 13.6 km/L (laboratory). 4,730 × 1,795 × 1,870 mm, wheelbase 2,850 mm, 210 mm ground clearance, 1,900 kg (seven seats) or 1,910 kg (eight).
14.4:1 compression; WLTC 12.9 km/L (laboratory). 4,800 × 1,815 × 1,875 mm, wheelbase 2,850 mm, 185 mm ground clearance, 1,950–1,990 kg as tabulated (subtract 20 kg without the optional electric side step), 64-litre tank.
Lineup
Grades are those the sources name for each date.
| Generation | Trim | Engine | Key features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delica Star Wagon (Japan, 1986–1999) | 4WD 2500 Diesel Turbo Exceed (June 1986) | 4D56 turbodiesel | Type P25W; five-speed manual; 85 PS; front guard bar, large side steps and rear underguard standard |
| Delica Star Wagon (Japan, 1986–1999) | 2.5 Chamonix High Roof Diesel Turbo 4WD (Oct 1991 – Jul 1992) | 4D56 turbodiesel | Type P35W; eight seats; five-speed manual; 2,090 mm tall; 1,740 kg |
| Delica Star Wagon (Japan, 1986–1999) | 2.4 Exceed, Crystal Lite Roof and sunroof (August 1990 minor change) | 2.4-litre | Both roof versions are pictured by Response at the August 1990 minor change |
| Delica Space Gear (Japan) | Jasper Aero Roof 2.8 diesel turbo 4WD (Feb – May 1996) | 4M40 turbodiesel | Type PD8W; four-speed automatic; eight seats; 4,685 × 1,695 × 1,965 mm; 1,990 kg |
| Delica Space Gear (Japan) | Other Space Gear grades (Oct 1995 – May 1996 list) | 2.4 and 3.0 petrol; 2.5 and 2.8 diesel | Exceed I, Exceed II, XG, Chamonix, Super Exceed and Royal Exceed Long; Aero, High, Twin Sunroof and Crystal Lite roofs; 4WD or rear-drive. Chassis codes are not given for most, so not all are PD8W |
| Delica D:5 (Japan, 2007–present) | D-Premium (2015 catalogue) | 4N14 clean diesel | Original diesel; 4WD; six-speed automatic; seven or eight seats; 148 PS |
| Delica D:5 (Japan, 2007–present) | Roadest D-Power package (2015 catalogue) | 4N14 clean diesel | A diesel Roadest, so the Roadest was not petrol-only; eight seats |
| Delica D:5 (Japan, 2007–present) | Urban Gear (February 2019) | Diesel | Chrome-bar grille and wide-look front bumper; eight-speed automatic; e-Assist |
| Delica D:5 (Japan, 2007–present) | P / G-Power Package / G (January 2026) | 4N14 clean diesel | 3DA-CV1W; 4WD with S-AWC; seven or eight seats; 145 PS |
Production
Entries are Japan sales by fiscal year (April to March) from Mitsubishi and JADA. The Space Gear rows cover the whole range, not the PD8W alone; the D:5 row is a sales figure, not production.
| Year | Domestic | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 4,559 | Delica Space Gear, all variants, fiscal year (April to March); not PD8W-only |
| 2003 | 3,227 | Delica Space Gear, all variants, fiscal year |
| 2004 | 3,142 | Delica Space Gear, all variants, fiscal year |
| 2005 | 3,428 | Delica Space Gear, all variants, fiscal year |
| 2006 | 1,451 | Delica Space Gear, all variants, fiscal year |
| 2025 | 26,379 | Fiscal 2025 (April 2025 – March 2026), JADA; the best year for the D:5 since launch. Mitsubishi also reports more than 310,000 Japan sales in the 19 years to April 2026. Sales figures, not production |
Gallery
Editorial
Pick the guide by the chassis code and build month, then read that guide before you read a listing. The Star Wagon, the Space Gear and the D:5 differ in body, engine, 4WD system and recall exposure, and the overseas names (L300, L400, Star Wagon for the Space Gear in Australia) do not line up neatly with the Japanese ones.
Across all three, rust is the owner warning that recurs for the older vans, while the D:5 has chassis-specific recalls to check and a CVT that ReDriven calls its weak link. Count import age from the build date: 25 years for the US, 15 for Canada, with EPA's separate engine and emissions requirements on top for the US. See the delica PD8W guide.
FAQ
Citations
Sources last verified: