The secret to giving the “Delica style” to a Kei-car like the Delica Mini also involved instilling it with character. In the second part of this story, we will explore how this was achieved.
A “mischievous young boy” — the key words to defining the Delica Mini’s image
Atsushi Goto
Design & Strategy Department
Responsible for exterior design on the Delica Mini
Asuka Koshiyama
Design & Strategy Department
Responsible for color design the Delica Mini
We want people to be excited by getting in their car, even in ordinary, everyday life. In keeping with the versatility of the Kei-cars, from daily use to outdoor activities, the key concept of the Delica Mini was “daily adventure.” Taking the Delica D:5 as the parent, and the Delica Mini as the child, the design personality chosen for the latter was that of a mischievous young boy.
This is symbolized by the striking headlamp design.
As Goto says, “If you think of the front end as the face of the car, the front-most line of the hood corresponds to the eyebrows, and this part was fixed from the beginning. Accordingly, we took particular care over where to cut the circle of the headlights, which can be seen as the eyes. We created the semicircular signature and the balance between the “whites” and “pupils” of the eyes with millimeter-by-millimeter control to produce an expression that was cute and likeable while retaining a sense of dignity.” They conducted numerous design reviews while creating 3D models with the modelers.
The look of the tires also makes a big difference in the impression a car gives. A small gap between the tires and the body gives a sporty vibe, while exposed tires give the image of an off-roader. Goto notes “Another major issue was to design the car in such a way that the body is lifted up and the center of gravity appears high, so that customers can sense the excellent road handling of the four-wheel drive system with just a glance.
For the front end, we wanted to show as much of the tire as possible by adding volume to the design section of the skid in the center and from there, cutting up in front of the outer side of the tire. However, in addition to the aerodynamic requirements for the front end, parts called fender protectors, located inside the wheelhouse, make it difficult to expose the tires. As such, we worked to make it look like a raised profile in terms of form, but without allowing it to be exposed to air from the front. The rear is designed so that the tires are more visible from behind.”
On the sides, the fender wheel arches are black to emphasize the presence of the tires and give a lifted look.
Normally, black is produced by adding plastic trim or applying a sticker, but with the Delica Mini, this was not possible, because the panel portion is shared with the base car. So, our solution was to paint the body color and the black of the wheel arches separately. Koshiyama reflects, “It was difficult to paint separate colors on a flat surface without any guide, and we had a hard time doing it.
The Production Engineering Paint Department at the Mizushima Plant, which was in charge of manufacturing the vehicle, studied the entire process, including steps of first painting the black and then applying the body color after masking off the relevant sections. Particularly difficult was the areas that the colors overlapped. Because, with some body colors, the coat underneath would be visible, the angle of the line where the different colors met was precisely coordinated with the exterior designer. The use of paint, rather than plastic trim, produced a better sense of texture.”
A “partner” for a wide range of customers
The Delica Mini was first unveiled at the Tokyo Auto Salon 2023. Although the reactions were different, men said, ``It's nice because it feels like a Delica,'' and women said, ``I like it because it's cute,'' but both received positive impressions.
“Cute” was not a word we had heard used to describe the Delica before. Koshiyama says, “I felt that the design personality of the “mischievous young boy” was also well understood by customers, who said, ‘I really like the fact that the headlamps are really prominent,’ and ‘I like that it’s not just cute but also slightly impish.’” Goto also perceived an effect, saying that “By establishing the design personality of the mischievous young boy, it was possible for the staff involved in developing the car to share a common image. I believe that combined with the heritage of the Delica name, and the strong message it conveys, has helped communicate its value and outlook on the world to customers.”
What served as major inspiration for the design team were photos sent in by customers of previous generations of the Delica. The way a Delica is used varies depending on each user’s lifestyle. Both Goto and Koshiyama agree that this reaffirmed their commitment to developing vehicles that meet customers’ wide-ranging needs.
Goto continues enthusiastically, “A car becomes a complete product not only when it is purchased, but also when it is used. We want to keep making cars that will inspire our customers, wondering what kind of memories they will make with them.”
It is said that in the Japanese Kei-car market, which can be considered unique, there has been a tendency in recent years to put particular effort into developing well-defined characters for the cars. Going forward, the importance of communicating the personality of a car to customers is likely to increase.
The answer to the question of how Mitsubishi Motors will match its distinctive character with the times may lie in the process by which the Delica Mini was developed.
