The Mahindra Voyager was Mahindra’s badge-engineered version of the Mitsubishi Delica, the Japanese cab-over van and pick-up that Mitsubishi has built since 1968. The Delica itself has gone through many generations and export names, from the L300 in Europe to the Starwagon in Australia.
Mahindra Voyager at a glance
| Maker | Mahindra & Mahindra, India, from Mitsubishi |
|---|---|
| Donor model | Mitsubishi Delica |
| Delica production | since July 1968 |
| First Delica | T100 cab-over pick-up, 1,088 cc, 58 PS |
| Payload, 1968 | 600 kg |
| Top speed, 1968 | 115 km/h |
| Van added | 1969, as the nine-seat Delica Coach |
| Second generation | June 1979 |
| Four-wheel drive | from 1982 |
| Export names | L300 and L400 in Europe, Express and Starwagon in Australia |
The source article covers the Mitsubishi Delica, not Mahindra’s version of it, so the page describes the donor vehicle.
History of the Mahindra Voyager
The Delica appeared in July 1968 as a light commercial cab-over pick-up with the chassis code T100. Its 1,088 cc KE44 engine made 58 PS, payload was 600 kg and top speed 115 km/h. A year later a cargo van and a passenger van joined the range; the passenger version, called the Delica Coach, seated nine people in three rows and was built until 1976.
A facelifted Delica 75 arrived in March 1971 with a small grille in place of the bare metal front and a new 1.4-litre engine of 86 PS, and a further facelift in late 1974 gave the van a new nose with plastic cladding and double headlights. In export markets the first generation was usually sold as the Colt T100, T120 or 1400, and it became a big success in Indonesia, where “Colt” became a synonym for minibus.
The second generation came in June 1979. It grew to the maximum 1,690 mm width allowed for Japanese compact cars, had independent wishbone front suspension with leaf springs at the rear, sliding side doors and a one-piece gas-strut tailgate. Ten variations were offered, from eight-seat passenger vans to cargo and recreational models, and four-wheel drive was added in 1982, using a modified Pajero chassis. Engines ranged from 1.4 and 1.6-litre petrol units to a 1.8-litre, later 2.0-litre, and diesel 2.3 and 2.5-litre fours.
It was this family of vans that Mahindra sold in India as the Voyager. The Delica name continued afterwards through the Space Gear, the D:5 and rebadged models from Mazda, Nissan and Suzuki, but the Mahindra-badged version belongs to the earlier, simpler generation.
Design and features
- Cab-over layout: a short nose and a flat front, with the engine under the seats or ahead of them.
- Van and pick-up bodies: the same basic vehicle was sold as a commercial pick-up, a cargo van and a nine-seat passenger van.
- Four-wheel drive: offered from 1982 with a modified Pajero chassis.
- Export spread: sold as the L300 in Europe, the Express and Starwagon in Australia and the Colt in Indonesia.
Mahindra Voyager versions
- Delica T100 (1968): the original cab-over pick-up.
- Delica Coach (1969–1976): the nine-seat passenger van.
- Delica 75 and 1400: facelifted first-generation models of 1971 and 1974.
- Second generation (1979–): wider body, sliding doors, ten variations.
The Voyager was a commercial vehicle sold alongside Mahindra’s utility models such as the Maxx and the Armada. More in the Mahindra collection.
Sources
- Mitsubishi Delica, English Wikipedia: generations, engines, bodies, export names
