Mitsubishi Chariot: the MPV with a dozen names

The Mitsubishi Chariot is a small multi-purpose vehicle built from 1983 to 2003. It was based on the SSW concept car shown at the 1979 Tokyo Motor Show, took its name from the chariots of ancient Greece and Rome, and was sold around the world under a long list of names.

Mitsubishi Chariot at a glance

Based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on the Mitsubishi Chariot.

History of the Mitsubishi Chariot

First generation

The first Chariot was produced from February 1983 to May 1991 with a choice of single-overhead-camshaft four-cylinder engines from the 1.6-litre 4G32 to the 2.0-litre 4G63, or a 1.8-litre turbo-diesel from October 1984, with a five-speed manual or three-speed automatic gearbox. Based on the Tredia, it partly replaced the Galant estate. Japanese buyers could have six or seven seats, with the rear two rows folding flat, and in the six-seater the middle row could be turned round to make a sitting area.

From July 1983 a 1,795 cc MR Turbo version with 135 PS was available, reaching 175 km/h. In June 1984 permanent four-wheel drive was added to the two-litre model with 110 PS, using a clutch worked by inlet manifold vacuum and a three-joint propeller shaft so that the system did not intrude into the cabin. Until mid-1985 four-wheel-drive cars used the 4×2 Super Shift transmission; afterwards the more expensive versions had a five-speed manual and on-demand four-wheel drive with a viscous coupling.

In Finland a van version called the Space Van was sold with an extended glass-fibre roof, built by the boat maker Esboat, because vans were exempt from tax and had to reach a minimum cargo height; its top speed was limited to 80 km/h. In Australia the car was the Nimbus and won the 1984 Wheels Car of the Year award in its first year, with model codes UA, UB and UC. New Zealand assembled a single 1.8-litre GLX version from CKD kits.

Colt Vista and the second generation

In North America the same car was sold from August 1983 as the Dodge and Plymouth Colt Vista, and in Canada as the Eagle Vista Wagon until 1991. It started with front-wheel drive and a 2.0-litre G63B engine of 88 hp, with four-wheel drive available from the spring of 1985, and output later rose to 98 hp.

The second generation arrived in 1991 with a longer wheelbase, length, width and height while staying inside Japanese compact-car limits. The G63B gave way to the updated 4G63, the turbo-diesel was replaced by a 1,997 cc 4D68T, a 2,350 cc 4G64 was added in 1993, and a four-speed automatic was offered alongside the five-speed manual, with an INVECS fuzzy-logic automatic in top models. A limited four-wheel-drive turbo version called the Resort Runner GT used a slightly detuned 4G63 with 230 PS in manual form and 220 PS with the automatic; about 2,260 Resort Runner GT and GT-V cars were built between April 1995 and the end of production.

Design and features

• Many names: Space Wagon, Nimbus, Expo and Colt Vista for one vehicle.
• Flexible interior: six or seven seats with folding rows and a swivelling middle row.
• Early four-wheel drive: permanent all-wheel drive from June 1984.
• Resort Runner GT: a 230 hp turbocharged seven-seater.
• Australian success: the Nimbus won Wheels Car of the Year in 1984.

Mitsubishi Chariot versions

• Chariot (1983–1991): first generation on the Tredia base.
• Space Wagon: the name used in most export markets.
• Nimbus (Australia): UA, UB and UC models.
• Colt Vista: Dodge and Plymouth version for North America.
• Space Van (Finland): tax-exempt van with a raised glass-fibre roof.
• Resort Runner GT: turbocharged four-wheel-drive second generation.

The Chariot was based on the Tredia and partly replaced the Galant estate. Its successor in the range was the Grandis, and more cars are in the Mitsubishi collection.

Sources

• Mitsubishi Chariot, English Wikipedia: generations, engines, names, awards