Mitsubishi Express is a nameplate used in Australia on several different vehicles. It began in 1980 on rebadged L200 and L300 models, continued on Delica-based vans until 2013, and returned in 2020 on a rebadged Renault Trafic.
Mitsubishi Express at a glance
| Market | Australia, later also New Zealand |
|---|---|
| First use | 1980–1986 |
| First models | L200 Express (MA to MD) and L300 Express (SA to SE) |
| 1986–2013 | Delica-based Express, SF to SJ |
| 1994–2005 | Express WA, the fourth-generation Delica |
| 2020–2022 | Express X82, a rebadged Renault Trafic |
| Basis | Mitsubishi Forte, Delica and Renault Trafic |
Based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on the Mitsubishi Express, which is a short list of the models that used the name. The article is therefore short and does not describe engines or equipment.
History of the Mitsubishi Express
From pickups to vans
Between 1980 and 1986 Mitsubishi in Australia used the Express name on two vehicles: the L200 Express, models MA to MD, a rebadged version of the Mitsubishi Forte pickup, and the L300 Express, models SA to SE, a rebadged second-generation Delica.
In 1986 the L300 Express was replaced by a new generation that carried the name Mitsubishi Express on its own: the SF, SG, SH and SJ models, rebadged third-generation Delicas. From 1994 to 2005 the more expensive fourth-generation Delica was sold alongside it, also as the Express, with the model code WA.
The Renault years
Between 2020 and 2022 Mitsubishi sold a new generation of the Express in Australia and New Zealand. This one, coded X82, was a rebadged third-generation Renault Trafic rather than a Mitsubishi design, and it ended the long line of Delica-based vans under the Express name.
Design and features
- Four vehicles, one name: L200, L300, Delica and Renault Trafic.
- Australian only: the nameplate was not used in Europe.
- Long run: from 1980 to 2013 with Delica-based vans.
- Renault return: the 2020 Express was a rebadged Trafic.
Mitsubishi Express versions
- L200 Express (MA–MD): rebadged Forte pickup, 1980–1986.
- L300 Express (SA–SE): rebadged second-generation Delica.
- Express (SF–SJ): rebadged third-generation Delica, 1986–2013.
- Express (WA): fourth-generation Delica, 1994–2005.
- Express (X82): rebadged Renault Trafic, 2020–2022.
The Express was a Delica under another name for most of its life, and the pickup version came from the L200. More cars are in the Mitsubishi collection.
Sources
- Mitsubishi Express, English Wikipedia: the four vehicles sold under the name
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