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JDM 4x4 Van Test - as Shakespeare Put It, "4WD Alone Does Not an Off Roader Make"

You can blame the rapid rise of the SUVs for people's misconception that everything with a four-wheel-drive system makes for a good off-roader, as if poor traction was the only obstacle a vehicle can come across when leaving the comfort of the asphalt.
Mitsubishi Delica 4x4 off-road test 10 photos
Photo: Gingium / YouTube screenshot
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Even if that were true, it's not like all all-wheel-drive (we'll use 4WD and AWD interchangeably throughout this text, get used to it) systems are created equal. Some are better than others, while others can be downright crap. Some rely on clever electronics to sort traction out and send power where it's needed, while others use lockers. Of the latter, some have a central locking differential, others have a rear one as well, and very few have a third mounted at the front.

And that's just scraping the surface of 4WD systems, which, in turn, is only a small part (albeit a very important one) of what makes a vehicle capable off the road. You then have approach, departure, and break-over angles, wheel articulation, ground clearance, tire size and tread, and probably a dozen more things we don't even know about.

So, how is a Japanese-made small van going to handle itself in an off-road park in Georgia that's definitely not called "Little Moab"? Well, first of all, this isn't your ordinary JDM van, and second, said the park doesn't necessarily pose that big of a challenge for anything with mild off-roading aspirations.

The vehicle we're looking at is a Mitsubishi Delica, also known as an L300 in other parts of the world. This particular version is the 4x4 model, which just happens to share a lot of its underpinnings with the L200 pickup of the same era. Among those things is the engine, a 2.5-liter turbodiesel straight-four that's about as workhorse-like as a horse used for work.

Apart from the technical details, the Delica 4x4 also gets a rough exterior look thanks to the plastic cladding, the front bull bar (that seems ready to take a winch at any time), the 30-inch off-road tires, the snorkel, and the rack and box combo mounted on the roof. It's got a definite adventure feel about it, but it seems to lean more in the overlanding direction than hardcore rock-crawling.

Well, the stuff it'll be doing today is neither one nor the other, though it does feel as though it veers more toward the former. After all, this is Georgia, not Utah.

It looks like a Forward Control version of the Pajero (or L200, if you will), but with much longer overhangs than the classic Jeep had. Even so, they are sufficiently angled, so the approach and departure angles aren't that bad. As for break-over, that's even better thanks to its very short wheelbase.

As suggested, the main limitations for the Mitsubishi van have nothing to do with its 4WD system, but rather the very high center of gravity coupled with its narrow track and lack of wheel articulation. Put all this together and any situation where the vehicle is forced to climb with only the wheels on one side turns into a nerve-racking moment. You feel as though tipping over is a constant threat, and even though people do off-roading for the challenge, they also do it as entertainment. Constant fear of injury or death is not very entertaining.

However, as long as that risk is being considered at all times, the Mitsubishi Delica 4x4 proves to be capable enough to deal with a bit of rough ground and could even make for a decent overlanding build. It's got plenty of space inside considering its overall size and, even though it will only enhance its main drawback, you can always stow stuff up top on the roof rack and in the roof box. It may not be the ultimate off-roader, but with its simple yet rugged AWD system and that torquey 2.5-liter turbodiesel, it looks like it'll take you places not every vehicle will. Does that make it an off-roader? Well, watch the clip to see it in action and make up your own mind.

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About the author: Vlad Mitrache
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"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
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