Mitsubishi Town Box

The Mitsubishi Town Box is a kei car (Town Box) and minivan (Town Box Wide) produced for the Japanese domestic market (JDM) by the Japanese automaker Mitsubishi Motors. It was initially available with the alloy-headed 4A30 657 cc inline-four engine, but switched to the 3G83 659 cc straight-three engine in 2002. From June 1999 until August 2001, a slightly larger version of the same vehicle powered by a 4A31 1.1 L straight-four, the Mitsubishi Town Box Wide, was also available. The first generation Town Box was discontinued in November 2011, ending the twelve-year production run. The nameplate returned in February 2014 on a rebadged version of the Suzuki Every Wagon.

The first generation Town Box was also sold in Japan as the Nissan Clipper Rio, while the Town Box Wide was also produced under licence in Malaysia as the Proton Juara.

First generation (U61W/62W/63W/64W; 1999)
The first generation Town Box went on sale in April 1999. It was a mid-engined, rear-wheel drive (optional four-wheel drive was available) with a short bonnet. It was more passenger-oriented than the company's Bravo series. The rear seat used separate chairs rather than a bench and recessions in the floors provided additional leg space for the rear seat passengers. Also unusual was the parking brake, which was located outboard of the driver's seat, next to the door. In November 2000, the Town Box received an early facelift as a result of market resistance, including a redesigned front clip with more conventional headlamps. At the same time, the rear seat was replaced with a more typical, split, folding rear bench, and the parking brake handle was relocated in the usual position between the seats.

The initial lineup consisted of the SX, LX, and the turbocharged RX models. All were available with two- or four-wheel-drive, with either four-speed automatic or five-speed manual transmissions, with a standard high roof (with the option of a sunroof). The engines were a three-cylinder, 12-valve, MVV (lean burn) 3G83 engine for the LX and SX (U61W, U62W with 4WD), or the turbocharged and intercooled, DOHC 20-valve, four-cylinder 4A30 engine for the sporting RX version (U63W, U64W with 4WD). Power outputs are 48 PS at 6,000 rpm and torque of 6.3 kgm at 4,000 rpm for the naturally aspirated model, 64 PS at 6,500 rpm and torque of 10.0 kgm at 3,000 rpm.

In August 2002, anticipating new, stricter emissions standards, the Town Box RX switched from the highly tuned 4A30 engine to a single-cam, 12-valve, intercooled and turbocharged version of the 3G83 engine also fitted to the naturally aspirated versions. Claimed power remained 64 PS, now at 6,000 rpm, likely the result of underreporting the output of the earlier model to stay within the parameters of the gentlemen's agreement to limit kei cars to that number. Torque was significantly lower, at 8.8 kgm at 3,000 rpm.

Town Box Wide (U65W/66W)
In June 1999, the 1.1-liter Town Box Wide was presented. Not being a kei car meant that it could be wider and longer without incurring tax penalties; Mitsubishi thus fitted it with plastic overfenders and much larger bumpers. The larger 4A31 engine produces 75 PS at 6,000 rpm and has a maximum torque of 10.2 kgm at 4,000 rpm. The Town Box Wide also has a lower, flat roof than the regular Town Box, and seats six people in three rows of two individual chairs. The last row, however, were in the way of emergence seats which folded into the side panels and Mitsubishi themselves referred to the car as a "4 + 2 seater".

Only a single version was available, with either rear-wheel-drive (U65W) or "Easy Select" switchable four-wheel-drive (U66W). It received a minor change in 2000, when the handbrake was moved to the traditional position between the front seats. The Town Box Wide was also built in Malaysia as the Proton Juara, although the Juara received an additional body kit. The Juara was not successful, and neither was the Town Box Wide. Its odd appearance and limited space, being no larger on the inside than the kei class model, meant that the car had no real selling point while costing a lot more to own and operate than a regular Town Box. Production ended in August 2001, just over two years after it was first introduced. Just under 4,300 examples were sold in Japan (nearly four fifths of those were sold during 1999 which was not even a full year), with another 3,300 exported to Malaysia for local assembly by Proton.

Second and Third generations (Suzuki OEM deal)
In February 2014, Mitsubishi started selling rebadged Suzuki Carry trucks and Every vans as the Mitsubishi Minicab. The passenger-oriented Every Wagon, which has a more designed rear end but shares the Carry Van's chassis code, was also included and received the Town Box badge (DS64W). As the Every only had a year of production left, Mitsubishi did not spend a lot of effort to distinguish their model, restraining themselves to changing the badging. In March 2015 a new Every Wagon and Town Box was introduced (DS17W). The newest model offers increased interior space, a longer wheelbase, and the new Suzuki R06A engine; turbocharged and intercooled. It is offered in G and G Special specs.

Annual production and sales
(Source: Facts & Figures 2009, Mitsubishi Motors website)