The Nissan Urvan-based Mitsubishi van will be named the Versa

It’s going to be an eventful last quarter of the year for Mitsubishi Motors Philippines (MMPC) by the looks of it. They’ll be launching the new Destinator midsize SUV this coming November 20, and it looks like Mitsubishi will be reviving a familiar nameplate for those who grew up in the 1990s— the Versa Van.

The Versa Van was originally a variant of the L300, sold for a very long time in our market. Being capable of seating up to 12 people, it had the tried-and-tested 4D56 diesel found almost everywhere, meaning people could keep these running for decades to come.

Earlier this year, the Nissan Motor Company released a financial results announcement for 2024, with an interesting bit about an OEM-out rebadged van specifically for the Philippines. Signs pointed to a rebadged Nissan Urvan, as the two companies already sell a rebadged MPV in the form of the Mitsubishi Xpander and Nissan Livina.

And thanks to LTO documents, we now have confirmation that the company is indeed reintroducing the nameplate with one variant. This is the Versa Van GLX 2.5D 2WD MT, and it’s powered by a 2.5-liter turbodiesel engine mated to a manual transmission. It measures 4,710mm long, 1,695mm tall, and 1,990mm wide, with a wheelbase of 2,555mm, and it rides on 15-inch wheels.

When compared to its (alleged) Nissan sibling, this lines up with the Nissan Urvan Standard, with its YD25DDTi turbodiesel pushing out 129 horsepower and 356Nm of torque, mated to a five-speed manual transmission. Of course, lots of things could change depending on how Mitsubishi Motors Philippines will spec this, but it’s exciting to see the revival of a heritage nameplate, especially for the Philippine market.

^{Photos from Mitsubishi and Nissan}