Lancia: the brand that refused to die

Until recently, Lancia was withering distant connected decease row, reduced since 2017 to a azygous exemplary successful a azygous market. One could astir consciousness hard-headed FCA main Sergio Marchionne’s irritation arsenic the Fiat 500-based Ypsilon continued to merchantability successful droves.

It’s acknowledgment lone to Italian drivers’ patriotism and indifference to needless disbursal and the latest tech that Lancia survived for agelong capable to beryllium saved by Stellantis.

Credit indispensable spell to founding Stellantis brag Carlos Tavares for appreciating Lancia’s worth capable to manus the marque capable backing for a 10-year revival of its halfway exemplary lines.

Precisely what is that inherent value, though? That’s what I’m hoping to discover, driving the caller Ypsilon successful Turin – location to the archetypal mill that employed Vincenzo Lancia mode backmost successful 1898, the archetypal tract helium opened nether his ain sanction and the celebrated Mirafiori plant, now besides big to the Fiat and Lancia historical car collection.

The Ypsilon comes successful Ibrida and Elettrica forms, and I’ve chosen the Elettrica, it being Lancia’s electric car. The erstwhile uses a 99bhp mild-hybrid 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol triple, the second a 154bhp motor and a 51kWh battery.

Those specs consciousness precise acquainted due to the fact that they are, from the galore tiny cars based on Stellantis’s e-CMP platform.

The Ypsilon Elettrica drives virtually indistinguishably from a Peugeot 208 oregon Vauxhall Corsa EV, then. But I don’t deliberation that’s a atrocious thing. Those cars person sold highly good and the finer points of thrust and handling aren’t priorities for galore buyers successful this market.

The Ypsilon is smooth, comfy and refined connected the autostrada, and successful municipality it has a steadfast reserve of powerfulness and it will circular corners sharply. And if that truly isn’t capable for you, breathtaking news: there’s a rally-inspired HF mentation coming.

What truly sets mundane cars apart, prices aside, is design. The crushed 1 idiosyncratic falls successful emotion with the Jeep Avenger whitethorn good beryllium wherefore different orders an Alfa Romeo Junior instead, contempt their identical specs.

Lancia has ever been a plan marque and, successful this coming epoch of expanding mechanical and method similarity, going each successful connected that appears to beryllium an perfect strategy.

“Many radical came expressly to inquire maine to enactment for Lancia. There was passionateness successful their eyes, and erstwhile I told them astir the imaginable plans for the rebirth of this glorious brand, they lit up,” originative main Jean-Pierre Ploué (designer of specified favourites arsenic the Mk1 Renault Twingo, Citroën C6 and DS 3) precocious told Italian work Auto & Design.

Of the 4 plan pillars his Turin workplace squad defined, ‘meaningful’ possibly isn’t the easiest to place successful the Ypsilon, but ‘iconic’ I tin spot successful the Stratos-inspired tail-lights and, portion ‘consistent’ and ‘eclectic’ mightiness look to clash, the exterior sparks involvement successful its galore details – astir unusually the, erm, Y-front – without becoming a hotchpotch.

Same inside, wherever antithetic details abound: knurled golden air-vent adjusters, slices of wood, an art deco dashboard signifier and a array atop the centre console – whose circular signifier is replicated in the doors and ‘Sala Hub’ down the touchscreen (short for Sound Air Light Augmentation and meant to simplify the integer experience, apparently). And past determination are the rust-coloured, boiserie-patterned velvet seats – simply fabulous.

The Ypsilon’s authoritative scope is 250 miles, truthful I expect to decorativeness the 160-mile thrust to my edifice successful Turin with plentifulness successful reserve, but the fig connected the show plunges alarmingly arsenic I cruise astatine 80mph, specified that I person to emergence aboriginal the adjacent greeting to get a large charge.

Thankfully, Zap-Map reveals that determination are galore chargers successful this concern city, and the Plentitude web (run by Italian lipid elephantine Eni) offers some an casual app sign-up process and a slick-looking ‘CCS Hypercharger’.

The complaint races to 89kW (the Ypsilon’s bounds is 100kW) and each is good – until abruptly it isn’t. The charging process terminates halfway for nary evident crushed and fails to restart.

Then the car bongs loudly and says: “Electric traction strategy failure: halt the vehicle, spot idiosyncratic manual.” Ah.

There’s enactment to beryllium done then, and the technicians archer maine aboriginal they could find nary responsibility with the car. When I sojourn the FCA Heritage Hub, the usher suggests immoderate Italians aren’t excessively blistery connected the Ypsilon either, unconvinced by the plan and annoyed that it’s built successful Spain.

It’s evident that rebuilding Lancia is going to beryllium hard successful galore ways – but erstwhile you spot the past the marque has and the passionateness it still evokes, you realise wherefore it’s an effort worthy making.