- Lancia has revealed the new Ypsilon, replacing the hatchback that had been on sale for over a decade. The Ypsilon has been Lancia’s only model since 2015.
- The new Ypsilon is closely related to the Pegeueot e-208 and Opel Corsa-e, but ekes out roughly 20 extra horsepower from its single electric motor.
- With a 51.0-kWh battery, the sharply styled hatch is good for 250 miles of range on the European test cycle.
Lancia has lain dormant for decades, its extensive engineering and rally racing heritage languishing under the expansive Stellantis empire. Since 2017, the brand has only been selling cars in its home country of Italy, with the aging Fiat 500-based Ypsilon keeping Lancia afloat since 2015. But Stellantis has promised to revitalize Lancia, and the new Ypsilon, revealed in full today, is the first step in that plan.
The Ypsilon shares its underpinnings with the latest Peugeot e-208 and Opel Corsa-e, which were among the best-selling cars in Europe in 2023. The Lancia, however, sports distinctive bodywork, with the hexagonal headlights sitting below a wide, gloss black trim piece that contains LED lights meant to resemble the letter Y. Around back, the circular taillights, apparently meant to emulate the iconic Stratos sports car, also incorporate the Y motif.
The Ypsilon arrives exclusively as an EV, packing a single electric motor that sends 154 horsepower to the front wheels, about 20 hp more than in the Peugeot and Opel. The motor is hooked up to a 51.0-kWh battery, providing a 250-mile range on Europe’s WLTP test cycle. Lancia says recharging from 20 to 80 percent can take as little as 24 minutes.
Inside, the Ypsilon takes a more luxurious approach than its Peugeot and Opel cousins. The cabin is centered around a pair of 10.3-inch screens that stretch across the dashboard, and the seats, with heating and massaging functions up front, are upholstered in a blue velvet made from recycled yarn and fashioned in a ribbed style. There’s also customizable ambient lighting, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a wireless phone charger, and three USB-C ports.
Along with a virtual assistant, Lancia fitted the Ypsilon with a Level 2 driver-assistance feature. The system uses adaptive cruise control and lane-keep assist to control speed and steering path, and also works with traffic-jam assist to get the hatchback running again when stuck in standstill traffic. Lancia says the Level 2 system can be activated between 19 and 93 mph.
The Ypsilon should go on sale at some point this year, but don’t expect the Lancia revival to expand to the United States. The Ypsilon measures just 161 inches long, making it about 10 inches shorter than a 2023 Kia Rio sedan and much too small to succeed stateside. And while the Ypsilon looks promising, we hope Lancia’s revival will at some point hark back to the company’s legendary rally heritage.
Caleb Miller began blogging about cars at 13 years old, and he realized his dream of writing for a car magazine after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University and joining the Car and Driver team. He loves quirky and obscure autos, aiming to one day own something bizarre like a Nissan S-Cargo, and is an avid motorsports fan.