Many people wondered if, with the birth of Stellantis and the consequent repositioning of all its brands, there would still be room for Lancia; a brand that sells only one model, the Ypsilon, and which since 2017 has taken on a commercial value that is no more than regional.
Now the brand officially defines the stages of its relaunch, which will begin in 2024 and foresees the debut of three models, as well as the return to other European markets: it will start in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany and Spain; subsequently it will be the turn of Great Britain. The CEO of Lancia, Luca Napolitano, unveiled it in an interview with Autonews Europe: the first new generation vehicle to arrive will be the Ypsilon, which will be offered both hybrid reverse (with 48 volt mild hybrid mechanics), is 100% electric.
A first in the history of a model that debuted for the first time in 1985 and boasts four generations behind it, sold in over 3 million units. Then, in 2026, it will be the turn of an unprecedented compact crossover – it could be called Aurelia – which will be positioned at the top of the range awaiting a great return, that of the Delta, a compact sedan expected for 2028. Both the Aurelia and the Delta will be proposed exclusively with 100% electric engines. The design of the new Lancias will be supervised by Jean-Pierre Ploue.
Lancia: Jean-Pierre Ploué will lead the design of the brand
Another important novelty is that the Lancia dealer network – as well as that of Alfa Romeo and DS – will abandon the current commercial logic: if today dealers buy the cars from the manufacturer that they then resell, tomorrow the Stellantis dealers appointed for the aforementioned brands will become a kind of sales agents. It means that the network will no longer be obliged, by contract, to purchase certain stocks / volumes of cars annually from the manufacturer, but will mediate the sale between the latter and the customers. The idea, to put it in Napolitano’s words, is to “build a premium, light and efficient distribution model”, says the manager: “We are not looking for large showrooms or widespread territorial coverage because we will use an innovative sales process online, which is what the customer is asking “.
