Photo: Reichel Car Design
Named after the 20th letter of the Greek alphabet, the Ypsilon singlehandedly paved the way for small premium-oriented cars.
Always offered in the guise of a three-door hatchback, the smallest Lancia of the modern era was penned by Enrico Fumia, the Italian automobile designer who also gave us the Alfa Romeo GTV and the soft-topped Spider.
The first generation was based on the Fiat Punto series, 176 while the second generation switched to the 188. The outgoing Ypsilon dates back to 2011, and its underpinnings come in the guise of the Fiat Mini platform that will be soon replaced by the STLA Small for A-, B-, and C-segment vehicles.
Currently available only in Italy, the Ypsilon used to sell more than 100,000 units yearly in the Old Continent. The first dip took place in 2002 when sales nosedived to 79,758 units. Coincidence or not, sport utility vehicles were getting increasingly popular with European motorists during that era.
But looking at the bigger picture, the Ypsilon failed because Fiat has this unnerving habit of ignoring the cars that need their utmost attention. The same applies to Chrysler in the United States, which continues to sell the 18-year-old 300 although the Dodge Charger is a much better proposition.
On the upside, Lancia will be revitalized by the cross-border merger between Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Groupe PSA. The Italians will go fully electric in due time, and thus far, chief executive officer Luca Napolitano has confirmed three redesigns. The Ypsilon will be refreshed in 2024 with hybrid and full-electric options, followed by the Aurelia EV in 2026 and Delta EV in 2028.
Given this information, pixel artist Bernhard Reichel has rendered the Ypsilon in the form of a small crossover. Don’t get your hopes up for the STLA Small vehicle architecture, though, because the eCMP found in the Peugeot e-2008 will be upgraded in 2022, while the STLA Small will roll out in 2026.
We also have to remember the Ypsilon is exclusively manufactured in Poland at the assembly plant where Stellantis will make three small crossovers from the Jeep, Alfa Romeo, and Fiat marques. Lancia could very well join this group, but only time will tell what the future actually holds.
The first generation was based on the Fiat Punto series, 176 while the second generation switched to the 188. The outgoing Ypsilon dates back to 2011, and its underpinnings come in the guise of the Fiat Mini platform that will be soon replaced by the STLA Small for A-, B-, and C-segment vehicles.
Currently available only in Italy, the Ypsilon used to sell more than 100,000 units yearly in the Old Continent. The first dip took place in 2002 when sales nosedived to 79,758 units. Coincidence or not, sport utility vehicles were getting increasingly popular with European motorists during that era.
But looking at the bigger picture, the Ypsilon failed because Fiat has this unnerving habit of ignoring the cars that need their utmost attention. The same applies to Chrysler in the United States, which continues to sell the 18-year-old 300 although the Dodge Charger is a much better proposition.
On the upside, Lancia will be revitalized by the cross-border merger between Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Groupe PSA. The Italians will go fully electric in due time, and thus far, chief executive officer Luca Napolitano has confirmed three redesigns. The Ypsilon will be refreshed in 2024 with hybrid and full-electric options, followed by the Aurelia EV in 2026 and Delta EV in 2028.
Given this information, pixel artist Bernhard Reichel has rendered the Ypsilon in the form of a small crossover. Don’t get your hopes up for the STLA Small vehicle architecture, though, because the eCMP found in the Peugeot e-2008 will be upgraded in 2022, while the STLA Small will roll out in 2026.
We also have to remember the Ypsilon is exclusively manufactured in Poland at the assembly plant where Stellantis will make three small crossovers from the Jeep, Alfa Romeo, and Fiat marques. Lancia could very well join this group, but only time will tell what the future actually holds.
Google News