Unless you've been living under a rock these past couple of years, you've known about Lancia's plans to come back from the dead using Stellantis' help. Nevertheless, the Italian brand was not buried, as it only used to sell the old Ypsilon in its home market from 2011 to 2024, and that model has now been refreshed.
You see, while its predecessor was mechanically tied to models such as the Fiat Panda, 500, and Ford Ka, the new one uses different underpinnings. Beneath the skin lies the same platform of the latest Peugeot 208, Opel Corsa, DS 3 Crossback, and Jeep Avenger, which the upcoming Alfa Romeo Milano will also use.
The 2024 Lancia Ypsilon measures 160.6 inches (4,080 mm) in length, 69.3 inches (1,760 mm) in width, and 56.7 inches (1,440 mm) in height, or longer and wider than the old one. It tips the scales at almost 3,500 pounds (nearly 1.6 tons), yet that's not a surprise, given that it uses electric power.
A 51 kWh battery powers the 154 hp (156 ps/115 kW) and 192 lb-ft (260 Nm) torque motor mounted at the front and gives it a 250-mile (403 km) WLTP-rated range. Before Lancia goes full-EV, it will introduce a hybrid version of the latest Ypsilon. Nothing is known about this model so far, but it might get the 1.2-liter three-banger assisted by a 48-volt system.
Photo: Lancia
The model is now on sale in its home market in the Cassina configuration, which is a limited edition capped at 1,906 copies. Local pricing starts at €39,999, which comes out to almost $43,000 at the current exchange rates. The 2024 Ypsilon will be sold in other European countries, and it is bound to arrive in the Netherlands and Belgium this summer, followed by Germany, France, and Spain starting next year.
Lancia's latest generation Ypsilon is only offered in a single body style: a five-door hatchback. Subcompacts with three doors are not as popular anymore; the same goes for station wagons in this class. Nevertheless, that does not mean a three-door version cannot call Fantasy Land home. And as it happens, it does, with X-Tomi Design on Facebook giving it a second body style not long ago.
The digital model stays true to the real thing by retaining the same face and the entire design up to the front pillars. Further back, it no longer has rear doors, and the front ones were elongated for easier access to the rear seats. The rear three-quarter windows and rear fenders were virtually updated, and the car was given a lively green finish and wheels that appear to be a bit bigger than the OEM ones.
Does this style suit the new Ypsilon? We think it does, as the car world needs more quirky models, as long as they're not crossovers and SUVs.
After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s. Full profile
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