Photo: Lancia
Luca Napolitano has been revealing drops of information about his plans to revive Lancia. First, we knew that the company would have a new-generation Ypsilon, a compact crossover, and a compact hatchback. When the Lancia CEO said the Delta would return, he also mentioned it would get a flagship. If you also thought that meant at least a D-segment vehicle, you were wrong. So were we: it will be the compact crossover.
In an interview with Automotive News, Napolitano said again that the new Ypsilon will arrive in 2024 with two powertrain options: electric and hybrid. In 2026, the company will have its new flagship, the compact crossover. Purists will weep: it will probably be called Aurelia.
Although it is a suitable name for a Lancia flagship, that’s not the package we would expect to see it labeling. To be fair, Aurelia was the name of a series of vehicles, such as a sedan, a coupe, a convertible, and a spider, but the “berlina” was the Aurelia par excellence.
If the name is confirmed, the new Aurelia will arrive at the same time the Ypsilon with a combustion engine will die. With the fully electric Aurelia – or whatever Lancia decides to call it – the Italian company will only sell EVs from 2026 on. For the Delta fans, they will have to wait two more years before the Italian brand releases its compact hatchback. If you want the electric Delta, it will only happen in 2028.
Apart from its first lineup in quite some time, Lancia will also change how it sells cars. Like Volkswagen, it will move to an agency model, which will make dealers mere extensions of the carmaker, with no say in car prices but also fewer expenses. That’s what moving to a direct sales strategy will require in a not-so-distant future. For Lancia, it will start on June 1, 2023. Napolitano believes in about 100 agencies in 60 European cities.
Although it is a suitable name for a Lancia flagship, that’s not the package we would expect to see it labeling. To be fair, Aurelia was the name of a series of vehicles, such as a sedan, a coupe, a convertible, and a spider, but the “berlina” was the Aurelia par excellence.
If the name is confirmed, the new Aurelia will arrive at the same time the Ypsilon with a combustion engine will die. With the fully electric Aurelia – or whatever Lancia decides to call it – the Italian company will only sell EVs from 2026 on. For the Delta fans, they will have to wait two more years before the Italian brand releases its compact hatchback. If you want the electric Delta, it will only happen in 2028.
Apart from its first lineup in quite some time, Lancia will also change how it sells cars. Like Volkswagen, it will move to an agency model, which will make dealers mere extensions of the carmaker, with no say in car prices but also fewer expenses. That’s what moving to a direct sales strategy will require in a not-so-distant future. For Lancia, it will start on June 1, 2023. Napolitano believes in about 100 agencies in 60 European cities.
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