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Next-Gen Lancia Delta Integrale Could Be the Challenger Hellcat of the Hatchback World

The Lancia Delta is one of Europe’s most celebrated hatchbacks, even though the nameplate hasn’t been on anyone’s lips for over half a decade, and that’s if you feel like calling the third-generation Delta (in production between 2008-2014), a genuine Delta. It was just a Fiat Bravo underneath and didn’t drive nearly as well as a Ford Focus or a VW Golf.
Lancia Delta Integrale rendering 11 photos
Photo: Kolesa
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To many car enthusiasts, the only Delta that matters is the first-generation model, which spawned so many iconic iterations – such as the HF Turbo, HF 4WD, HF Integrale, Integrale Evoluzione and the Integrale Evoluzione II.

The latter came out in the summer of 1993, powered by a 212 hp 2.0-liter 16-valve turbocharged engine. It’s safe to say that it was king among all hatchbacks, capable of absolutely demolishing a Golf GTI, as the latter was nowhere near as powerful.

Now, if you’re a fan of the Delta, you should be thrilled to know that Lancia is bringing it back, sometime in the next 3-5 years. It will continue to be a hatchback, as per company boss Luca Napolitano, but it will also be fully electric and sold as a premium product, which means Lancia will target competitors such as the Mercedes A-Class, BMW 1 Series and Audi A3, rather than the VW Golf, Ford Focus and the rest of the non-premium C-segment gang.

What we’d love to see is for Lancia to bring back the styling of the first-generation Delta with regards to this upcoming fourth-generation model, and in turn, beef up the design to the point where it simply looks retro-modern, kind of like the Dodge Challenger.

These renderings by Kolesa are a perfect example of what I’m talking about. The car looks just as legendary as the original, but with modern touches like the flush door handles and LED light graphics.

However, if the Italian carmaker opts instead for a brand-new design, well, that will run the risk of some people not liking it. In other words, not bringing back the styling of the original could be a giant missed opportunity.
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About the author: Sergiu Tudose
Sergiu Tudose profile photo

Sergiu got to experience both American and European car "scenes" at an early age (his father drove a Ford Fiesta XR2 supermini in the 80s). After spending over 15 years at local and international auto publications, he's starting to appreciate comfort behind the wheel more than raw power and acceleration.
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