Photo: Lionel Vadam for L'est Republicain / edited
Not exactly a conventional automotive leak, the 2024 Lancia Ypsilon has been snapped without any sort of camouflage while taking a skinny dip in France. Pictured in the Rhone-Rhine Canal in the area of Montbeliard, the production-spec prototype was photographed by Lionel Vadam for the regional newspaper L'est Republicain.
What is especially curious about the cited publication report on the half-submerged car is that The Republican East doesn't mention the make and model. You, as well as yours truly, weren't supposed to see this fellow until early 2024.
The local police agency refused to make any statement in regard to how the uncamouflaged prototype ended up impersonating a submarine. Lifted from the water by a crane truck, said car may have been stolen. But alas, without any confirmation from the French police, that is merely speculation.
Eerily similar to the Peugeot 208 and Groupe PSA-engineered Opel Corsa, the all-new Ypsilon features hidden rear door handles and Lancia badges in the gloss-black areas right next to the C pillars. The rear windows don't appear to go fully down, which is only natural for a hatchback from the subcompact class.
Pictured with an Y-like motif for the rear light signature, gloss-black cladding around the wheel wells, and machine-finish wheels, the Ypsilon further sports a fuel door/charging port door on the left rear quarter panel. Emphasis on charging port door because Lancia wants to become fully electric by 2028. The Ypsilon before your eyes will be joined by an STLA Medium-based flagship in 2026, reportedly a fastback that will revive the Aurelia nameplate.
Photo: Lionel Vadam for L'est Republicain
The BEV push will be completed in 2028 with the all-electric Delta, which may offend purists in many respects. Then again, so did the previous generation, which can only be described as a Fiat Bravo in a fancy suit. Stellantis, as in the company resulted from the merger between Fiat Chrysler and Groupe PSA, definitely rivals the Volkswagen Group and General Motors in terms of low-effort badge engineering.
The cockpit of this write-off shows a landscape-oriented touchscreen infotainment system running Uconnect 5, as well as a small-diameter steering wheel. Not exactly a coincidence, Peugeot also has a thing for small-diameter steering wheels. The front end of the Ypsilon appears to bring together no fewer than four light assemblies. From the attached photos, it isn't clear whether fog lights are featured or not.
Considering how similar the Ypsilon is to the 208 and Corsa in terms of exterior dimensions, one could argue that driving range will be pretty close to the all-electric versions of the Peugeot and Opel (make that Vauxhall if you're reading this from the UK). The French automaker lists the e-208 with a driving range of up to 362 kilometers under WLTP, meaning 225 miles in ideal conditions. The Corsa Electric (previously Corsa-e) is advertised by Opel in Germany with up to 405 kilometers (252 miles) on a full charge.
Exclusively front-wheel drive, the e-208 and Corsa Electric develop 100 and 115 kW, respectively. Both are limited to 150 kilometers per hour (93 miles per hour), which is good enough for highway driving.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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