lancia – Autoprova – for the Connaisseur

We drove the Lancia Ypsilon electric: elegance, character and smooth panache

December 23, 2024December 23, 2024Posted in Car News, Car presentations, Car technology, Car Tests, Design, E-mobility R &D and solutions, Lifestyle, New Models, UncategorizedTagged lanciaLeave a comment

Lancia has always embodied style and elegance, coupled with mechanical refinement. This makes the new Ypsilon a very fitting candidate for EV propulsion. Indeed, after an extended test behind the wheel of this Lancia, we can only agree. It is most endearing as an EV, and indeed, it is a delight to steer it in town and on every road you may drive it.

Hans Knol ten Bensel

Renaissance on a well proven platform

With the birth of Stellantis it was clear that a revival of Lancia was in the cards. We already told you in length about the introduction of this Ypsilon. It carries typical styling icons of the brand, like the “calice” on the front end, and the round rear lights reminiscent of the legendary Stratos.
In my opinion it is the most attractive of the Stellantis compact range, but that is of course a very subjective preference.

Iconic cabin

The elegance and the Lancia typical panache continues in the interior. We loved the layout of the dashboard, the resolutely square screens, the cute and well finished little central table or ”tavola”.

You can leave flat and light objects on it, everything else is of course hazardous when you drive your Lancia with verve. We loved the blue/grey/black colour palette in the interior, so in tune with the tradition of the brand. Of course, it is a pleasure to find “real” commands and knobs for ventilation/heating for instance, and one feels quickly at home in this Lancia. One has Android Auto or Apple Carplay, and you can stream La Callas and delight in hearing how beautifully she brings Casta Diva. Indeed, the sound system is up to scratch.

The seats are quite comfortable and give excellent support. Space for the rear passengers is adequate, but of course one cannot expect miracles from a car with an overall length of 4,08 meters. Boot space is more than adequate for its class, with a standard available space of 309 liters.

Smooth EV power…

The Lancia shares its EV drivetrain with other cars in the Stellantis group, like the Opel Corsa, Peugeot 208, Jeep Avenger and Fiat 600. This means we’ll proven technology, with a 115 kW electric motor and a 54 kW battery, of which 51 kW is available in practice on the road.

This drivetrain is quite efficient, and indeed it is well possible to achieve consumption averages of 14-15 kW/100 km. It results in a practical range of some 360 km under reasonable temperatures. Fast charging is possible up to 100 kW, which means you can charge your Lancia in less than 1/2 hour from 20 to 80 pct.

The smoothness of the EV drivetrain is an absolute delight and suits the character of the car wonderfully. Performance is quite zesty with an acceleration time from 0 to 100 km/h in 8,2 seconds. Top speed is limited to 150 km/h, which is very wise indeed, as high speed driving with an EV is a very wasteful affair.

Handling is brisk and precise, and indeed even when driven with abandon on winding roads, this Lancia will delight you.

Conclusion

We found this Ypsilon utterly pleasing with the EV drivetrain. The silence and smoothness of EV power is just what this car needs. We are curious to see how it behaves with its 1,2 litre 16 V combustion engine, and even more so in the hybrid form. But here in our eyes, it already earned top marks…

Hans knol ten Bensel

Photographer’s notes: we used for our photos here again our trusted Nikon 5600 D, a 24.2 megapixel upper-entry level, APS-C sensor DSLR. It delivers nice, crisp, well balanced photos, and is an absolute pleasure to use.

We spoke with Barbara De Mol, Marketing Director Lancia and Alfa Romeo…

May 25, 2024May 25, 2024Posted in Car manufacturers strategy, Car presentations, Design, Interviews, Lifestyle, men women and cars, New Models, Service & Repair, women and carsTagged automotive, cars, lancia, lancia-design, lancia-history, lancia-renaissance, lancia-strategyLeave a comment

HKTB: Let me first congratulate you with your new responsibility, and thank you for granting this interview. You have already built up quite a career in the automotive world…

BDM: Indeed! I made my first steps at Renault, then joined the Group D’Ieteren, where I worked in the Marketing department at Porsche, and then took a new challenge by joining Electric by D’Ieteren, putting their product in the market. Then, as I was launching a new product in a premium (electric) automotive market, it was a logical step for me when an iconic brand like Lancia was (re)launching itself in our market, to take up also this challenge and this is how I landed here as a marketing director for Lancia and Alfa.

HKTB: Lancia is a unique premium brand with a noble Italian elegance and spirit, embedded in a rich history…

When I heard that 9 dealers will represent the Lancia brand in our country, with 1 in Luxemburg, it intrigues me to know how they will receive and approach the client and give him this premium impression and “feel” the moment he enters the showroom. What kind of support do you provide to these dealers?

BDM: Indeed, our support goes further than just marketing, and contains other aspects. For instance, the appearance and “look” of the showroom itself. We prescribe a premium level here. But there is also the sales person, i.e. the person who makes the first contact with the client. So we have established a training programme, where learning how to establish a good “face to face” contact is very important. We also have to address any doubts the client may have about the quality of our Italian cars, and therefore we offer an extended guarantee for the entire duration of the contract on our products.

HKTB: Do you work together with Italy to develop this training program for the sales staff?

BDM: Indeed, we have a very good collaboration. They communicate about their best practices, and of course we also have in Belgium our own training team. We have also developed a specific sales course, not only focusing on the technical aspects of the car, but also pointing out which elements constitute a premium brand.

HKTB: And the philosophy of the brand…

BDM: Of course. This has also a special appeal for them. The Italian elegance, the rally successes, there are many aspects. The history of Lancia is also very important.

HKTB: Can you tell us a bit more about the geographical distribution of the dealerships, for instance, there is no dealer in Knokke…

BDM: Indeed, there might come one in 2025… The first idea is of course to spread the dealerships across Belgium, and the person who lives in Knokke or rather has his second residence there, lives usually also in one of the main Belgian cities.

HKTB: You have a dealership in Courtrai…

BDM: Indeed! The (first) locations have been chosen in function of the potential sales volumes. We need motivated dealers who want to invest in the brand, and therefore we need to offer them an opportunity to grow…

HKTB: What about the dealerships who previously sold the Lancia Ypsilon, now some years ago?

BDM: These dealers will still exist for after sales service. Presently there are only two dealers in this situation. They can service the new Ypsilon, even when they don’t have the car in their showroom.

HKTB: The car has many technical similarities with other cars in the the Stellantis group, not to mention the Peugeot 208 and Opel Corsa …

BDM: Indeed, but when it comes to selling and servicing the Ypsilon, the approach is to maintain its strictly Italian character, which is reflected in the dealer strategy…and which is to be applauded!

HKTB: Do you have a cooperation with the Netherlands?

BDM: We are different, but we work together, as the Ypsilon is launched simultaneously in both countries.

HKTB: Within the Stellantis group, DS is also a brand which addresses a premium client base. Is there a “cross fertilization” concerning client approach, an exchange of best practices in this field?

BDM: Not really. Indeed, we have three premium brands in the group, Alfa, DS, Lancia. We can share some training programmes on how to sell a premium brand, but then for Lancia and Alfa the passion for the automobile, its elegance and its design are rather more important. It is more “Italian”.

HKTB: Can you tell a bit more about the plans and potential for the fleet market for this Ypsilon?

BDM: We know that in Belgium the premium is very much fleet oriented, but as the Ypsilon is a city car, we reckon that about 50 % will be sold in the fleet market and indeed 50 % will find its way to private clients, who will opt rather more for the hybrid version.

HKTB: There will also be a follow up in the Lancia model range with the Gamma…

BDM: Indeed, and next year also there will be the more engaging HF version of the Ypsilon.

HKTB: Are the dealers exclusively Lancia?

BDM: No, they are also Alfa. They are so-called multibrand, but they will have a specific showroom, dedicated to the brand. The showrooms of the different brands have also to be clearly separated, and indeed the sales people are also specific. There is a dedicated sales person for the brand, who has an intimate knowledge of the brand.

HKTB: Are you going to engage with Lancia in cultural and other events? Will you for example sponsor in the future events like the Concours Reine Elisabeth?

BDM: Not in 2024, we now concentrate on the launch of the brand; but the retailers will probably organize or sponsor (local) events. There will be however specific events for the fleet clientele.

HKTB: I am (also) an artist myself and have a keen interest in artistic events, and I could see Lancia sponsoring events in the cultural sector…

BDM: This is a very good suggestion! Maybe in 2025. But you can always contact me, I am always open to new ideas and suggestions! The first event is now the opening of our retailers. The 22^nd of May, the Luxembourg retailer will open its doors…

HKTB: Thank you very much for this interview!

Hans Knol ten Bensel

Lancia is back in our low countries…

May 19, 2024Posted in Automobilia, Car Events, Car manufacturers strategy, Car News, Car presentations, Design, Interviews, Lifestyle, New ModelsTagged lancia, newsLeave a comment

Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxemburg have always been “home” for Lancia. Indeed, our roads were marked 4 to 5 decades ago by the presence of the elegant Fulvia’s, and connoisseurs were at the wheel of the Flaminia’s, not to speak of the beautiful Superleggera’s and later, last but not least, the 4WD Lancia Delta “Integrale”, which still makes the hearts of aficionados beat faster.

The rear lights of the new Ypsylon are reminiscent of the legendary Stratos, with also the “Y” Calice symbol worked in…

Even your servant fell for the brand with the elegant chromed “calice” on its radiator, namely a Dedra 1,8 i.e. By then, Lancia was already part of the larger Fiat concern, and it proved to be an utterly reliable and pleasant companion for four years in my stable, and I still remember it fondly. It already had the beautiful dark blue body paint and equally blue Alcantara interior and seats.

Given this enthusiasm, it is hardly surprising that Stellantis decided to pick the Benelux as one of the ideal places in Europe to have the renaissance of the brand, in line with the “Stellantis Dare Forward” strategic plan.

The Lancia Ypsilon is the much loved debutante…

The Ypsilon has maintained the brand alive in Italy, and has been highly popular there over the years. Not that the new Ypsilon has anything in common with its predecessor. It carries the Lancia Pu+Ra Design (the name a combination of ‘pure’ and ‘radical’), the one-of-a-kind Lancia design language with a timeless touch. The new Ypsilon It is available as a pure EV and in hybrid form. The 156 HP EV with a 51 kW battery has a WLTP measured range of 403 kilometers, the 3 cylinder, 100 HP 48 V hybrid caters for a wide(r) public and can be bought at an attractive base price of 24,000 Euros. The EV has the same technical basis as the Peugeot e-208 and the Opel Corsa Electric, but it certainly has quite different looks.

Lancia presented us their Ypsilon at the launch in a very attractive top notch “Edizione Limitata Cassina” version, whith an iconic “Lancia Blu” color for interior and bodywork, ”panno” wool upholstery for the seats executed in “cannelloni” pattern and as icing on the cake, one is seduced by an iconic “tavola” or small round table in the centre of the dashboard, sitting on top of the centre console. This brings you in the unique S.A.L.A. or “living room” atmosphere, which the Lancia designers created in collaboration with Cassina.

The abbreviation S.A.L.A., meaning living room in Italian, actually stands for Sound, Air, Light, Augmentation and is the new name used for the infotainment system. Its command module sits as a disk on top of the dashboard. We will come back on this system more in detail when we will get acquinted with the Ypsilon, hopefully soon…

This Cassina edition is exclusive: only 1906 units will be produced, and the number is actually also quite symbolic, as 1906 is the year Vicenzo Lancia was born…

The Benelux customer can now order this Ypsilon, and besides the top Cassina and the “base” version, one can also opt for the premium LX version. LX is also symbolic, as it is the Latin acronym for 60, created in 1966 to celebrate the 60^th anniversary of the brand.

Even the base version is well equipped, with multifunctional steering wheel, automatic airco and keyless entry/start/lock. There is also one 10,25 inch digital instrument screen and an equally big central touchscreen. Of course Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is also provided.

A new dealer and sales network

The renaissance of Lancia comprises also an all-new network made up of 9 new showrooms in Belgium, 6 in the Netherlands, and 1 in Luxembourg, with 12, 6, and 1 after-sales service points respectively. You can order also your new Ypsilon online, if you wish.

Should you opt for a “pure” EV, it is good to know that Lancia offers “Free2move Charge”, a simple, complete, and integrated ecosystem that allows worry free charging at home and gives you access to 600,000 charging points across Europe. Lancia offers also the Easy Wallbox Home Charging solution and has interesting financial renting offers in store, worked out in collaboration with Stellantis Financial Services.

Last but not least, we had at the presentation an interview with Barbara de Mol, Marketing Director for Lancia and Alfa Romeo, about Lancia’s dealer/sales and marketing approach in our country. It to be published soon, so stay tuned!

Hans Knol ten Bensel