The last time we wrote about the coming all-new Lancia Ypsilon, the French authorities were fishing a pre-production prototype out of a canal. Although the hatchback had been ditched (canal’ed?) near a Peugeot factory, later reporting indicated (translated) the car had been stolen a month earlier near a Stellantis factory in Spain. Recent teases from Lancia aim to put a more attractive wheel forward, the automaker wanting to make the most of what will be an very important offering.
This will be the first new Ypsilon since 2011, the first public step in the company’s 10-year Renaissance Plan, pathway to a new battery-electric Lancia flagship in 2026 and an electric Delta revival in 2028. The teaser model comes from Lancia’s partnership with Italian furniture company Cassina, one of the initial Ypsilon trims reported to be an Edizione Limitata Cassina restricted to 1,906 numbered units, that number honoring the carmaker’s founding in 1906.
The official shots go big on classic Lancia elegance while referring to the Pu+Ra HPE concept the brand revealed in April 2023 as a design touchstone. There’s going to be some intriguing tech as well, one of the shots centered on a glowing blue disc that could sit above the infotainment screen. The word “SALA,” also glowing blue on the disc, is Italian for “living room” but signifies Lancia’s tech interface, an initialism for Sound, Air, Light, and Augmentation. The in-car assistant is programmed to “centralize the audio, climate control and lighting functions, enabling the environment inside the car to be adapted at the touch of a button or by the sound of your voice.” The Ypsilon also brings Stellantis’ TAPE, which stands for Tailored Predictive Experiences. This dresses the cabin ambience in one of three modes: Immersive, Wellbeing, and Entertainment.
The Pu+Ra HPE concept went beyond traditional elegance, and it seems the Ypsilon will, too. Instagram user gaetanogiordano63 posted clipped images of the front and back of what looks like an early production model in white. Even though we’ve seen most of the Ypsilon already, from the canal images, we’re surprised by the vastly different impression these spy shots make on us.
More complete answers are on the way shortly, Lancia planning to debut the new crossover in February in battery-electric trim. Built on Stellantis’ CMP architecture, a version with a hybrid powertrain will follow, perhaps both powertrains shared with the Jeep Avenger and also expected to go into the Alfa Romeo Milano. If it weren’t clear already, this one isn’t for us. But come on, Delta.
