Ever since PSA and FCA merged to form Stellantis, there have been rumors and reports about the future of Lancia. The once legendary brand is currently selling just a single model in just a single market - the Ypsilon city car that is available only in Italy. That is about to change from 2024 though, and this time around this is not just pure speculation.
Good news is coming from Lancia’s CEO Luca Napolitano, who confirmed to Automotive News the marque will return to selling cars outside its home country in less than three years from now. Lancia will introduce three new models, including a next-generation Ypsilon with combustion and battery-powered versions, a crossover, and a hatchback. And yes - the Delta will return, as recently confirmed, though it won’t arrive before 2026.
Exporting Lancia vehicles outside Italy will begin with Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, and Spain in 2024, with deliveries to the United Kingdom planned for the next year or so. For now, there’s no word about the US market and it seems like a safe bet that Lancia won’t return to North America in the foreseeable future.
The design of Lancia’s new models will be supervised by Jean-Pierre Ploue with Imparato promising “clean Italian elegance, with soft surfaces and great quality.” The brand’s new CEO wants to reposition Lancia as a near-premium automaker aimed at customers with an average age of 55 with at least one child still at home. Also, Lancia will no longer sell models that are targeting mostly women.
By 2026, Lancia wants to sell only purely electric vehicles and will target potential customers and owners of brands such as Tesla, Volvo, and Mercedes-Benz’s EQ division. Napolitano believes people who want to drive the change and are interested in new technologies should be attracted by Lancia’s new generation of products.
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