However, there are no plans to bring Lancia’s latest creation to Australia.
Lancia has given us our first official look at the exterior of its upcoming Ypsilon supermini, following on from some unexpected glimpses of of a prototype example being recovered from a river following a testing mishap.
These new shots reinforce the fact the design will take inspiration from the Lancia Pu+Ra HPE concept that was revealed earlier this year. The most obvious detail is the three-element front daytime running lights, which Lancia calls ‘the calice’. On the bonnet above sits Lancia’s nameplate, rather than the brand’s logo. To the rear we can expect to see an interpretation of the concept’s layered rear end with circular rear lights. Lancia also confirmed the new car will be unveiled in February 2024 in Milan.
Previous spy photos have hinted the forthcoming supermini will bring high-design and luxury features in the supermini class, rivalling the new MINI Cooper Electric in the process.
The new Ypsilon won’t differ wildly from its Stellantis group cousins like the Peugeot 208 and Vauxhall Corsa in terms of proportions, with a similar set of dimensions as governed by the use of the shared CMP platform.
Inside the cabin we expect there will be distinctive design touches, with Lancia already teasing the interior design that can be partially seen in these spy images. Two large displays are visible, but underneath the central touchscreen is a unique circular platform that looks to include a wireless charging pad.
In the previously-released teaser picture, this section is also finished in a high-end leather and embossed with the Cassina special edition logo. Cassina is the limited-run first edition variant of the Ypsilon due to be revealed alongside the full range next year.
Under the skin, the new Lancia Ypsilon will share its fundamental underpinnings with the Peugeot 208 and Corsa. It will be available with both petrol and all-electric powertrain options, and in the case of the all-electric models, will probably share technical specifications with other e-CMP products – with up to 400km of range from the higher-spec 51kWh model. Beyond this, we expect the combustion-models to also share their powertrains with the Peugeot and Corsa.
The Ypsilon will be the only new-era Lancia model to be offered with a combustion engine option, the next two models in the pipeline due to be EV-only.