- Lancia plans three EV models, with the Ypsilon due in 2024 in hybrid and EV form.
- The automaker plans to introduce only new electric models starting in 2026, with its lineup planned to consist only of electric models by 2028.
- Lancia intends to bring back the Delta as an EV for enthusiasts in 2028, after two other EVs arrive on sale first.
It may have been a while since new Lancias were sold stateside—over 40 years, in fact—but the brand is still alive in Europe, despite all odds. The last 20 years had been rocky ones for the marque, with its corporate parents struggling to keep the lineup alive, often with the help of Chrysler models, with models like the Chrysler 300 being rebadged as the Lancia Thema for European buyers. In the process the brand lost some of its unique identity, as many industry observers would concede.
But now Lancia has a new sense of direction for the future, with the brand poised to go EV-only in just a few years. Parent company Stellantis detailed a 10-year plan for the brand, with the first electric model—the Lancia Ypsilon hatch that will also be offered in hybrid flavor—due to arrive in 2024. The Ypsilon will be followed by a flagship model in 2026, with the automaker only disclosing that it will "enter the largest segment in Europe" with this model, which will be a crossover. An EV for car enthusiasts will follow in 2028, badged Delta.
"Today is an important day," said Luca Napolitano, Lancia brand CEO. "Lancia is now ready for Europe, taking a first step to become a credible and respected brand in the premium segment. Our ten-year plan, approved last September, is now taking shape, step by step. We are the Italian Elegance brand and this is our Renaissance."
Does it sound like Lancia is thinking of bringing back the Delta Integrale? There's nothing wrong with remixing past hits, and it sounds like Lancia will get there by releasing a few more mainstream crowd-pleasers first.
We can expect the Ypsilon to be underpinned by the STLA Small platform when it arrives in 2024, to be shared with a number of other European brands in Stellantis' orbit, while the 2026 flagship crossover will likely use the STLA Medium platform.
Starting in 2026, Lancia will launch only new battery-electric models, with its lineup slated to consist entirely of battery-electric models by 2028. That's a short timeline by any measure, and it will of course rely on corporate parent Stellantis and its brands going in the same direction.
"Innovation and timeless design have always been our core values and to these we want to add sustainability, customer centricity and responsibility, because we look to the future with great ambition," Napolitano added.
It's worth noting, the announced timeline paints a three-model lineup, one likely to once again be underpinned by shared Stellantis platforms. Such a lineup consisting of a hatch, crossover, and a performance model sounds realistic as it won't be trying to stretch the brand into unfamiliar segments, which has certainly happened with some frequency over the last 30 years.
"Inside the new vehicles, Lancia customers will be welcomed in a typical Italian elegance style," the automaker noted. "Inspired by the exclusive materials of its past iconic vehicles, like the Gamma, Thema, and Flavia, the next-generation Lancia vehicles will provide a comfortable environment with simple and intuitive on-board technology which is in line with its DNA."
It's clear that Lancia aims to remain a premium brand in the future as it moves toward an all-electric lineup, with design also playing an important role in the marque's pitch to buyers.
But whether we'll see any of its offerings here in the states is a different question, with Alfa Romeo and Maserati already playing the role of the premium Italian brands stateside. There's certainly room for two Italian brands from Stellantis in the states, but perhaps not three.
