Tested: The Electrifying 280 Horsepower Lancia Ypsilon HF – A True Powerhouse!

With 280 horsepower under the hood, the Lancia Ypsilon HF is simply the most powerful compact car on the market. It even edges out the Alpine A290 in the 0-100 km/h sprint! But is it really playful? What about track handling? That’s what we’re going to find out in this test conducted at the famous Balocco track with our beloved driver Driss Abdi!

“HF” is More Than Just a Badge!

Unlike some competitors that just tweak the suspension and slap on a badge (like the Cupra Born VZ), Lancia offers a car that is substantially different from the standard model.

Naturally, you’ll see the famous HF emblem everywhere, which actually stands for “High Fidelity,” a term that referred to a range of vehicles meant for loyal customers—the origin of the elephant, even the brand struggles to explain, adding a touch of mystery.

The available colors are fairly standard (white, black…) but I’m particularly fond of this striking orange hue:

At the front, the Ypsilon features a limited-slip differential, 355mm diameter ALCON sport brakes with four pistons, and faux air intakes on the sides—important for aesthetics.

The chassis has been lowered and notably, the tracks have been widened by +4cm, providing excellent stability in curves, as you’ve seen in the video.

The rear is more conventional with various logos and a slight Stratos look. But bending down a bit, you notice a large diffuser that marks a clear departure from the standard Ypsilon.

The suspension is not adaptive, but has been stiffened by 60%, which severely cuts into comfort on rough roads, yet is essential to minimize body roll.

Lastly, the 18-inch wheels are very open—better for cooling, slightly worse for range. The car was fitted with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 5 tires, unfortunately optional, as Lancia likely didn’t want to certify the car with too soft a tire that would limit range too much.

As you can see, the HF designation isn’t exaggerated here; our Ypsilon is fully equipped to play the sports car role.

Faster than the Alpine A290

The specs of the Ypsilon HF are quite impressive for a compact primarily aimed at urban use, with a front engine that delivers 280 hp and a 0-100 km/h time under six seconds.

Obviously, the engine is a familiar one within Stellantis, the same unit that powers the Alfa Romeo Veloce and Abarth 600e.

The power-to-weight ratio is therefore quite decent for a zippy little electric car (0.2hp/kg) even though delivering so much power to the ground in a front-wheel drive is always tricky, as seen with the Megane, Scenic, etc.

A Colorful Interior

For those who found the interior of the standard Ypsilon a bit too bland, the HF variant (also available in the hybrid, just for style) is much more vibrant!

The seats are unique, both very “bucket-like” yet truly comfortable for everyday use. It’s a real feat in a sports car, as it also compensates for the very stiff suspension, which could be uncomfortable for everyday driving.

Lancia also revised the dashboard a bit, with blue neoprene-like inserts that extend into the doors (but only at the front). A little touch of colored carbon also makes its presence felt on the passenger side, but it’s just hard plastic, which is still abundant in the cabin, even featuring the always problematic piano black everywhere—scratches, fingerprints, etc.

I really like this little tablet that allows you to charge your smartphone, but also to watch videos (stationary) or to place keys—although it could use a bit more grip!

So, it’s pretty successful, even though I would have liked a specific style for the display screens. There’s no circuit mode, nor specific settings for steering hardness or to fully disconnect all aids—you can only switch off the traction control.

Very Dynamic Driving

As you saw in the video, we were quite amazed by the car’s behavior on the track, neither I nor Driss expected such a clean and dynamic vehicle!

The engine is powerful and torquey, which can cause a bit of wheel spin on standing starts. But once moving, the immediate torque provides really punchy acceleration without any lag.

Our setup with Pilot Sport Cup tires certainly helped confirm the excellent road holding, allowing for tight cornering at speeds that weren’t necessarily expected.

Despite all of Lancia’s engineering efforts, a slight body roll is noticeable in curves, whereas an Alpine A290 almost corners flat… A compromise had to be found for everyday use that isn’t too harsh; few customers actually take their cars to the track. Why not opt for adaptive suspensions, like at Cupra/Volkswagen? Probably to keep the weight around 1600Kg.

Another complaint, we found the steering a bit soft, really lacking precision during fast transitions. Again, too stiff a steering isn’t always pleasant for everyday maneuvers, but a software adjustment would have been appreciated like in some competitors.

Range and Recharging

The Ypsilon HF uses the well-known 54/51 kWh battery from Stellantis’s eCMP platform, the same found in the e208, e2008, and other e308 models from Peugeot, and already present in the standard Ypsilon.

The range isn’t yet certified as of this writing, but it should be around 400Km with the original Michelin EcoContact tires.

Recharging tops out at 100 KW, allowing for an 80% battery recharge in about 30 minutes. That’s average for 2025.

In practice, the Ypsilon HF should be quite versatile, although we’re eager to test the actual daily consumption, especially with some serious tires.

Obviously, if you plan to drive from Paris to Marseille every weekend, this clearly isn’t the right vehicle choice. However, as a main car, it can certainly take you on a weekend trip to Normandy from Paris, planning charges every 200 to 250Km or so.

Conclusion: A (Real) Pleasant Surprise!

Aside from the prices (we’ll get to that later), this Lancia Ypsilon HF surprised us, we didn’t expect to enjoy driving it so much!

While some might prefer the look of the 208 GTi, here you’ll find the DNA and spirit of the compact hot hatches of the 80s, but with a feeling of thoroughness: not too heavy, powerful, a well-tuned chassis and tracks, a unique interior… the performance is far from laughable, and even close to the Lancia competition models of the time.

More Expensive than the Alpine, but…

Priced at €42,400, the Ypsilon HF remains quite expensive for a modern small GTi, that’s the price of a higher segment Tesla Model 3, which is more spacious and offers an extra 100KM of range, with a similar battery (only 6-8 kWh more!)

It’s even more costly than the Alpine A290 (€38,700) but at that price, you don’t get the most powerful engine. The Alpine is indeed more refined in terms of chassis and road connections, but it lacks a bit of raw power for now.

With a leasing rate around €350/month, our Ypsilon isn’t actually that expensive compared to more conventional hatchbacks. At that price, why not indulge, right?

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Essential Accessories for Your Electric Car

Need a charging station?

Here are some accessories we used to charge the car and our iPhone onboard: