Will the Electric Lancia Ypsilon’s Italian Flair Be Enough to Save the Brand?

After years of being largely absent from the market, except in Italy where the Ypsilon barely hung on, Lancia is making a comeback in Europe. This revival is sure to stir up some nostalgia among rally fans and lovers of light sports cars!

Unless there’s a major change in plans, future Lancia models will mostly be electric or hybrid, as seen with the new Ypsilon Elettrica, an Italian version of the e208. Indeed, Stellantis is once again leveraging its e-CMP platform, also found in the electric Corsa.

Ypsilon: Truly Italian?

With an engine made in Lorraine, a platform developed in Sochaux, manufacturing in Spain, and a Greek name… what’s truly Italian about this new Ypsilon?

Firstly, the design! The styling was indeed carried out at Lancia’s Italian design office in Turin. The front end recalls the iconic chalice seen on all the grilles of the Delta and its variants, featuring a striking light signature – at night, three rays of light are unmistakably visible. Unfortunately, the lights are not matrix LED, not even as an option – and our version was over €40,000!

From the side, however, the style leans more… Franco-German. At times it resembles a 208, at others a Corsa… which isn’t necessarily a bad comparison. I particularly like the rear handle embedded at the top of the door, offering a 3-door hatchback style. However, Lancia could have created its own mirrors and flush door handles, rather than reusing those from the 208, which aren’t exactly aerodynamic.

The rear end, more divisive, inevitably reminds one of the Stratos, with its two prominent round headlights, which are quite susceptible to damage in the event of a collision. Nonetheless, it’s distinctive, especially in vibrant colors like the stunning green Giada.

So, does our Lancia smell a bit like pizza? One thing’s for sure, during our test, the public was quite taken with it, a sentiment that will need to be tested on the streets in the coming months…

Space: Just like a e208

At 4.09m long (between an R5 and a Megane), the Ypsilon is quite compact, nearly mirroring the dimensions of its cousins.

The trunk is fairly average with 309L of space, although it loses 40L compared to the combustion engine version. If you need more space, you’ll have to opt for a roof box, as the car cannot tow, unlike its competitors (including the R5).

Due to its multi-energy platform, it also lacks a front trunk (frunk), but that’s quite rare in this segment anyway. There’s space, but a clear lack of willingness from the manufacturer, who also doesn’t offer this feature on the E-3008 or E-5008 from the higher platform (STA_Medium)

Small Battery, Limited Range

It seems challenging to fit a large battery in a vehicle under 4.10m, and the modest 48 kWh net (51 gross) does not seem sufficient to provide good autonomy for this platform.

With a 403 km WLTP range, don’t plan on driving more than 200 km on highways or about 300 km in suburban areas. While Stellantis engines are not particularly power-hungry, even at 17-18 kWh per 100 km at 130 km/h, a simple calculation shows that a stop every 1.5 hours (charged to 80%) will be necessary.

Another peculiarity, the heat pump is optional, and the car also lacks battery preconditioning. In winter, Lancia assures that the Ypsilon can handle the full 100 kW, but these technical choices raise questions, especially in a segment that aims to be more premium.

Just a FWD

Like the e208, our Ypsilon offers only one electric motor option:

Having tried the hybrid version, I can confirm it offers the best driving pleasure. The engine is torquey, powerful, and well-suited for the car. On smaller roads, the chassis is outstanding, very reminiscent of its cousin from Peugeot, although Lancia claims to have reworked the engine maps and suspension.

Not uncomfortable on rough roads, the Ypsilon is quite sporty, allowing for fun driving on twisty roads. It’s unfortunate, however, that the regenerative braking is so weak, even in B mode, which forces you to rely on the brakes before corners.

Tailored for Italian Cities?

In the city, its turning radius of 9.4m makes maneuvering easy, which is its primary purpose after all.

We even have a 360-degree backup camera, although it lacks optics under the mirrors: Lancia uses a clever system to recreate the image as the vehicle moves.

Unfortunately, there’s no one-pedal driving at Lancia (the famous One Pedal), and you have to press the stop/start button every time you enter and exit the vehicle. On a daily basis, it’s quite annoying when you’re used to an electric car, even though most customers will likely be coming from combustion engines and might not pay too much attention.

The 16 and 17″ wheels offer a good compromise for handling speed bumps without too much discomfort in the back. The width of only 1.76m does not make you miss modern SUVs over 2m wide in the narrow alleys of southern France, where we conducted our test.

Highlight, the sound insulation seems significantly better than Peugeot’s, maybe that’s the Italian touch! This quieter aspect is certainly due to all the efforts made inside with the materials and assemblies, as we’ll see…

A Rolling Living Room!

To stand out from its cousins, the Ypsilon does not disappoint, with a cozy interior styled with great care.

While you can recognize the Stellantis stalks, including the gearbox controls, window levers, and a few typical buttons from the group, most elements are unique to this model, such as the very clean dashboard, designed by Cassina, the legendary Italian furniture maker.

Take these seats, for example, in rust-colored velour, ultra-comfortable and branded Lancia. They really make you want to snuggle in! I also really like the steering wheel (though a bit large), with its slight flat bottom and a nod to the brand’s sporty past at the bottom.

The tavolino – sorry, the small table – located in the center is perfect for quickly placing your keys, your espresso, or your charging cards, even if the lack of a non-slip surface quickly limits its use. Some might have preferred a double wireless charger, rather than just one spot behind the table, but it is possible to prop the phone up vertically on this space, making it easy to see notifications.

Storage is plentiful, including in the armrest, the doors, and there are even two cup holders. Unfortunately, there’s no place for a handbag under the console, as is increasingly common. A USB and 12V outlet are also built into the center, under the air conditioning.

Note that Lancia has kept many physical controls, a plus in a world where touch controls are becoming the easy option. This is particularly true for the air conditioning and even the hazard lights – much appreciated.

In the back, it’s a bit less la Dolce Vita, with a split but comfortable bench. Forget about a ski hatch and a central tunnel, but console yourself with 2 USB ports and good legroom. Very tall individuals might not be quite as comfortable, but it’s not dramatic for the segment.

Unfortunately, hard plastics are plentiful, and not just in the lower part. With our version costing over €40,000, it’s not as premium as its German cousins if you look too closely at the assemblies.

Connectivity: Welcome to 2010

At first glance, the two 10″ displays angled towards the driver are quite flattering, even though we’re now accustomed to larger screens.

The font is specific to Lancia, which even has its own voice assistant (Sala), quite effective overall, although we didn’t have time to test it in detail. A small cylinder on the dashboard lights up when it responds to you, again, that’s unique.

The instrumentation is quite clear and legible (thanks to the large steering wheel), which makes up for the lack of a head-up display, even as an option. All the necessary info is displayed, from battery status to speed limit signs and semi-autonomous mode indication.

But beyond that… it’s quite sluggish. No trip planner, an outdated GPS with the responsiveness of a koala… The small size of the screen necessitates numerous sub-menus to find what you need. Sure, you can customize the home screen or even the shortcuts for speed alerts, but even with that, you end up swiping the screen while driving.

Lancia hasn’t integrated the Android-based system found in the E-3008 and E-5008, but rather the OS that equips the e208, e2008, and others under E-CMP. As a result, no route planner, and an OS from another era, lacking responsiveness.

We’ll have to settle for wireless CarPlay and Android Auto, and thank goodness they’re included! Stellantis is really behind compared to Renault and even Volkswagen in this regard.

Highway: A Semi-Tourer

On the highway, our Lancia Ypsilon is quite comfortable, and that’s no surprise.

Well insulated, comfortable, and properly damped, it features all the driving aids of the group (including speed sign recognition), although we would have appreciated matrix LED lights for long trips. The semi-autonomous driving from Stellantis works well, though not at the level of Tesla or Volkswagen, which offer more modern features (augmented reality, lane changes, etc.)

However, without a route planner, the fear of running out of charge quickly becomes a reality, even though most highway rest stops in Europe are now equipped with charging stations. If I only want to use Ionity (because I have the Power subscription which offers reduced kWh prices), I would have liked the car to guide me from station to station.

In the end, the range is a bit tight (200 km) for truly regular long trips. It’s fine for vacations and the occasional weekend, but these vehicles are much less restrictive with a combustion engine and that’s a real issue at this price point – many would like to use it as more than just a second car!

Starting at €34,800

So, will the Italian flair manage to make us forget that this is just another barely disguised clone of the e208?

If I had to choose, I’d definitely go for the Italian model, more original, better finished inside, even if the rest is somewhat divisive. The Italian teams have worked well and managed to dress up the bride without a hitch.

Like at Volkswagen, and unlike at BMW, I feel that the differentiation between brands still lacks personality. Here, we would have liked a specific motorization, a few extra perks on the electric side (standard heat pump, faster charging, trip planner, One-Pedal…). Just try the eCorsa and e208 back to back to see that the differences are mostly in style, very little under the pedal.

Still, at €34,800 (base, excluding incentives), the entry-level price is steep, especially since options are plentiful. For over €40,000, we would have liked the heat pump as standard, matrix LED lights, a route planner, or even battery preconditioning in winter.

Obviously, many will opt for more reasonable lease payments, provided they limit their annual mileage. The big question now is whether this Ypsilon will be enough to resurrect Lancia, which currently has only a few dealerships in Europe – though the network is expanding. Let’s also hope that the future Gamma and Delta models will reconnect with the Italian roots of the brand, and not just in appearance.

Our Essential Accessories

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

Disha Gupta

Hi, my name is Disha and I’m a passionate writer and editor at “Jason Deegan”. With a keen interest in all things tech, I strive to bring you the latest news and updates from the world of high-tech.