When announcing the new Ypsilon’s key role in Lancia’s turnaround strategy at a press event Carscoop attended in Turin, Italy, earlier this week, company officials told us that the small car could be sold in the States under the Chrysler brand if American buyers will show enough interest towards the recently launched U.S.-spec Fiat 500. Furthermore, the same could happen with the Delta.
On the other hand, Lancia's people told us the company has no plans to revive famous nameplates such as the HF Integrale and Fulvia, simply stating that there’s no market for Lancia sports cars.
Although in its current state, the new Ypsilon doesn’t comply with U.S. standards, Lancia Product Manager Claudio Nervi told us that it could be “easily federalized” and that logistically “it's not a problem, as the Ypsilon could be produced at the [Fiat Group’s] Mexican plant”. However, Nervi also pointed out the decision depends “on the performance of the Fiat 500 in the US”.
Should a Chrysler variant of the Ypsilon get the green light, the styling will not be altered. "Changes will be mostly technical, regarding especially the electrics of the car”, Nervi told Carscoop.
The Chrysler version of the Delta hatchback, which was shown at the 2010 Detroit Motor Show, could also join the Ypsilon in the U.S. According to Claudio Nervi, the show car was well received by the American public, but a final decision has not yet been made.
As far as sports cars are concerned, the news isn't good for Lancia fans. “Lancia stands for comfort, craftsmanship and luxury. We want to grow based on these values”, said Nervi adding that Lancia isn’t “trying to deny it’s past, but it needs volume first”, which cannot be provided by a revived HF Integrale or Fulvia.
Lancia Communications Director Rino Drogo also pointed out that “customer preference has shifted over the years and clients aren’t looking for sporty Lancias anymore”.
“Let’s leave the sports cars for our cousin Alfa Romeo, who has sportiness in its DNA”, Nervi concluded.
By Csaba Daradics
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21 Comments:
The Delta in America makes sense, but I don't think that the Americans are ready for Ypsilon sized cars.
Lancia has no plans ...to survive! LOL
"...the small car could be sold in the States under the Chrysler brand if American buyers will show enough interest..." as soon as the Chrysler&Fiat group's paid bloggers and commentators make the whole fuss about it...
After all they 've already made it through quite successfully with Chrysler&Alfaromeo.
For this "attitude" Lancia will pay the price: soon to be vanished from the car industry. It makes no sense for a brand with such glorious sport-racing-technology history to " leave the sports cars for our cousin Alfa Romeo". R.I.P. Lancia
Bwahaha...Lancia won't die, because it merged with Chrysler, and as we all know, Chrysler has no plans on leaving this world soon, in fact Chrysler has it's own place in the hearts of Americans and especially in the hearts of Mopar fans, so as long as Chrysler lives, Lancia will live on to.
As for the sports car, I can't take to seriously what a guy, who thinks Lancia's direct competition is Citroen and Ford, says. I know that Ralph Gilles wants to bring the Barracuda(Cuda) back, and rumor has it that it will be branded as a Chrysler(because the Plymouth brand is dead, and branding it as a Dodge may hurt the sales of the Challenger). Do you really think that Sergio Marchionne will miss the opportunity to get an image booster for Lancia, for free?
"I can't take to seriously what a guy, who thinks Lancia's direct competition is Citroen and Ford"
Man are you that ignorant that you don't even know what you are talking about...!?
Citroen has been there long before the others,
don't look at Citroen's present situation,
Citroen has been historically one of the most innovative and high-class brands ever!
Enough with Fiat-Chryslers' professional internetic fans!
And concerning Lancia,
there is no reason to bother with this brand,
they should just dismiss its badge
and bring all Chrysler models in Europe badged as Chryslers.
"they should just dismiss its badge
and bring all Chrysler models in Europe badged as Chryslers."
Erm, yes, and no. Sure get rid of Lancia, or just make the Stratos again, and that's all. These models look very poor indeed. And Lancia might have a proud history, but they have nothing now. It should have been left to RIP.
But as for bringing Chrysler models to Europe... I don't think there are many Europeans who would want them. But I could be wrong. Can't see Chrysler doing better than Lancia, neither badge has an advantage over the other.
And where do all you knowledgeable folk come from? You seem to know so much about Lancia's rich history.
look at those italian dudes. They still have the delusion of italian style dominates the auto industry as it did in the 70-80's.If they want to think lancia as global brand they need real help
who cares lancia's rich history. people not buying do they. So many car brands had rich history and now they are in the history books.And Lancia is following that path as well.
Lancia has been abused as a client source for the nearly-bankrupt Alfa Romeo (the para-state spoilt brat from Milan). When Fiat acquired Alfa Romeo, they decided to remove any sporty character Lancia had so that Lancia's sportier buyers would go to Alfa Romeo.
They didn't get the message when Lancia's buyers, who wouldn't be seen DEAD in an Alfa Romeo (Lancia's loyal customers know of the MANY times that Alfa Romeo's para-state connections helped Alfa Romeo STEAL contracts that Lancia ALREADY had secured and signed - such as that post-war truck thing, when Lancia had a contract with the Italian government for a lot of trucks and then Alfa Romeo's gangsters butted in and, ALTHOUGH the deal was signed a long time ago and Lancia had the products ready, they made the state renege on the deal, giving a HUGE FINANCIAL BLOW to Lancia, even bigger than its overly-ambitious racing program). No real Lancia fan would EVER want to buy an Alfa Romeo. So, Lancia's clients went to AUDI.
Still, even when this idea backfired, Fiat's idiotic management didn't quite get it. So, they decided to start making Lancia a brand that would sell luxurious, but faggoty, versions of Fiat tosh. It failed again. The Ypsilon's only male clients are gay. Of course, it's a hit with the women, but women don't evolve; they don't replace their cars with something bigger - and homosexual men, once they graduate from their cute little B-segment car, move on to a Mercedes-Benz SLK or something similar.
Since Alfa Romeo's 145/146 needed a replacement and Alfa Romeo still needed a sales boost, Fiat decided that the (commercially failed) Delta Nuova (which was based on the Fiat Tipo) would NOT have a successor, leaving a gaping hole in Lancia's range bigger than the hole of the Goatse.cx guy. More than ten years passed with no C-segment for Lancia.
And then they came up with a posh version of the Fiat Bravo. Let's face it, although the current Delta is a generally good car, it's half-assed. It's got a horrible twist-beam axle inherited from the Bravo, in turn inherited from the Stilo (and copied from the horrendous VW Golf III and IV, the cars that ruined European car design by forcing every manufacturer to cut costs and giving them this horrendous rear set-up) and there's no provision on this floorpan for a 4WD version.
Also, Fiat has some very specific anti-Lancia dictats:
1. Lancia must NOT make sporty cars.
2. Lancia must NOT offer cars in RED.
3. Lancia must DIE a very humiliating death (this was personally penned by Luca di Montezemolo, who has always HATED Lancia).
So, to all Fiat-Chrysler shills, FUCK OFF and DIE IN A FIRE. Get it?
"Lancia's rich history"
Having a 'rich history' is no defense for Lancia's incompentency in the present nor does it set about a working business plan for it's future.
You're just as guilty as the Yanks who hope for the return of land barge coupe, muscle cars, and V8's as a primary powertrain source.
"On the other hand, Lancia's people told us the company has no plans to revive famous nameplates such as the HF Integrale and Fulvia, simply stating that there’s no market for Lancia sports cars."
Yes, there is a market for Lancia to build a Ford Focus RS and Audi TT rival, even if Lancia are not currently in a position to build cars that people actually want.
Even if Alfa are meant to be the desirable and acessable arm of Fiat that are works of art, than the latter can at least see to it that Lancia is the sporty and desirable arm of Fiat that isn't afraid to "get dirty" via rallying.
"You're just as guilty as the Yanks who hope for the return of land barge coupe, muscle cars, and V8's as a primary powertrain source."
...just shut up.
Mr Marchionne,
Let both Alfa and Lancia die, sooner or later they will be what they claim thet are, history! Not rationally safe automotive business but money losers!
Keep only Fiat, Ferrari, Maserati and Chrysler.
"...just shut up."
Cold truth hurts, doesn't it? The Yank auto industry, thankfully, will never go back to those horible land barge days ever again.
V8's will still be available, but not for high-volume, mainstream, cars (thank fuck).
Maserati never had 1% of the verve that Lancia had. And don't even get me started on the abominations of the Alejandro De Tomaso era...
Fiat has never given a fuck about the legacy of Lancia and Alfa Romeo. They're selling off every exhibit of their museums, closing them down forever. On the other hand, Volkswagen is conjuring up a "legacy" out of thin air (to camouflage the fact that it started its life as a company that Hitler started to make a disgusting piece of shit). So does BMW.
Let's face it, some people plan for the long run and work for the company that employs them. Others, like Marchionne, Di Montezemolo, Cantarella (or, more appropriately, Cacarella) and Romiti, are only in it for a quick buck and all they do is give good head to the shareholders.
Marchionne, do the automotive world a favor: Take your fucktard butt buddies Harald Wester, Olivier Francois and the coke-snorting, tranny-lovin' Lapo Elkann... And DIE IN A FIRE. Seriously.
silly BOYS fighting... thought this is a place for educated postings
It certainly isn't a place for shills. Now sod off.
So it is a place for silly boys fighting then!
Chrysler Nassau and Ecovoyager concept can be adopted to the existing Lancia car why not copy the front and rear of those concept and used the same flatform, if they really want the Lancia will be also a Chrysler in other areas.
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