An Electric Elephant Never Forgets… How to Go Sideways
Image Credit: Stellantis.
Would you look at that? Lancia is back. Yes, that Lancia. The one that gave us the impossibly beautiful Stratos, the unhinged 037, and the rally god itself, the Delta HF Integrale. But, for the last couple of decades, the brand has been sleeping on the job, churning out little more than a fancy city car for the Italian market. But now, it seems someone at HQ found the big red "WAKE UP" button, and they've pushed it with the force of a thousand charging elephants.
Lancia is re-entering the world of motorsport, which is lovely, but the real headline is this: the Lancia Ypsilon HF. It's an all-electric, 280-horsepower hot hatch designed to pick a fight with the equally retro-cool new Renault 5. It's the 1980s all over again, except this time the air smells of ozone instead of high-octane gasoline.
Image Credit: Stellantis.
Before we all get misty-eyed and start searching for vintage Martini racing jackets on eBay, let's address the elephant in the room. And I don't mean the one on the badge. This new Ypsilon isn't exactly a ground-up, purebred Italian masterpiece forged in the fires of Mount Etna. It is, ahem, a product of the Stellantis empire. This means it shares its skeleton with a few cousins, like the Abarth 600e and the Alfa Romeo Junior Veloce. It's what happens when one giant company buys half of Europe's most beloved car brands.
Am I mad about it? Honestly, no. In an ideal world, Lancia would have an unlimited budget to create something bespoke and wild. But this isn't an ideal world. This is a world where building a new car from scratch costs more than a small country's GDP. If sharing a platform is what it takes to see that glorious HF badge on the rump of a fast car again, then I say, "Welcome back, you magnificent, badge-engineered beast."
Image Credit: Stellantis.
And what a badge it is. Lancia is bringing back the iconic "elefante galoppante" - the galloping elephant - that adorned its most victorious cars. They've given it a modern, minimalist makeover, but the message is the same: this thing is meant to be seriously quick. The HF, or "High Fidelity," nameplate carries the weight of 11 Dakar wins and an almost unbelievable 27 world championships. The last car to wear it, the Delta, won the constructors' championship six years in a row. No pressure, then.
To live up to the legend, Lancia has armed this little Ypsilon with some proper hardware. The electric motor sends a healthy 280 horsepower and 255 lb-ft of torque to the front wheels. Wait, front-wheel drive and all that power? Sounds like a recipe for torque steer so violent it could dislocate your shoulders. But Lancia has thought of this and fitted a proper Torsen limited-slip differential. In simple terms, this clever bit of mechanical witchcraft ensures that power goes to the wheel that can actually use it, pulling the car through a corner rather than just spinning the inside tire into smoke. It's the sort of thing that turns a good hot hatch into a great one.
Image Credit: Stellantis.
The result is a sprint from 0 to 62 mph in 5.5 seconds - more than quick enough to surprise a few sports cars at the traffic lights. The top speed is limited to about 112 mph, which might not sound like a lot, but trust me, on a tight, twisty back road, it feels like you're breaking the sound barrier. Besides, real fun happens in the corners, not in a straight line.
And this car is built for corners. Lancia's engineers have given the Ypsilon HF a full gym workout. They widened the track by a little over an inch and dropped the suspension for a lower center of gravity. They've fitted massive, nearly 14-inch Alcon brakes with four-piston calipers to make sure it stops as well as it goes. Most impressively, they've gone to town on stiffening the chassis - we're talking 67% more rigidity at the front and a frankly absurd 153% stiffer rear anti-roll bar. It's been tuned to be precise, engaging, and, I hope, a little bit naughty.
Image Credit: Stellantis.
Of course, this HF being electric, we have to talk about the battery. The Ypsilon HF is powered by a 54 kWh battery pack, which Lancia claims is good for about 230 miles on the WLTP cycle. In the real world, especially if you're driving it like you're supposed to, expect that number to be a lot lower.
Let's be realistic here for a moment. This isn't a cross-country cruiser. It's a B-road weapon. And for that purpose, 230 miles is probably plenty. Plus, with DC fast charging, you can zap in about 62 miles of range in just 10 minutes. That's just enough time to grab an espresso and psych yourself up for the next set of hairpins.
Image Credit: Stellantis.
Visually, it certainly looks the part. It's aggressive without being obnoxious. The chunky wheel arches, dedicated front bumper, 18-inch wheels, and rear diffuser clearly indicate this is a performance machine. It has that "assertive, muscular" stance that all the best hot hatches possess. It looks like it's straining at the leash, even when parked. It's a proper tribute to the rally monsters that inspired it.
I can't believe this is happening, but here we are again - Lancia versus Renault, round two. A legendary rivalry reborn for the electric age. The Ypsilon HF has the history, the specs, and the looks. It's a car that promises to blend a glorious past with a silent, instantaneous future. The final price hasn't been announced, but I expect it to land somewhere north of $40,000 when order books open.
Is it a true, thoroughbred Lancia? Not in the traditional sense. But is it a fast, fun, and exciting car that wears the elephant with pride? All signs point to yes. Welcome back, Lancia. Don't be a stranger.
