07 Sep 06 15:42
Lancia Fulvia Concept
Lancia returns to the UK in 2008 with the new Delta HPE - and that could be followed by a slinky coupe based on the Fulvia concept shown in 2003 to universal acclaim.
First Lancia was going to build it, then it wasn't - but in reply to 4Car's questions Fiat Auto CEO Sergio Marchionne said that future Lancias will embody some sportiness to create a modern version of the past in a thoughtful way while majoring on style and design.
And the Fulvia in particular? 'We never said we would not make it. The next likely project after the HPE is a model that will appear like the Fulvia. Stay tuned - you will be pleasantly surprised.'
He was speaking at a press conference to announce the Delta HPE during a Lancia Centenary event at Venice, where the company is sponsoring the Venice International Film Festival.
The HPE is a five-door hatchback with a curvaceous roofline, a headlamp and grille combination reminiscent of the Thesis luxury saloon and the just-facelifted Ypsilon supermini, and an engine range stretching from 120 to 200bhp.
The brand values stress Italian-ness, style and glamour, which means the HPE's interior will contain wood, chrome, leather and Alcantara, and there will be a 'Blue&Me' system using Bluetooth and a USB interface to integrate MP3 player, phone and flash drive with the Delta's Bose hi-fi system.
It all sounds marvellous, although the mechanicals are rather more mundane, being derived from those used in the forthcoming Fiat Stilo replacement, the Bravo, which even has the same wavy shoulder line as the Delta. The new car may plug a yawning gap in the range in mainland Europe, but it will have to stand alone in the UK, where it will be sold through 20 Alfa dealers in an explosion of Italian-ness.
Replacements for, and further additions to, Lancia's existing models will be engineered in right-hand drive from the start, and like the Delta they will be sold in Japan as well as the UK.
Expanding sales outside Italy is the top priority for Lancia, which has its own design centre but currently uses Fiat engineering (unlike Alfa Romeo, which has its own engine and chassis systems). Currently 80% of sales are in Italy, and the plan is to increase exports from 20% of the total to 40% by 2009. By 2010, according to Fiat group chairman Luca di Montezemolo, Lancia will be building 300,000 cars a year.
When the Delta HPE was shown to an audience of 400 Lancia dealers they gave it a standing ovation, but the journalists who saw it the following day were more muted, even though the design - masterminded by Frank Stephenson of Ferrari, Maserati and Mini fame - is pretty striking.
Why so downbeat? Because the presentation went out of its way to play down Lancia's many competition successes, including several World Rally Championships, in favour of that style and luxury stuff.
