(Auto) Lancia is nearing death

[Askor lml]

The historic brand is sustained by one model and in a single market: Italy. And it still sells a good number of cars a year.

 

The Lancia thing is worthy of a survival story. Founded in 1906 and owned by Fiat since 1969, the brand triumphed on the main circuits of the world rally and launched some of the most spectacular cars in memory, such as the Flaminia (1957), the Fulvia (1963), the Stratos ( 1973) and the Delta (1980).

For many specialists, the Delta HF and its evolution, the Delta Integrale, are the best car in the history of the world rally championship, winner of 46 races in 64 participations, of four drivers and 6 manufacturers' titles between 1987 and 1992 .

But the brand was losing global presence and falling in sales from the turn of the millennium onwards, to the point that during Sergio Marchionne's administration, FCA decided to make an inexplicable synergy with Chrysler, and that is how in 2011 they were launched for the market. European the Lancia Thema, Flavia and Voyager, which were nothing other than the Chrysler 300C, 200C and Town & Country, with a change of logo.

How could it be otherwise, the project was a failure and Lancia fell sharply in sales, to the point that by 2016, FCA decided to remove Lancia from all European markets except Italy, which to date represented 90% of your sales.

Not only that, but the last real Lancia model was the second-generation Ypsilon released in 2011, and it's the only one that remains alive. Today, Lancia only sells Ypsilon and only in Italy, and it does not badly: almost 35 thousand units in the first half.

The Ypsilon, as is known, uses the same mechanical base of the Panda and competes in the segment of city cars. It is equipped with a 1.2-liter engine with 69 Hp and 77.4 Lb-feet, associated with a five-speed mechanical gearbox, but it is also offered with a natural gas engine that generates 80 Hp.

The equipment is quite complete considering the segment: 5 ”screen with U-Connect system, climate control, cruise control, electric windows, rain and light sensors, multifunction steering wheel. It is offered in four color versions (black, gold, silver and blue), each one betting on a very fashion style in its interior aesthetics.

And, the main thing, it is very cheap: from $ 14,000 with bonuses, less than Panda himself.

The surprising thing is that Lancia is doing better than Alfa Romeo, which this year has fallen dramatically in its global sales, and in Europe alone it sold less than 30 thousand units in the same period in which Lancia sold 35 thousand.

The clear thing is that there are no plans to revive Lancia, or launch new models. When the Ypsilon ride is over, it will end more than 100 years of automotive history.

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