The New Lancia Ypsilon Is A Luxurious Italian Vauxhall Corsa

Another day, another new small car from the vast Stellantis empire. This time it’s a little more unusual, though, because for the first time since 2012, it’s a new Lancia.

Yes, the brand you probably forget still exists if you don’t live in Italy is planning a comeback, and this is stage one. After a protracted teaser campaign, the supermini has been given a full reveal.

The new Ypsilon, like countless other small hatches and crossovers from Stellantis’ smorgasbord of brands, will sit on the parent company’s Common Modular Platform architecture. That’s why there’s more than a little Peugeot 208 and Vauxhall Corsa in the car’s side profile - it’s the same box of bits underneath.

The Ypsilon debuts as a full EV, with a 250-mile WLTP range. Petrol versions are expected to follow, although Lancia says it'll only be launching pure EV models from 2026 onwards.

Clearly, Lancia has gone some way to distinguish the Ypsilon from its stablemates, debuting its striking new design language on a production car after previewing it with last year’s Pu+Ra HPE concept. That includes a toned-down version of the concept’s big, Y-shaped front-end light signature. Then there are those slanted, circular rear lights, which Lancia makes no secret about cribbing from the sensational Stratos (with that car in their back catalogue, why wouldn’t they reference it?).

The interior, too, is pretty unique to the Ypsilon. Lancia has already released some teasers, showing off the car’s ‘SALA’ infotainment system. That stands for ‘Sound Air Light Augmentation’, and is also the Italian word for ‘living room’, which should go some way to explaining how Lancia is pitching this car. SALA, they say, will “allow for effortless customisation [of] the atmosphere of the car.”

To really double down on the living room thing, the Ypsilon also has a coffee table. No, really. It’s that little circular bit jutting out above the centre console, and Lancia calls it the ‘tavolino’ - little table. To be fair, it looks like it also might be used for wireless phone charging but really, that grippy surface looks perfect for an espresso.

The Ypsilon launches in Italy as the Cassina Limited Edition. Cassina, if you don’t know, is an Italian maker of high-end furniture. At this rate, we wouldn’t be surprised if it came with the option of a wood-burning stove, or your dad dozing off in an armchair in the boot.

1906 Cassina Editions will be built, in reference to the year of Lancia’s founding, all of them in this blue-over-blue spec, with unusual velvet upholstery. The Cassina will be Italy-exclusive (the current Ypsilon, the only car Lancia makes at present, is still a regular best-seller there despite being approximately 457 years old), before a full Ypsilon range, and other new models, arrive in other European countries. 

What doesn't look likely for the foreseeable is a return to the UK. Lancia hasn’t sold cars here since 1995, and given the reputation it left with, we wouldn’t be surprised to see it give Britain a miss this time around. Would you want to see it come back?