Lancia Motor Club

 I cover over 25,000 (mostly motorway) miles a year yet (apart from dealer demos) have only seen one Chrysler Delta and no Ypsilons on the roads. It would appear that they are flopping, the Delta is now a four year old car and was possibly too late on these shores, but the Ypsilon surprises me as it is very fresh with super engines. Is it because the press/media have given it a hard time or because it is a Chrysler? I think the latter and Fiat Spa have made a tremendous boo boo.

I was in Turin last weekend and both cars were everywhere. Between South station and the airport I was bored on the bus and so decided to count Lancias and spyed 129 in total mostly made up of Ypsilons and Musas with a scattering of new Deltas & Ypsilons too.

Now I know Italians are patriotic but last year the Ypsilon was the 5th best selling car in Italy after the Punto, Panda, Fiesta and 500. Not bad considering for half the year it was made up only of the outgoing 3-dr car (still on sale until its replacement arrives) thats been around for over 8 years so I expect it to do even better next year.

Surely it cannot be a great car overseas and a poor car in Britain.

Incidentally the Delta was third best seller in its class after the Golf and Giulietta.

USA cars have never done well in the UK, for a whole host of reasons.

This acknowledged multi-manufacturer derived car is even more suspicious. Why the Italians buy it I've no idea , sems very odd


P

There are great deals available on the Ypsilon with twenty per cent discount or £159 deposit and the same a month over three years for the 1.2S. This puts a car on the road for £8495 although there are a whole host of pre reg cars  for two hundred pounds less. However, having now spent some time with one, and on balance, the car is dumpy with strange wheel arches that make its wheels look tiny, probably because it's a Fiat 500 chasisis, and that raised dash is disconcerting and gets worse every time you look at it. Yes it is is a Fiat, not a Chrysler but frankly, it's an old mans car. Why not buy
the Alfa Romeo Mito with 1.3 diesel, it looks sporty, goes reasonably well and is very economical. On the other hand, the Ypsilon, in 1.2 petrol form at least, needs all day to reach 60 mph and would be an embarrassment to any Lancia driver. Re the Delta, I think it looks a better car than it did at launch. And I have seen an ex demo car for sale at £11,999 which sounds about right, search google for bargains.

I agree Paul , Fiat picked the wrong brand.

Here in Solihull / B'ham I've yet to see either ( although Emma has seen a couple of Ypsilon) and for a city this size
it would seem to suggest they've bombed.

Steve

Haven't seen a Delta yet but I have spotted two different (non dealer demo) Ypsilons in Liverpool.

I'll be keeping the 08 Punto Sporting for a while yet.

Guy

Delta gets OK review and 3 stars in the Autocar 90sec video review....

http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-video/chrysler-delta-video-review-90sec-verdict/

Just returned from south of France (yes it was as cold there as blighty) but they love the Yipsilon and Musa spotting them regularly. The New Lancia Dealer (Alfa and Mitsubushi) has had a new shop front with Lancia, Alfa, and JEEP brands while still sporting the Mitsu brand. Cant say I have seen more than a handful of Delta's but the local rag reviewed the (Chrysler) Voyager, and was (I think my French was good enough) to say favourable things about it.

BTW does Fiat own Mitsbushi??? I haven't visited the Dealer as its not in the Centre of Town unlike Fiat!!!

Tim

I've yet to see either a Ypsilon or Delta. I notice that the few dealers there are here in Ireland aren't even registering them as dealer demos to sell on, that way they don't incur any costs until sold. Mind you they're not helped by the fact the Irish Chrysler site is rubbish & offers practically no info, plus from what i've seen the link between dealer websites & Chrysler's site kicks back to the old site!

Oh & to answer your question Tim, no, Fiat has no connection with Mitsubishi. I could be wrong but it think Mitsubishi is totally independent.

Mitsubishi used to be part of Daimler Chrysler (through I think a previous relationship with Chrysler), the CEO of the company I worked for, also part of DC, went to run them having to sort out their warranty scam. I think after DC broke up they were bought by some venture capitalists, but I guess maintain some kind of technology share and outlet share with Chrysler?

Saw a bronze Delta on the road yesterday but they have disappeared from the dealer I often pass. Just the odd Ypsilon on the forecourt now.

I saw a new Ypsilon (chrysler) on the road yesterday , it's the first one of both models I have seen as in Delta and Ypsilon. I think it looks a bit dumpy ! or squashed up , standing high on it's wheels and looking like nothing else on the road. I had a test drive in the new Delta (Chrysler) and I think it's very nice, The 1.6 Diesel drove very well and I think it looks very well considering it is a four year old design. We have a fiat Croma at home for the school run and shopping ect, it drives like a Vauxhall Vectra (which it is) and after driving the Delta I realise how bad the Croma is. I reckon i will buy a Delta in a couple of years to replace the Croma, stick a few Lancia badges on it and be very happy.  :D. As the Croma is a mix of Gm and Fiat parts I think The delta is genetically more lancia than Chrysler :) I woulden't feel bad about that.

While on assignment in Belgium recently, at the Hertz desk I casually asked 'Have you any Lancias' after being told my rental steed for the next 3 days was a Ford Ka - the answer was 'yes and it wont cost you any extra'.......

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A Lancia Ypsilon twinair 0.9L and 85bhp - its built on the same floorpan and in the same factory as the Ford Ka and the Fiat 500

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A 2 cylinder turbocharged engine, but gets lively when it comes on boost, not sledgehammer style like an quattro would but responds well. The only thing that might effect sales it that its a bit noisy, the sound when your inside reminding me of a Fiat 126 that was in my family many years ago ticka-ticka-ticka-ticka  ;D . Also the engine has a stop-start system, coast up to the lights and it will automatically cut out to save fuel, press down on the clutch when you are ready to go and it restarts. But when I decided to go a bit quicker one evening (when I was not relying on the sat-nav) the map clearly changes and it goes into 'less economcial mode' and wont cut at the lights. It might also depend on how much you slow down before stopping. And despite the size of the battery in the photo its not a hybrid!

Handling wise its almost the same as the Ford Ka and Fiat 500, both of which I have driven, and similar to my old daily driver, a Mk1 Punto. The front end is reasonably solid and it turns in well, but you can feel a little bit of oversteer, but not that Id be provoking that on the narrow roads around Zolder and Hasselt in Belgium. It easily kept up with traffic and was not sluggish, although this is why the turbocharger is there. On the motorway it would sit at 120-130km/h happily enough, although thats just with me onboard and 2 reasonably big pieces of luggage so cant really give definite feedback here.

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The interior is marmite Ive noticed but it suited me ok. My tall frame (6ft 3) fitted ok without discomfort although I pity anyone who may have been sitting in the back, even though this 1 was a 5dr. Im used to driving with my arms outstretched so was very comfortable driving this. The heater/radio controls were easy enough to set but its not something you normally play with on the motorway.... The boot is not huge though but given the size of the car this is not surprising.

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Design wise, same as the Ka and 500, tall body with small wheels, and like almost every car design since the Alfa 156, blended in rear door handles.

A fine city car but occasional longer trips can be easily handled