Lancia resurrection confirmed with 10-year strategic plan and new electric car flagship by 2026

Over its close to 120 years as a carmaker, Lancia has been through significant ups and downs. From leading the world as an engineering and design innovator in the 1920s to the ignominy of having its badge applied to a variety of Chrysler models just 10 years ago.

But it looks like the charismatic Italian brand is about to ascend from its most recent dip with news of a 10-year strategic plan that includes three new products (one every two years) including a pure-electric flagship scheduled to arrive in 2026.

The Lancia initiative is part of parent company Stellantis’ ‘Dare Forward 2030’ program which aims to reduce the company's carbon emissions footprint to zero by 2038.

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First of the Lancia EV trio to arrive will be a new Ypsilon, in hybrid and electric form, in 2024. The current generation version of the city-sized hatch, although facelifted in 2021, has been in market since 2011.

Then, the new Lancia flagship’s launch in 2026 will be followed by the mid-size, pure-electric Delta in 2028.

According to Lancia, its 2026 flagship has been conceived, designed and will be produced in Italy, with assembly slated for parent company Stellantis’ Melfi plant in the south of the country.

It will be one of five new Stellantis group models to be produced there in coming years, with the Lancia joining other “next generation electrified cars” from DS, Jeep and Opel. 

Lancia says the as yet unseen top model is a close to 4.7-metre long fastback to be offered in front- and all-wheel-drive variants that will, like its Melfi-produced stablemates, be underpinned by the group’s ‘STLA Medium’ EV platform and deliver “best in class range”.

In fact, Lancia CEO, Luca Napolitano said: “This platform will give to the new Lancia flagship an overall performance at the highest level, in terms of both efficiency and with a range of over 700 km.” 

In recent years Lancia sales have been confined to the Italian domestic market, the brand offering just the Ypsilon and seemingly headed for extinction, but Signore Napolitano confirms: “The (flagship) car will take the Italian spirit around Europe, with almost 50 per cent of the units sold out of Italy.”

The plan is for 70 dealers to be established in major European cities across Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain. 

When asked if Australia is a potential future Lancia market a Stellantis Australia spokesperson told CarsGuide there are currently “no plans” to reintroduce the marque here. Lancia left the local market in 1985 when the Beta HPE coupe was discontinued. 

Credited with the creation of numerous design innovations including the unitary ‘monocoque’ body for its V4-powered Lambda range in the early 1920s, Lancia has also enjoyed World Rally Championship success over many decades with the ground-breaking Stratos, all-wheel drive Delta and fierce mid-engine 037.

As a pointer to its EV future, earlier this year Lancia unveiled the Pu+Ra HPE concept, positioned as “the brand’s 100 per cent electric manifesto” featuring an innovative circular roof, round tail-lights echoing those of the Stratos junior supercar and a rear window ‘venetian blind’ treatment inspired by the shades found in the 1970 Beta HPE.