Lancia is on the brink of death. At least, that’s what we thought … The Italian brand is currently only active in its home country, with only one model: the ancient Ypsilon. But parent company Stellantis has sky-high ambitions. Lancia must become the new Mercedes.
Okay, we have to nuance that, because it’s not like Lancia wants to compete with Mercedes. CEO Luca Napolitano has presented a ten-year plan to Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares, based on three new models: a new Ypsilon in 2024, a compact crossover in 2026 and a compact hatchback (Delta) in 2028. The latter two will be fully electric. There is also a plug-in hybrid variant of the Ypsilon.
Lancia aims to become a high-margin premium brand
Lancia is marketed as a premium brand, together with Alfa Romeo and DS. “Our benchmark is Mercedes,” says Napolitano confidently. “I don’t mean that we want to fight against Mercedes, that would be naive, but Mercedes is the brand we take as an example.” Lancia says, of course, that it values ​​sales volume, but that it is even more important to write high margins.
After Italy, Lancia will be marketed first in Germany and France
Napolitano wants to start modestly (he has no other choice, of course), with a hundred Lancia dealers in sixty European cities. In doing so, he focuses on selling online to reduce costs and maximize profitability: “My goal is that customers can buy a car with just three clicks.” Lancia will not become a global brand, like Alfa Romeo and DS, but will remain in Europe, initially with sales only in Italy, Germany and France. The Netherlands will also follow later.