Lancia Ypsilon review

It’s a new Lancia! Well, it’s not actually all that new now, because it was officially unveiled back in February 2024, although if you had access to the internet before that you probably would have seen many spy shots during its development. Lancia itself was also teasing its return for what felt like a decade. But anyway, we’ve now driven the reborn Ypsilon on Italian soil for the very first time.

Looks pretty cool, doesn’t it?

We like it a lot. It’s a whole new design language of course, because this is the first new model that Lancia has built since the previous gen Ypsilon first arrived back in 2011. That was a rather dorky-looking thing based on the underpinnings of the Fiat 500 and sold as a Chrysler Ypsilon in the UK. The Italians loved it though – it was the third best-selling car in Italy in 2023, despite being well over 10 years old and firmly on the chopping block.

The looks of this new car were previewed by 2023’s Pu+Ra HPE concept, with ‘Pu’ meaning pure and ‘Ra’ radical, apparently. The three-pronged LED light signature up front gives it a unique face and is supposed to be a reinterpretation of the grille on all of your favourite old Lancias, although those headlights and the four blocky vents do make it look a little busy. The rear is super smart though, with a mini diffuser and round lights inspired by the Stratos.

Oh, and you now get LANCIA written out in full in a fancy font at the front and rear, with the old shield moved to the C-pillar.

Hang on, the side profile looks a little familiar?

Ah yes, Lancia has of course designed some interesting bespoke alloy wheels, but from this angle the supermini connoisseurs among you may have realised that the new Ypsilon has more than a passing resemblance to the Peugeot 208 and Vauxhall Corsa. Lancia is a Stellantis brand, after all.

So, it’s based on the same Common Modular Platform (CMP) as those cars and also uses the same powertrains. Well, almost the same, because Lancia has decided not to take the petrol/manual combo that’s offered on the 208 and Corsa. Shame.

Hang on, so what powertrains can I have?

There are just two options plucked from the parts bin at Stellantis HQ for the standard car. First up is the Ypsilon Hybrid, which pairs a 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbo engine with a small electric motor and a six-speed dual-clutch auto gearbox. Total power output is 109bhp, with 0-62mph taking a leisurely 9.3 seconds.

The Ypsilon Electric is ever so slightly more punchy, with 154bhp being sent to the front wheels for a 0-62mph sprint in 8.2 seconds, while a 54kWh battery provides 264 miles of WLTP range.

Are there any sporty versions?

See that thing flying through the air below? That’s the €74,500 Ypsilon Rally4 HF, a competition-spec racer with a 209bhp 1.2-litre turbo petrol engine, a five-speed manual gearbox and a mechanical limited-slip diff on the front axle. It’s already entered competition with a one-make Trofeo Lancia Rally taking place in Italy, and there’s a prize pot of up to €300,000 available. Yep, Lancia is doing this properly.

The winner of that competition will drive the factory Ypsilon Rally4 HF in the 2026 European Rally Championship, and there are rumours of a hotter Rally2 car on the way too with a 1.6-litre engine.

It's not all racing cars either, because there will soon be a road-going Ypsilon HF hot hatch with a 276bhp all-electric powertrain shared with cars like the Alfa Romeo Junior Veloce and the Abarth 600e. Oh, and you’ll be able to get a sporty-looking-but-not-actually-that-sporty HF Line too.

How much will an Ypsilon cost me?

Well, so far you can only buy the Ypsilon in certain European markets. There’s no word yet on whether it will eventually come to the UK, so we’ll share the Italian pricing to give you an idea of where it sits.

Prices are supposed to start at €25,200 for the entry-level hybrid and a hefty €34,900 for the EV, but at the time of writing Lancia is running offers to drop those start prices to €19,900 and €28,900 respectively. For reference, the Peugeot 208 starts at €20,020 on the same shores, with the e-208 costing €33,780.

The new Ypsilon feels like a properly grown-up little supermini. Despite basically being a redressing of a Vauxhall Corsa, it manages to look eminently stylish both inside and out, particularly if you splash the cash on the ‘rust’ coloured premium seats.

It looks like Lancia has got its pricing right too, with current offers making this thing cheaper to buy than the Peugeot 208. Plenty of kit on board for the money, too.

Oh, and perhaps the most important thing of all is that the new Ypsilon has already been turned into a rally car, with even more potent versions to follow and also a proper road-going hot hatch. Okay, the base-spec hybrid might be a little slower than a racecar, but it’s nice to see Lancia taking this rebirth seriously.

Next up, the new Gamma…