1972 Lancia Fulvia 1.3s on 2040-cars

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Lancia Ypsilon HF gets back to brand's rally racer heritage

At the end of 1992, Lancia walked away from the Martini-sponsored Delta HF Integrale 8V race car and the World Rally Championship a winner, drivers Juha Kankkunen and Didier Auriol delivering the Constructor's Championship. We haven't seen a racy factory-backed Lancia since, nor one that races. The dry spell is over, the Italians unveiling their new Ypsilon HF, the hot-hatch version of the standard Ypsilon, and a motorsports version for FIA Group Rally4. Starting with the street car, it gets the powertrain shared with the Alfa Romeo Junior Veloce, a single electric motor turning the front axle. Instead of the e-motor making 154 horsepower as in the standard Ypsilon, the Ypsilon HF makes 237 hp, shortening the dash to 62 miles per hour to 5.8 seconds, which is 2.9 seconds quicker than the plain Ypsilon.  Handling credentials get upgraded with a wider track and lowered suspension. The package is made to look the part with a sharper front fascia, the much larger lower intake bearing the HF logo and the side intakes getting black underlining. We haven't been given a view of the rear, but we expect there are flourishes there as well, perhaps even the large black bumper seen on the rally racer. A set of six-spoke wheels complete the attitude adjustment.     Because the World Rally Championship hasn't gone electric yet — and gave up on hybrids after just three years — the Ypsilon Rally 4 HF slides a 1.2-liter three-cylinder gas-powered mill up front. That engine sends 209 hp to the front wheels through a five-speed transmission and a limited-slip differential. A pair of hood scoops aid engine cooling, a roof scoop at the top of the windshield does the same for driver and co-driver. The white, 15-spoke wheels look back to the multi-spoke wheels on the Delta Integrale, and we'll be looking to the start line next year to see if the real racer gets Martini sponsorship. The way Lancia worded its press release, we suspect the Rally 4 car will also be pitched to privateers as "a serious candidate for drivers aspiring to victory in the R4 class and in the two-wheel drive championships." These two cars set the template for future HF makeovers already promised for the eventual Gamma crossover and reborn electric Delta. Another question we have, especially now that hybrids are taking the fore, is whether the Ypsilon with the mild-hybrid powertrain has a chance of getting the HF treatment.

Stellantis and LG launch joint venture for North American battery plant

Stellantis has struck a preliminary deal with battery maker LG Energy Solution (LGES) to produce battery cells and modules for North America, as the world's No. 4 automaker rolls out its 30 billion euro ($35 billion) electrification plan. Global automakers are investing billions of euros to accelerate a transition to low-emission mobility and prepare for a progressive phase-out of internal combustion engines. Stellantis and LGES's joint venture will produce battery cells and modules at a new facility with an annual capacity of 40 gigawatt hours (GWh), the two firms said on Monday. No financial details of the deal were provided. The plant is scheduled to start production by the first quarter of 2024, with groundbreaking expected in the second quarter of 2022, the companies said in their statement. Its location is under review and will be announced later. Stellantis, formed in January from the merger of Italian-American automaker Fiat Chrysler and France's PSA, has said it wants to secure more than 130 GWh of global battery capacity by 2025 and more than 260 GWh by 2030. The batteries produced under the deal will supply Stellantis' U.S., Canadian and Mexican assembly plants for installation in hybrid and fully electric vehicles, supporting its goal of e-vehicles making up more than 40% of its U.S. sales by 2030. The company, whose brands include Peugeot, Fiat, Opel and U.S. best-sellers Jeep and Ram, earlier this year announced it would invest more than 30 billion euros through 2025 on electrifying its vehicle lineup. Stellantis has said it would build three battery plants in Europe and two in North America, including at least one in the United States. Intesa Sanpaolo analyst Monica Bosio said the deal was positive, and a further step ahead in Stellantis' electrification process. It comes weeks after Stellantis and its partner TotalEnergies agreed to open up their battery cell joint venture ACC to Daimler, to expand their European sourcing of battery cells. Stellantis is also targeting more than 70% of sales in Europe to be of low-emission vehicles by 2030, and aims to make the total cost of owning an EV equal to that of a gasoline-powered model by 2026. Related video: Green Plants/Manufacturing Alfa Romeo Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Jeep Maserati RAM Citroen Lancia Opel Peugeot Vauxhall Electric Hybrid EV batteries LG

Lancia steps off the chopping block, promises three new cars

Stellantis has canceled Lancia's death sentence and granted it a new lease on life. The storied Italian brand announced its own salvation and pledged to launch three new cars (its first since 2011) starting in 2024, including one that will resurrect a well-known nameplate. "Today is an important day. Lancia is ready for Europe, and we have taken the first step towards becoming a credible and respected brand in the premium segment," affirmed company CEO Luca Napolitano. He also presented a 10-year plan that he calls the brand's renaissance. As of writing, the only car in the Lancia portfolio is the Ypsilon (pictured). The model offensive will begin in 2024, when the little four-door hatchback (which remains stunningly popular in Italy in spite of its age) will finally get a replacement. Details about the next-generation model remain few and far between, but it will stretch about 157 inches long and it will be offered exclusively with an electric powertrain. The next Ypsilon will be joined by what Lancia calls a flagship in 2026. The model will measure 181 inches long, meaning it will be a couple of inches shorter than the current-generation BMW X3. It's too early to tell whether it will take the form of a sedan or an SUV. Lancia has never sold an SUV, and it has historically built big luxury sedans, but even European buyers prefer high-riding models in this segment. Finally, the third part of Lancia's renaissance is a long-rumored new Delta. It will stretch around 173 inches from bumper to bumper (so it will be about four inches longer than a Volkswagen Golf) and it will be characterized by what the firm describes as "a sculpted, muscular design with geometric lines that will appeal to enthusiasts." It sounds like Lancia designers will try to echo the original Delta, which was released in 1979 as a family-friendly hatchback and later morphed into one of the most successful World Rally Championship cars of all time. Some of Lancia's future models will be electrified, and the brand will go electric-only by 2028. And, we're told that every future member of the range will feature an interior with a typically Italian design, though photos of the upcoming Lancia models haven't been released yet. While it sounds like Lancia is saved, at least for the time being, several points remain in the air.