The famous Italian brand Lancia will make its return to Ireland at the end of 2008 in time for the 2009 registration rush.
Lancia is the posh arm of FIAT and as such enjoyed a spell in Ireland where it offered very plush Fiat based cars. Sadly, they were rust buckets and suffered from poor build quality. I owned a Delta and watched it slowly dissolve in the rain! I loved it dearly but it caused me to strike up a relationship with a blacksmith who would periodically make replacement rear hatchback hinges for the 1500cc car that was rusting apart before my eyes.
The latest Delta is based on the less than popular FIAT Chroma. It is much more a lifestyle estate than the boxy cool hot hatch it once represented. Lancia is making a comeback and expects to shift 60,000 Deltas in Western Europe next year and a further 10,000 worldwide.
Delta's exterior is going to take a bit of getting used to. The front grille has been a common sight in Europe, but Ireland never got to see the modern Lancia corporate look. Inside the Delta is plush and huge. It has a sliding rear bench that allows for a huge boot or masses of legroom depending on your needs.
There are six turbo charged engines in the range with the three diesels offering the best proposition in terms of power and economy. The 1.9 offers 190bhp and 400nm of torque and is very impressive on the road. It pulls very well, making overtaking impressively swift.
Technology plays a huge part in Lancia's revival as the Delta will offer a host of safety and driving aids including advanced ESP and, to help identify the car from a distance, Delta will have Audi-like daytime LED lights.
The Delta took under 16 months to come to fruition from the design being signed off and sadly I think it shows, at least on the outside. Delta is a large hatchback that looks a little out of proportion with its large front overhang. Sadly first impressions aren't great. Lancia, if it is to be a brand of style, has to deliver stunning looking cars and while, Delta is striking, it lacks the sophistication of the best German offerings. Delta is aimed at a very broad market from Focus and Mondeo buyers to C4 Picasso customers.
Italy gets the car this month where there are three specification levels: ‘Argento’, ‘Oro’ and ‘Platino’. The rest of Europe gets the car in September.
Other technologies to feature include active parking similar to the system in the Lexus LS; lane deviation camera with steering input (not available on our test cars); and reactive suspension with a Comfort and Sport setting.
Lancia will introduce a number of new models over the next few years up until 2012 in its plan. Sadly, Lancia has no plans to come back to motorsport. Lancia has 611 dealers signed up throughout Europe so they will give it a lash this time and, to say the staff are excited about the firm's revival is an understatement. European prices start at €21,500. The 1.6 diesel is the best offering, although the 1.4 petrol is no slouch too.
Michael Sheridan
