The Breakdown Lancia sold fewer than 12,000 cars last year. The Italian brand sells just one model: the Ypsilon. The Gamma will return in 2026. When Lancia unveiled the Ypsilon in February 2024, it marked the brand’s first new model in 13 years. You’d expect such a long-awaited product renewal to have a positive impact on sales. However, nothing could be further from the truth, as sales continued to slide even after the supermini’s launch. Relaunching the storied brand in export markets didn’t help either. According to full-year sales data released by the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association, Lancia fell by a whopping 64 percent to just 11,754 cars. It’s worth pointing out that ACEA still bundles Lancia with Chrysler, even though it’s been about a decade since the American brand officially left Europe. Mind you, there are still a handful of dealers selling new Chryslers. A separate study by Dataforce, cited by Automotive News Europe, shows Lancia registrations fell to 11,719 cars in 2025, while just 75 people bought brand-new Chryslers: 72 Pacifica minivans and three 300C sedans. Dataforce’s Lancia figures are therefore nearly identical to those published by ACEA, confirming the company’s continued slippery slope. So, How Bad Is It? The 64 percent year-over-year drop is only part of the story. We looked at older sales data going back a decade. Between 2015 and 2025, the best year, according to ACEA, was 2016, when Lancia (and Chrysler) sold 67,225 vehicles in the European Union, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland, all part of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). Lancia’s situation is particularly worrying, given that it became an Italian-only brand in the mid-2010s. It sold more cars before its 2024 relaunch than it does now, even though it’s once again available outside its home market. The company’s return to a broader European footprint includes 70 showrooms in major cities, with France, Spain, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Germany leading the way. However, the relaunch hasn’t paid off so far. A Second Model Is Coming This Year The fourth-generation Ypsilon is significantly more expensive than its predecessor and faces stiff internal competition from the Peugeot 208 and Opel Corsa. The brand’s renaissance is set to continue this year with a new midsize model that will revive the Gamma name. The Delta is also expected to make a comeback before the end of the decade. Reuters recently reported that Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa is “assessing all 14 brands’ long-term viability,” after his predecessor, Carlos Tavares, stuck to his promise to keep all of them. The news agency noted that some European brands are at risk, though it didn’t give names. It’s also worth noting that DS Automobiles had a rough 2025 as well, with ACEA reporting that demand fell by 22.5 percent to 29,042 cars in the EU+EFTA+UK region. 2025 Lancia Ypsilon HF test drive Lancia Sales In Europe From 2015 To 2025 Lancia (and Chrysler) Sales In Europe Year 11,754 2025 32,651 2024 44,877 2023 41,096 2022 43,783 2021 43,109 2020 58,940 2019 48,854 2018 60,885 2017 67,225 2016 61,671 2015 Motor1's Take: Lancia may be a shadow of its former self, but it deserves to live. Hopefully, the upcoming Gamma will help reverse the slide, although we’re concerned the brand name isn’t as strong as it once was. Fierce competition is making it difficult for Lancia to claw back market share as Korean and Chinese brands continue to gain ground in Europe. We’d also argue that some brand loyalists may feel the Ypsilon isn’t Lancia enough to clearly separate it from the other sister models sold by Stellantis. The Gamma will also be cut from the same cloth as other larger Stellantis products. We want your opinion! What would you like to see on Motor1.com? Take our 3 minute survey. - The Motor1.com Team
