It's been almost a decade since the “be-loved” Ypsilon first hit the market. And now it's only been sold in its hometown–Italy. But the mother company seems confident about its sales and decided to put a brand new powertrain to make the little car great again.
The 1.0-litre 3-cylinder engine was borrowed from Fiat 500 Hybrid and Panda City Cross Hybrid. The engine was good for a 70bhp output, with the help from a belt-driven alternator the Ypsilon has another 5bhp and 92Nm of torque. All power will send to the front wheel through a special designed 6-speed automatic gearbox, which according to Fiat, has a special lubricant and “never-seen-before sixth ratio” for highway driving. The electrical energy is stored in a 0.13-kWh lithium-ion battery.
The upgraded Ypsilon offers two different trim levels. The Silver is the entry-level trim, and standard equipment includes split-folding rear seats, 15-inch wheels with stylized plastic covers in matte black, manual air conditioning, a radio, and a few buttons on the steering wheel while Gold is the higher spec, which levels up to alloy wheels, leather on the steering wheel, fog lamps, and the 5.0-inch Uconnect infotainment system with a touchscreen display.
Sadly however, Lancia has no plans on returning to the UK market with this environmental-friendly supermini, that means the Ypsilon will still be sold in Italy only with a starting price of 14450 euros.
Keyword: Lancia upgrades the Ypsilon with a new hybrid powertrain