Lancia Delta - black core
I had already taken the key out of my pocket, but before I had time to press the corresponding button on the remote control, two teenagers, under the squeal of tires, slowed down on the sidewalk and began to stare at the car. “Dude, that looks like a human face!” I decided to stop and listen to what the guys from the Krakow apartment complex had to say about the Delta. After all, out of hundreds of cars in the parking lot under a large block, they stopped right next to this black Lancia.
However, the "old man" had no inspiration, and he was silent, rocking the bike. “Look: eyes here, nose here ...” continued his more talkative interlocutor. Finally, the "Old Man" said, "What model is this?" Another awkward silence, and I was about to hurry up with an answer, when the young people quickly realized that they had never seen anything like it in their lives, and disappeared even faster than they appeared.
After several days of driving the Delta, I was not at all surprised by this scene. The test car in HARD BLACK with matt black paint, black leather upholstery, chrome mirrors and tailpipes, and matte black wheels looks as attractive and eye-catching as a catwalk model. Agree, even if cyclists rushing around the estate leave half a tire on the pavement in order to look at it for a moment, there must be some kind of magical feminine element in it. Like any beauty, she also requires personal care - she looks most beautiful after leaving the bathhouse, and after a trip along a dusty country road she collects all the dust on her “ass” so that her companion has no doubts - something needs to be done and immediately .
I climbed into the salon, heated to 43 degrees C, stuck to the burning skin on the chair, burned myself touching the chrome appliqué on the door as hot as a frying pan, and for a moment doubted that I was sitting in an Italian car. How could the "southerners" produce a machine that heats up to a temperature at which you can almost fry eggs under the first May sun? The black carpet that attracts the sun's rays acts like a nuclear reactor, the black leather of the seats heats up like sand on a Sicilian beach, and only the intervention of the air conditioner, namely the light breeze, not the hurricane, I would expect, slowly restores my thermal balance. Quite an extreme experience, but I still prefer to be in this dreary revelation than in a cool, white, nondescript car next to which cyclists do not leave emergency brake marks.
The facelift Delta went through last year didn't really change much. The new grille shape with horizontal ribs instead of vertical references other Lancia models (including Americans with an Italian passport), some chrome here and there and mostly at the rear. A small range of external changes, in my opinion, is very typical for successful models that need to be updated so that you can proudly declare in the showroom and in the press that this is the “new Delta”, but at the same time it should not be changed too much, because the appearance of the "old" version is already bordering on perfection.
Inside, we find new trim materials that definitely improve the look of the cabin, but there are no revolutionary changes here either. It turns out that our model did not visit a plastic surgeon at all - she only powdered her nose. The test copy is the top version of Platinum with noble Poltrona Frau leather trim, and most of the cockpit is covered with leather. In this version of the Delta configuration, it is difficult to find fault - well, except for the lack of ventilated seats (even as an option), and the consequence of the HARD BLACK finish - the beige headlining does not fit here.
The only "hard" change since the facelift is the new 105 Multijet 1,6L engine. 1,9 Twinturbo Multijet. Frankly, I expected a lot of impressions from him - especially since he boasts an impressive torque of 190 Nm, available already from 400 rpm.
How is the road? The flexibility of this engine is really impressive, and already from 1500 rpm it allows you to accelerate effectively in almost any gear. By keeping the speed at the level of 1500-2000, you can get a result of 5,0 l / 100 km off-road without much sacrifice. With more intense driving and using the full power of the engine, if necessary, we will get about 7 liters in the combined cycle. For a car that accelerates to “hundreds” in less than 8 seconds, this is a very worthy result. It is a pleasure to drive through the undulating Zakobyanka, because even when driving on the highest hills, the engine is so good that there is practically no need to shift to a lower gear. Before overtaking, however, it is worth reducing, because the engine reaches its maximum power only at 4.000 rpm - and there is a small problem here, because the red tachometer is only 500 rpm higher. So - the hand should remain on the lever, because the gear shift will be needed in a few seconds. Of course, it's not a nuisance because the gearbox works exactly, but like it or not, I remember another test Delta with a 200TB 1,8L engine. fun to drive.
The Delta's ride quality is identical to the pre-facelift version, but far from the Delta's racing ambitions - the steering is a bit sluggish and the suspension steers the Delta through corners more like a family van than a sports compact van. The Delta, however, is not a van, although the two-box body may hint at it. Trunk capacity of 380/465L (depending on the sliding rear seat) is good for a compact, but not impressive in the world of vans. You can’t put a bottle with a drink in the door pocket, there is a tray for small things in the middle tunnel, but there is nowhere to put a mobile phone - in a word, the number and convenience of compartments leaves much to be desired. desired. Finally, the rear seat does not indulge in space overhead.
So this is a compact - extremely stylish, luxurious and powerful. Perfect for mavericks who want to dig in their pockets to stand out, get a few glances, show who's in charge (at least on a straight line) and sleep easy knowing no identical copy is parked nearby.
Also worth mentioning is the Driving Advisor system, which in the previous version of Delta actively helped the driver to maintain a given lane - he did this by gently turning the steering wheel and directing the car back into the lane in the event of a collision with a line without using an indicator. With model use, i.e. without keeping your hands on the steering wheel, makes a big impression because the car actually returns to its own lane, scolding me with the message "keep your hands on the wheel." However, when I just want to drive the car on a twisty road, the system's notorious premature interventions cause an annoying change in assist power that ends up tiring. Maybe the Italian lanes are wider than on the Krakow-Zakopane circuit, or maybe I'm not quite restrictive about sticking to the axis of my lane, but in the end the system was solemnly turned off with rich commentary until the end of the test. It is a pity that there were no changes in this system during the facelift.
Finally, a few words about money, because originality and luxurious accessories cost money. The PLATINUM version with a top-end engine costs PLN 126990 6700 (interesting fact - top-end diesel and gas engines cost the same). The BLACK HARD package costs another PLN 3000. Add a surcharge of PLN 18 for 1900-inch wheels, PLN 2500 for the BOSE audio system, the aforementioned Driving Advisor system costs PLN, plus a semi-automatic parking system for PLN, and we already have more than PLN on the meter. .
Expensive for a compact? You don't have to buy the BLACK HARD package for the most powerful and expensive engine at the same time. In addition to the weakest Multijet 105 hp, you can get this package with any other unit - from 68.990 PLN for 1,4 Turbojet (120 hp) plus PLN for BLACK HARD. Still too expensive? Then buy Mister Fiat - it will be cheaper. Such a prosaic barrier as price protects an exclusive group of owners of a matte Lancia Delta from the risk of meeting another such black tough girl on the road.
