Lancia turns right

Chance for Australia: The three-door Lancia Ypsilon was not excluded as part of the package.

ANOTHER Italian brand is preparing to migrate to Australia.

This time it's Lancia. The semi-luxury brand has been absent from local roads for over 20 years, but the new emphasis on right-hand drive cars will benefit Australian buyers within three years.

Lancia will be the 54th marque in local showrooms, though the total will be even higher through 2011 because at least two Chinese automakers plan to launch locally next year.

Lancia is under the umbrella of the Fiat Group, which means it's much easier to build a business case by sharing existing resources with Ferrari-Maserati-Fiat importer Ateco Automotive in Sydney.

There will likely be at least three models in the lineup, ranging from a kid's car to a passenger car. Ateco Automotive is tight-lipped about details and even shows some hesitation at the prospect of adding Lancia to its lineup, but indicates it will need at least three car models to make the brand a launch in Australia.

Ateco spokesman Ed Butler says Fiat is interested in expanding Lancia's potential growth once it starts producing a new generation of right-hand drive models aimed primarily at British buyers later this year.

“Now the first days. We have to see what models are available and how they can work in Australia,” he says.

Most likely, the first Lancia is a Delta five-door hatchback, which is largely based on the Fiat Ritmo.

Thesis, the sedan version of the Delta, could also be added to the Australian list.

And then there is the Phedra multi-seat station wagon. Small Lancias like the three-door Ypsilon and five-door Musa may be physically too small and a bit expensive for Australia, although they are not excluded.

Both have a choice of 1.3-litre turbodiesel and 1.4-litre petrol engines with different tuning levels. The power plants are the same as on the Fiat 500 and Punto.

The Lancia may have the same mechanicals as the Fiat, but the nameplate is more high-tech - dare we say luxurious - and designed to be classier.

That luxury includes eye-catching leather upholstery, but that clashes with Lancia's current styling, which includes an ugly signature cat-ass grille.

The Italian brand is gaining momentum in Europe and especially in the UK as the Fiat Group begins to win market share from French and German competitors.

THESE ARE EARLY DAYS. WE HAVE TO SEE WHAT MODELS ARE AVAILABLE AND HOW THEY CAN WORK IN AUSTRALIA