New Lancia Ypsilon - Premium on a smaller scale
The new generation of Ypsilon should create new opportunities for this brand. Thus, the car must combine family functionality with the atmosphere and quality of the premium segment, as well as Italian style and beauty. The first races say that she was a success.
Lancia Ypsilon is already more than one and a half million cars of three generations, which can most often be found on the roads of Italy. Now it should be different. The first element of the offensive is a five-door body. Just like the pictures. If you think it only has three doors, then you've fallen in love with the rear window, which tapers back like a three-door car, and the handle hidden in its frame. This solution has been increasingly used lately, but is not yet a standard, so you might fall for it.
The silhouette of the car is a combination of PT Cruiser bodywork with styling cues inspired by the current generation of Delta. We have a choice of 16 body colors, including 4 two-tone combinations. There are plenty of customization options inside as well. For example, the upholstery with a relief pattern, where the letter Y predominates, looks interesting. Ypsilon.
The seats look sporty, but the side bolsters provide comfort rather than lateral support. However, in this case, the backrests are the most important, not only because of the comfort they provide, but also because of the slim design of the seat. They are thin, so there is more room for passengers in the back seat. Theoretically, there can be three of them, but for adults the car is cramped. The length may be suitable. In body dimensions: 384 cm high, 167 cm wide, 152 cm high and 239 cm wheelbase, there is still room for a trunk volume of 245 liters.
The interior is quite interesting, but without the extravagance that small car designers sometimes try to draw attention to. However, here we have more solidity than fantasy. Individual elements are made of good quality materials, which indicates that the Italians are serious about the term Premium. After posting the first photos, I was a little scared by the center console, which looked big and clunky, something we have already practiced with the current Panda. Luckily, it turns out that the square, heavily glossy panel actually looks better and is a bit tidier. The buttons and knobs are crisp, but not too big.
Another association with the current Panda came from driving, but it was much more positive. Like Panda, the new Ypsilon performed very well. The suspension was quite comfortable, but the rather high body did not frighten with tilts to the sides. In the crowded center of Krakow, the car moved nimbly, and the Magic Parking system (unfortunately, this is an additional equipment option) eliminates the problems of fitting into the gaps between parked cars. When the sensors determined the position approximately along the length of the car and another 40 cm in front and 40 cm in the rear, the automation took control. I just hit the gas or brake and changed gears. The machine steers the car confidently and stays so close to the bumpers next to it that the parking sensors almost wheeze.
Among the interesting features of the equipment, it is also worth noting the Smart Fuel filler neck, which instead of a plug has a ratchet that “lets in” only the right type of fuel gun - so there will be no more mistakes and filling, for example, gasoline into a turbodiesel.
Under the hood of the test car, I had the most interesting engine in the Ypsilon line-up, the 0,9 TwinAir, which won several Engine of the Year titles this year. It has a power of 85 hp. and a maximum torque of 140 Nm, unless we turn on the Eco option, in which the torque is reduced to 100 Nm. At full torque, the car reaches 100 km/h in 11,9 seconds and can reach a top speed of 176 km/h. After pressing the Eco button, the car loses a lot in dynamics, but the average fuel consumption of this version is 4,2 l / 100 km.
While driving slowly in downtown Krakow, the reduced torque in Eco was more than enough, but on one of the big highway climbs, the car began to lose its readiness to drive so clearly that I turned Eco off. It seems to me that proper handling of this feature can quickly allow the driver to get the most out of the car while keeping fuel consumption low.
Probably, however, the most frequently chosen version will be the base gasoline engine, which at 1,2 liters achieves 69 hp, which means acceleration to 100 km / h in 14,5 seconds and an average fuel consumption of 4,9 l / 100 km. So far, this is more than half of the orders. TwinAir covers 30% and the 1,3 Multijet turbodiesel with 95 hp. - only 10%. This is the most dynamic (11,4 seconds “up to a hundred”) and the most economical (3,8 l / 100 km), but also the most expensive option. Prices for this engine start at PLN 59, while the Twin Air can be purchased for PLN 900 and the base petrol engine from PLN 53. Big gap, but it's the only engine available in the base Silver trim. The rest start at the Gold tier, in which the base engine costs PLN 900. According to assumptions, Gold should become the most popular version of the equipment, including air conditioning.
Lancia hopes the new generation will double the current interest in the Ypsilon. The plant in Tychy, where the machine is manufactured, also counts on this. This year it is planned to produce 60 of these cars, and next year - twice as much. It is planned to sell 000 such vehicles on the Polish market this year.
