Lancia Might've Got Ahead Of Itself With Its Delta Announcement

One will be called Gamma, and the other will be called Delta. Each will also get HF Integrale high-performance versions, so that means the Delta HF Integrale hot hatch will live again. It seems, though, that Lancia might have jumped its own gun with that last announcement, because it pulled that info from its press site.

The slip-up seems to be regarding the announcement of a Delta HF Integrale while highlighting its HF Racing rally car program. That program now offers a rally version of the Ypsilon, pictured in a gallery below. The initial press release from last week featured the following statement:

"The new HF Racing is part of a broader strategy that not only marks Lancia’s return to motorsport but also reintroduces the iconic HF logo on the brand’s next-generation high-performance versions: today on the Ypsilon and soon to appear on the upcoming Gamma and Delta with the 'HF Integrale' label."

Since then, the press release has been edited so that it no longer mentions Gamma and Delta specifically:

"The new HF Racing is part of a broader strategy that not only marks Lancia’s return to motorsport but also reintroduces the iconic HF logo on the brand’s next-generation high-performance versions."

We were confused and reached out to Lancia directly for some clarification. A representative confirmed that the Gamma will get an HF Integrale variant, and that the company is developing "a third model." The representative also didn't say anything about the initial information being incorrect. That's what leads us to believe that the Delta HF Integrale is still on, and that the company just had a moment of miscommunication as to whether it was all right to tell the world that the car is in development.

Gamma Comes First, Probably Followed By Delta
The first of Lancia's new cars we'll see is almost certainly the Gamma, since the company has already shown a teaser for the car. It will use the STLA Medium platform, and it will probably continue to follow the pattern of Stellantis products being offered in both electric and combustion variants, with the latter being hybridized. It will likely be some kind of four-door fastback, like its 1970s namesake, and it will be revealed next year. It might even be lifted a bit to make it into a crossover. Lancia also made a coupe version of the Gamma back then, and the recent concept only had two doors. The coupe market is tough nowadays, though, so it's hard to imagine a two-door reaching production, at least initially. Time will tell if the HF and Integrale versions will be shown alongside the regular model, or if those will be shown a bit later.

As for the Delta, it will probably come sometime after the Gamma has been revealed. Past reports have suggested it might not show up until 2028. That would seem pretty reasonable, as that would be two years after the Gamma launch, which will be two years after the Ypsilon launch. We know almost nothing about the car, but with the history behind the name and its big fan base, we would bet that it will once again be a traditional hatchback, just a bit larger than the little Ypsilon. Electric and hybrid powertrains also seem likely, though it might be late enough of a launch that Lancia could skip the hybrid option.