When FCA and PSA merged a few years ago, Stellantis promised to keep all brands in its vast portfolio. That includes the troubled Lancia marque, which finally has a new car in the 2024 Ypsilon. The fourth-generation model is even getting the High-Fidelity treatment. Yes, HF is officially back. The dormant Italian company is showing off the Ypsilon HF, complete with a rally derivative.
While all previous HF-badged cars had a combustion engine, the new Ypsilon HF is purely electric. It offers 237 horsepower from a front-mounted motor, therefore matching the Abarth 600e and Alfa Romeo Junior Veloce. That's no coincidence since the three cars share the Common Modular Platform (CMF) used by multiple other Stellantis products. That includes the not-for-America Jeep Avenger.
The e-motor draws its juice from a 54-kWh battery pack inherited from the Alfa Romeo and Abarth models. Lancia touts a 0 to 62 mph in 5.8 seconds, which isn't too shabby for a small front-wheel-drive hatchback from a mainstream brand. Aside from the upgraded electric motor, the Ypsilon HF has a wider track and a lowered suspension for better handling.
Today's debut is technically a preview since the hot supermini won't go on sale in Europe until May 2025. Lancia says all future models will benefit from the High-Fidelity treatment, including the revival of the Gamma and Delta set to arrive later this decade.
The little elephant logo was first used in 1960 when owners formed a club reserved only for people who had at least six cars. HF Lancia Racing Team was created in 1963 but it wasn't until 1966 when the first car received the legendary logo–the Fulvia Coupe HF.
Rally icons such as the Stratos HF and Delta HF Integrale Evolution got the little elephant during Lancia's glory days. Legend has it the design of the logo was chosen as early as 1953 as a lucky charm by Gianni, son of company's founder Vincenzo Lancia and the automaker's CEO between 1949 until 1955.
Speaking of rallying, the Ypsilon HF is joined by the Ypsilon Rally 4 HF. Unlike the electric road car, the motorsport variant uses a turbocharged gasoline engine. It's a three-cylinder, 1.2-liter unit with 209 hp on tap. As the race car's name suggests, it has been developed to comply with FIA's Group Rally4 regulations.
Marking the return of Lancia to rally races after a long hiatus, the Ypsilon Rally 4 HF is also front-wheel drive. It gets a five-speed gearbox with a mechanical limited-slip differential. It doesn't look all that different from the street-legal car because regulations stipulate it must be largely based on a production vehicle. Group Rally4 was created in 2019 and is derived from the R2 class of Group R cars.
