Lancia Ypsilon

Lancia Ypsilon at a glance

All generations are listed in our Lancia catalogue, and the brand's wider story, from Vincenzo Lancia to the rally years, is told in Lancia history: engineering firsts, rally titles and a second life.

Ypsilon generations since 1995

Lancia Y (1995–2003): Fumia's design and 100 colours

Enrico Fumia sketched the Lancia Y in 1992, and it was developed in 24 months for about 400 billion lire on a shortened version of the Fiat Punto platform, with MacPherson struts at the front and trailing arms at the rear. It was 3.72 m long and was presented in Rome in January 1996, though production dates from 1995. Buyers could choose from 100 body colours in Lancia's "Kaleidoscope" catalogue.

Engines were Fiat FIRE units: a 1.1 with 40 kW (54 PS), a 1.2 8V with 44 kW (60 PS) and, from 1997, 1.2 16V engines with 63 kW (86 PS). A 1.4 12V with 59 kW (80 PS) was offered only in 1996–1997. After the 2000 facelift the range was simplified to a 1.2 8V with 44 kW and a 1.2 16V with 59 kW. More than 42,000 were sold in the first two months, about 804,600 by September 2003, and more than 870,000 were built at Melfi. Euro NCAP gave it two stars for adult occupant protection in its test around 2000.

Ypsilon Type 843 (2003–2011): three doors and special editions

The car was renamed Ypsilon in 2003. The Type 843 used a shortened version of the Fiat B platform shared with the Punto, Idea and Lancia Musa, and was about 3.78–3.81 m long. The first series had 1.2 8V and 16V petrol engines with 44 kW (60 PS) and 59 kW (80 PS). Later came a 1.4 8V with 57 kW (78 PS) and a 1.4 16V with 70 kW (95 PS). The 1.3 Multijet diesel began with 51–55 kW (70–75 PS) and later reached 66 and 77 kW (90 and 105 PS).

Lancia offered many trims, such as Argento, Oro and Platino and special editions including Momo Design, ModaMilano, Elle and the Versus, of which 1,000 were made with Versace. Production moved from Melfi to Termini Imerese in Sicily in June 2005 and ran at about 60,000 cars a year until 23 November 2011.

Ypsilon Type 846 (2011–2024): five doors from Tychy

The third generation switched to five doors and to the Fiat Mini platform of the Fiat 500 and the Fiat Panda. It was 3.84 m long on a 2.39 m wheelbase and was built at Tychy, Poland; for the 2011 launch the project received a total investment of €500 million. In the UK and Ireland it was sold as the Chrysler Ypsilon until 2015, and it was also offered in Japan.

Petrol buyers could choose a 1.2 8V with 51 kW (69 PS) or the two-cylinder 0.9 TwinAir with 63 kW (85 PS). A TwinAir CNG with 59 kW (80 PS) and LPG versions were sold under the EcoChic name, and the diesel was a 1.3 Multijet with 70 kW (95 PS). In 2020 a mild hybrid arrived: a 1.0 three-cylinder FireFly with a 12-volt belt starter-generator, 51 kW (70 PS) and a 0.13 kWh battery. Despite its age, it was Italy's best-selling B-segment car in 2023. Euro NCAP gave it two stars in 2015.

New Ypsilon (since 2024): electric, hybrid and HF

The fourth-generation Ypsilon was presented in Milan on 14 February 2024. It is built at Zaragoza, Spain, on the Stellantis CMP/eCMP platform with the Peugeot 208 and Opel Corsa. The electric version has a 115 kW (156 PS) motor and a 54 kWh battery, with a WLTP range of more than 400 km and DC charging at up to 100 kW. When Italian order books opened in May 2024, it cost from €34,900 before subsidies.

A 1.2 mild hybrid produced 74 kW (101 PS) in 2024–2025 and 82 kW (111 PS) from 2025; a non-hybrid 1.2 Turbo 100 with a six-speed manual followed in 2026. The electric Ypsilon HF, revealed in May 2025 with deliveries from December 2025, has 206 kW (280 PS). The Ypsilon also returned Lancia to rallying with the Rally4 HF in 2024 and the Rally2 HF Integrale in 2025. Lancia reintroduced the car in Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, France and Spain in 2024.

Engines by generation

Safety

Crash-test results of the older generations were weak. The Lancia Y received two stars for adult occupants from Euro NCAP around 2000, and the Type 846 two stars in 2015.

Photo gallery