2015 Lancia Ypsilon 0.9L TwinAir 5MT FWD (84 HP)

Vehicle Overview

After four years on the market, the Italian automaker Lancia refreshed the Ypsilon lineup, and besides exterior and interior updates, it also enhanced the drivetrain.

The fourth generation of Ypsilon saw the broad light in 2011 when cars were difficult to sell due to the world financial crisis. Still, the Italian automaker tried to offer customers an alternative for small and stylish vehicles with this lineup. It wasn’t compelling, though. But in 2015, Lancia brought the refreshed version of its smallest model to its customers at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

The automaker bragged about getting all its models up to date in terms of emission standards, which were raised to Euro 6b starting in September 2015. But there was more to brag about than just the engines.

In terms of styling, the tiny Lancia still tried to resemble the old glorious days of the brand, sporting a narrower yet wider grille above the bumper, underlined by a chromed trim. In addition, the lower bumper featured a broad air intake on the apron that could be optioned with a pair of fog lamps on its inner outer sides.

From its profile, it revealed the same coupe shape with the rear doors’ handles neatly concealed within the C-pillars and the raised waistline. The back of the vehicle showed its corner-mounted taillights that flanked the rounded-shaped tailgate adorned by a roof spoiler on the upper side. Lower, on the bumper, the automaker placed the reversing light and the rear fog lamp.

Inside, customers were greeted with new materials by the Ypsilon. Lancia also redesigned the dashboard and used new materials and techniques to build it. Atop the center stack placed the instrument cluster filled with large dials for the speedometer and tachometer and two additional gauges for the fuel level and coolant temperature.

Furthermore, a small LCD placed at the bottom of the instrument panel showed additional information coming from the car’s ECU. Lancia placed the 5” touchscreen for the infotainment system on the center stack and it used Fiat’s proprietary Uconnect system. It could connect to mobile phones via Bluetooth, a USB port, and a dedicated app, enhancing the driver’s experience and adding more music onboard the vehicle, streamed from mobile devices via the Internet.

The idea of a small, chic, luxurious vehicle was completed on the Platinum trim level, where the car spoiled its customers with leather upholstery.

Lancia offered the Ypsilon with a choice of two gasoline, one turbo diesel, and one LPG/gasoline engine. The base model was powered by an inline-four 1.2-liter naturally aspirated unit, while the second spark-ignited version was a 0.9-liter two-cylinder turbocharged unit that developed 84 PS (83 hp).

Those looking for an oil burner were rewarded with a 1.3-liter Multijet engine that provided 95 PS (94 hp) and provided a lower fuel consumption. The LPG version was mainly made for fleet use.