1997 LANCIA Kappa Coupe 2.4L 5MT (175 HP)

Vehicle Overview

In 1996 Lancia introduced a two-door version for its Kappa range, and it revived the coupe tradition of the famous Italian brand.

In the late ’90s, there were only a handful of mid-size coupes on the European market with only the Volvo C70 and the Pininfarina-styled Peugeot 406 Coupe to compete with. Mercedes-Benz had a hiatus between the C124 and the CLK, which was announced in 1997. The Kappa had its chance and wasted it.

Unlike the sedan and the station wagon, which Pininfarina designed, the coupe was penned by Maggiora, who was famous for the DeTomaso Pantera sports car and other former Lancias, Maserratis, and Fiats. Lancia decided to make the Kappa coupe shorter but took the taillights from the Delta range to cut costs. Its frameless doors were longer than those installed on its four-door sibling or the station wagon.

Inside, the Italian carmaker created a luxurious interior with sporty accents. Its front bolstered seats with leather upholstery were on the same page with the wood veneers from the center console, center stack, and door panels. When Lancia shortened the Kappa’s wheelbase, it diminished the available legroom for the rear passengers. As a result, the rear bench was good-looking but almost unusable for anything other than a storage area. It offered a good amount of headroom, though.

Under the hood, Lancia offered the Kappa Coupe with only two engine options: a 2.4-liter four-pot and a 3.0-liter V-6 carried over from the Fiat group. Both were available with a five-speed manual, but the latter was also available with a four-speed automatic.