1992 LANCIA Thema 2.0L Turbo 5MT FWD (205 HP)

Vehicle Overview

The Thema was close to its final years, but the Italian carmaker was not ready to change it and kept it running until 1995 when it switched to the Kappa lineup.

By 1992, the Thema was already eight years old on the market, and that, from those times standards, made it an old model. Fiat, who owned the Lancia brand since 1969, wasn’t ready to introduce a new generation so it ordered its engineers and designers to work on the car and keep the Thema on the assembly line for a couple of years more. And they did.

The Thema struggled to survive and showed its age on its flat and dull trapezoidal grille. Its rectangular headlights were reshaped, and that gave the car a better image from the front. But there was nothing to do with the bodywork’s boxy-style, a style that other carmakers already replaced.

Inside, the Thema was roomy for four passengers, with plenty of room for the front occupants. But in the rear, it was better only for two. Since it was built on the same platform as the Alfa Romeo 164, it featured a center tunnel that was too intrusive for three passengers. Its wood-trims and the open storage area in front of the passenger seat helped it score some points in the comfort department.

Under the hood, Lancia kept its 2.0-liter engines and added the 3.0-liter V6 from the Alfa Romeo 164. Neither of them was paired to an automatic transmission. The performances were good for those times and kept the Lancia spirit alive among those who enjoyed spirited driving but needed a large vehicle.