1996 LANCIA Kappa SW 2.4L JTD 5MT FWD (136 HP)

Vehicle Overview

Lancia introduced a family version for the Kappa range in 1996, at the Turin Auto Show. It was a true, premium, station-wagon.

By the mid-’90s, Lancia was on the verge of improving its range. The Delta Integrale gave a huge boost to the car’s image on the market, and the customers started to ask about more vehicles. The Italian brand introduced the Kappa range as a coupe and Station-wagon at the same time, and the coupe version attracted most of the attention. But those who needed a station-wagon quickly changed toward it.

Pininfarina studios helped Lancia to design the SW and the coupe as well. The car had to share its parts as much as possible with the sedan version. That led to a rhomboidal rear side window for the trunk area. The raked tailgate added a touch of dynamic stance for the car.

Inside, Lancia offered the Kappa with a wide choice of trims, from a regular cloth to velour and leather. The wood-grain on the dashboard and center console improved the premium feeling of the car. Its front bucket-seats were thick, and that left small legroom left for the rear passengers, especially if they were adult-sized. Since it was a car built for families, the carmaker tried to offer a big trunk, and the Kappa SW was good at that. With all the seats up, it offered up to 835 liters (29.5 cu-ft) when filled to the roof and up to 1500 liters (53 cu-ft) with the rear seats folded.

Under the hood, Lancia offered the Kappa with a wide choice of engines, either fuel-efficient diesel units or turbocharged, gasoline ones. All versions were paired with a 5-speed manual, and, for selected versions, a 4-speed automatic was available at extra costs.