1996 LANCIA Zeta 2.0L 5MT FWD (133 HP)

Vehicle Overview

Lancia assigned the last letter of the Greek alphabet for its minivan, which it built it together with the Peugeot-Citroen group in 1996.

Facing stiff competition from Volkswagen and Renault, the two big European carmakers, PSA and Fiat, joined forces and made the Eurovans. Lancia took the same platform but positioned itself as a premium MPV. That recipe didn’t work, and it stopped the model after five years.

At the front, the Zeta featured a pair of rectangular headlights smaller than those installed by its siblings. They were even shorter than the specific Lancia split grille. The Italian carmaker installed its own front fascia with integrated fog lights located above the bumper’s mid-section. On the sides, like the rest of the Eurovans, the Zeta sported sliding rear doors, making the ingress and egress easier for the second and third-row passengers. At the back, a wide and tall liftgate opened the way to the trunk.

Inside, the carmaker installed six individual seats. Apart from the front ones, all the others could have been removed. That led to a huge storage area of up to 3,300 liters (116.5 cu-ft) from the small 340 liters (12 cu-ft) with all seats in place. The dashboard was broad and featured a curved instrument cluster in front of the driver, with two large dials. Due to the elevated seating position, the carmaker installed the gear stick on the center stack.

Under the hood, all Eurovans got Peugeot-Citroen engines, both gasoline and turbo-diesel diesel. The carmaker paired them with a five-speed manual with an option for a four-speed automatic for the 2.0-liter 16v engine. Unlike its siblings, the Zeta was not available with the base engine.