And here we are - it’s finally arrived in the flesh, one of the most waited-for cars of recent years. Fiat Automobiles presented its press release last night (details of which you can find below), along with official shots of the Lancia Delta, which should see a new, articulated image for a brand previously a little in the dark as to its values.

Will the new Delta make all the difference?

On the idea behind the new car, Lancia says:

Delta is a historical name that represents one of the pinnacles of Lancia’s motoring history, but also a mathematical symbol that stands for change, progress. Delta is a universal measure of difference, a striving toward excellence by exceeding a previous limit. Our entire strategy is underpinned by a quest for an evolved form of the Delta.

So in this sense, the Lancia Delta is the first car to represent the new Lancia philosophy. An original and unique positioning, a blend of two values that are intrinsic to the brand: elegance of style and a bold, innovative temperament that are also the inspiration of every marketing and communication campaign.

Today we welcome the first all-new car from Lancia’s second centenary, the Delta, with its unparalleled design, true to the brand’s innovative vocation. Due to its product features and international development work to support the launch planned for mid-2008, the Delta represents a turning point in Lancia’s history and contributes significantly to the development of a strategic plan.

While it’s clear that Lancia is expecting a new beginning with this offering, what about the car itself? For future customers, from the press release:

The first developmental shift or ‘delta’ is the car’s ability to reconcile the traditional elegance of a Lancia with original architectural features that wed the mettle of a sports car with the on-board well-being of a saloon for the first time, while also offering extraordinary roominess for the category (a wheelbase of no less than 2.7 metres adds to the car’s imposing dimensions: It is 4.5 metres long, 1.8 metres wide and 1.5 metres high). And so the Lancia Delta returns to take its place at the top of the mid-sized saloon segment, taking the great Lancia car tradition forward into the future.

The new Delta, designed by the Lancia Style Centre features an imposing grille, an emblem of the brand. The front end is made more dynamic by a generous lower air intake that speaks volumes about the temperament of the Lancia Delta’s engine. Innovative headlights have been chosen to emphasise the sporty, high-tech appearance of the model, that are enhanced by a row of LEDs on the lower profile.

The same dynamism is evident at the side, where the main theme is a high waist line and trapezoid-shaped rear pillar providing a natural support for the light-drenched Granluce roof (a nautically-inspired flying bridge). The generous glazed roof – with its pillars diverging in distinctive manner toward the rear – ends in a spoiler that blends perfectly into the original wraparound rear window that features an up-to-date design without any surround structure. Lastly, cutting-edge technology is evident at the rear where tall, LED tail-lights accentuate the elegance of the Lancia Delta.

The car’s slender lines are complemented by chrome mouldings that blend ideally into the window seals and emphasise the flying bridge configuration – and the colour contrast of the lower part of the opaque grey side member that reflects the two-tone colour scheme of the Granluce roof. The two-tone livery so typical of great Lancia cars of the past now makes a comeback on the latest models through a laborious painting process (it takes 6 hours longer than the conventional process): once it was a crafted feature within the reach of a few but now Lancia offers it throughout its range.

For passenger pleasure, Lancia has really gone hard with a sophisticated interior, saying:

Particular features include a roof made out of special sound-absorbent material (termed a Noise Absorbing Roof) that guarantees very low driving noise levels while great brightness is guaranteed by oceans of glass at the sides and, where fitted, an enormous sun-roof that takes up 80% of the total area. Everything is made even more exclusive by top-quality material,- from leather to Alcantara – used for the interior trim and the presence of an imposing dashboard made out of Benova®, an innovative and distinguished product made of polyurethane that conveys the same tactile and visual sensations as real leather. As an option, it is also possible to choose superb quality upholstery in Poltrona Frau® grosgrain leather, a touch of exclusivity that combines Lancia class with one of the most famous Italian designer labels in the world.

The lounge-like feel of the passenger compartment is enhanced by a sliding rear seat with reclining backrest (it can be tilted to 25°) that allows the already spacious boot (380 litres, 465 with the sliding rear seats) to be increased or it can be pushed back and tilted for total relaxation. Not to mention the fact that the Lancia Delta’s rear passenger room is the best in the segment and it is the only hatchback saloon to offer the possibility of adjusting the rear seat backrest and sliding seat.

The extraordinarily stylish interiors are complemented by instruments with a pronounced hi-tech look: one example is a good-looking central console and the white lighting of the console that emphasises the original 3-D look keys. All parts used for driving – console, steering wheel, climate control and infotainment features display the same colour treatment and material use, with a high-tech metallic effect that is evident over the entire dashboard. The chrome detailing on the controls and the stylish steering wheel (reminiscent of the historical four-spoke version) are an expression of unmistakeable Lancia class.

The Lancia Delta is able to offer the most advanced devices and systems in the in-car entertainment field due to its cooperation with the very best partners in each sector. You can experience the musical lift of a Blaukpunt radio or, as an option, a Bose® hi fi with CD and MP3 player incorporating steering wheel controls. Or you can access the countless functions of the Blue&Me® device, a system developed in conjunction with Microsoft that offers handsfree operation with a Bluetooth® interface and advanced voice recognition, USB port, MP3 player and SMS interpreter (also available in a NAV version).

The Lancia Delta will also host the debut of ‘Instant Nav’, a brand-new satellite navigation system. This innovative device, developed with Magneti Marelli, ensures top-level multimedia performance, great ease of use and the effective integration of numerous functions in a single system: USB interface, voice commands, management of maps on an SD card and a high-resolution screen.

Getting down to the serious end of business, though, the new Delta will include the following technical details:

All the Lancia engines are turbocharged and paired with 6-speed gearboxes (manual, robotised or automatic). Three engines will be available immediately at the launch. 120 bhp and 150 bhp 1.4 Turbo Jet (both petrol-driven) and a 120 bhp 1.6 turbodiesel MultiJet (Euro 5) that will also be combined with an advanced robotised gearbox. These will be joined later by two brand new products: a 165 bhp 2.0 Multijet and a 190 bhp Twin Turbo Multijet.

The range will then be complemented by another innovative power unit: a 200 bhp 1.8 Di Turbojet (a direct injection petrol engine paired with an up-to-date 6-speed automatic gearbox). These power units, all Euro 5, confirm the Lancia brand as a benchmark in terms of technology and innovation throughout the entire automotive scenario.

It’s clear that Lancia has done its homework on its engine offerings and these will be combined with other technical elements, such as the Absolute Handling System, and Torque Transfer Control. Lancia says:

Beginning with the Absolute Handling System, an advanced stability control system that adds many major features over able those offered by devices available to date, namely LTF (Linearization Torque Feedback) that considerably improves your sense of mastering the car on bends, particularly at top speed; and TTC (Torque Transfer Control), an innovative function that improves traction on bends by significantly reducing understeer and ensures a more dynamic drive by electrically simulating the presence of a self-locking differential.

It should be emphasised that the innovative Absolute Handling System always cuts in unobtrusively due to its pairing with DST (Drive Steering Torque). The active electronic steering carries out corrections automatically and also controls oversteer over surfaces with low grip.

The Lancia Delta is fitted with an electronic variable damping suspension system (Reactive Suspension System) that considerably improves driving comfort while filtering out more vibrations over uneven road surfaces. It also further emphasises driving satisfaction by improving handling under all conditions (the system automatically adjusts ride according to the type of road and the driving stresses). The Delta’s array of equipment is complemented by a semi-automatic parking system that controls steering, leaving the driver the task of operating the brake and throttle to complete the manoeuvre - and a ‘Driving Advisor’ system that acts on the steering wheel to warn the driver he is about to stray over the edge of the lane.

It appears that Lancia has worked hard on this new Delta model, including an array of personalised combinations and financing options that should bring the innovation to market.

(no votes)

2 comments