New Lancia Ypsilon 2024 review: quirky supermini has plenty of potential

Verdict

With its unique look, the Lancia Ypsilon definitely has the potential to attract attention, and as a small city car it has enough power, is comfortable and very manoeuvrable. It’ll be fascinating to see how it fares against the Vauxhall Corsa, Peugeot 208 and DS 3 – and whether UK customers will be allowed to pick it at all.

Is Lancia about to return to the UK? The jury is still out; the verdict from parent company Stellantis will depend on whether it thinks it can squeeze a quirky Italian brand into its existing line-up here, on a slightly more luxurious track than Alfa Romeo, while also running parallel to DS.

If Lancia is to make a comeback on UK roads, it’s likely to need a multi-model line-up – but that would almost certainly include the newly reborn Ypsilon. And we’ve had an early chance to see how different it feels from its stablemates, in both pure-electric and mild-hybrid forms.

We say ‘reborn’ Ypsilon but in fact, this is the fourth generation of a model that was, in its previous Fiat 500-based incarnation, still the third best-selling car in Italy in 2023 (yes, really). Lancia has much broader ambitions with this version, though – and first impressions are positive. 

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As a Lancia should, its design stands out from the crowd, pulling it apart from the likes of the Peugeot 208 and Vauxhall Corsa – and while we are admittedly driving on roads near Lancia’s HQ in Turin, there’s a lot of curiosity from passers by. It’s the front that looks the most distinctive, with a curious treatment at the leading edge of the bonnet – but there’s a real flourish at the rear too, especially with those Stratos-esque tail-lights.

In raw terms, of course, the Ypsilon’s dimensions are less unique and very close to its siblings from France and Germany, as you’d expect from a car that shares the same e-CMP and CMP underpinnings. But its length of 4,080mm makes it a really practical companion, especially in urban areas, and Lancia has used the amount of space offered by the switch to a larger cabin to score big on the interior. 

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It’s here where the Ypsilon really stands apart, with lounge-like seats that are very comfortable (designed for urban life rather than on-the-limit cornering), and a coffee table in the centre console – ideal for an espresso during mid-journey breaks. Does it get any more Italian than that? The second row, on the other hand, is more for short journeys or smaller passengers.

We start on roads close to Turin, using the electric Ypsilon in its range-topping Cassina trim level. It performs well, smoothes out most of Turin’s suburban bumps – and there are quite a few – in a relaxed manner, and proves to be quite comfortable. Only larger potholes push the suspension to its limit, as is common for vehicles on the CMP platform.

Driving around the worst surface imperfections is a good opportunity to test the Lancia’s steering. And the Ypsilon comes across well, delivering a surprising amount of fun in corners. The acceleration is convincing too, as it should be in a pure-electric vehicle – although as we move into the countryside, the car starts to feel a little out of breath on steeper hills, where the weight of the 51kWh battery becomes noticeable.

Still, this is not the only game in town, because Lancia also offers the car as a 99bhp mild hybrid. This is an altogether more rounded solution; it has enough punch and is still nimble on the road, but feels a little more comfortable with its lighter kerbweight. It’s refined, too, with a smooth transition as the petrol engine kicks in. 

Local legislation and targets will probably govern which versions are offered in which regions, but the electric car has a decent enough amount of range to look particularly well equipped for city driving. In the end, it could well be consumers’ wallets that cast the deciding vote, because the mild hybrid will be considerably cheaper, if (or when) it finds its way to UK shores.