Although it’s dying a slow death, Fiat-owned Lancia will travel to next week’s Frankfurt Motor Show to introduce the facelifted 2016 Ypsilon city car. The updates coincide with the nameplate’s 30th birthday.
The facelifted Ypsilon stands out from the outgoing model thanks to a redesigned front end with a smaller grille and a wider air dam accented by a thin piece of chrome trim. Out back, the updates are largely limited to a body-colored piece of trim on the bumper. New alloy wheel designs round out the exterior modifications.
Lancia promises the dashboard has been updated, too, but pictures haven’t been published yet.
Mechanically, Lancia offers the 2016 Ypsilon with an entry-level 1.2-liter four-cylinder tuned to make 69 horsepower and a two-cylinder 0.9-liter Twin Air mill rated at 85 horsepower. A 95-horsepower 1.3-liter four-cylinder turbodiesel unit is also available. All engines send power to the front wheels via a manual transmission.
Following its debut in Frankfurt, the 2016 Lancia Ypsilon will go on sale in a handful of European countries before the end of the year. It carries a base price of €13,200 (roughly $15,000) in Italy, its biggest market by a long shot.
What’s next?
Lancia’s lineup has been reduced to the aforementioned Ypsilon and a minivan called Voyager that’s little more than a re-badged version of the aging Chrysler Town & Country. The Voyager will be phased out at the same time as the Town & Country, and the Ypsilon will soldier on until the brand is shuttered.
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