Motor Authority - blog Tag: Lancia

Wednesday marked the big unveiling of Chrysler's five-year recovery plan and while there has been a lot speculation about the company's new strategy, we can now reveal that CEO Sergio Marchionne is planning to phase out most Chrysler brands outside North America.

The sole exception? Jeep, which will instead receive a boost to its international marketing budget, especially in emerging markets like Brazil. Chrysler vehicles will appear on distant shores, but only as part of the shared technology underpinning other brands like Lancia and Alfa Romeo.

Company bosses have revealed that Chrysler will disappear completely from European car markets...

Wednesday marked the big unveiling of Chrysler's five-year recovery plan and while there has been a lot speculation about the company's new strategy, we can now reveal that CEO Sergio Marchionne is planning to phase out most Chrysler brands outside North America. The sole exception? Jeep, which will instead receive a boost to its international marketing budget, especially in emerging markets like Brazil. Chrysler vehicles will appear on distant shores, but only as part of the shared technology underpinning other brands like Lancia and Alfa Romeo. Company bosses have revealed that Chrysler will disappear completely from European car markets in 2011, while Dodge will have a very niche role. Some of the cars will remain, however. For example, the Chrysler 300 and Voyager will remain but be rebadged as Lancias, replacing the Lancia Thesis and Phaedra, respectively. Lancia will also sell a version of the next-generation Sebring saloon, effectively replacing the Lybra, which went off sale in 2006. Lancia will also get a version of Chrysler’s upcoming medium-size crossover. Additionally, Dodge models will be rebadged as Fiats, with the Journey crossover set to replace the Ulysse. [Automotive News, sub req’d] Read More

Italy's Lancia has had a turbulent past and has only been back on the automotive radar for a short while now. The relatively niche brand, however, may soon be thrown into the spotlight as latest reports indicate that it may be sharing products with Chrysler in the near future.

The appointment of Lancia CEO Olivier Francois as the new head of the Chrysler division is a clear indication that the two brands will become more closely entwined. In fact, several reports are claiming that Chrysler and Lancia will share products across their respective ranges, including everything from small hatchbacks to full-size sedans.

Lancia is expected to get...

Italy's Lancia has had a turbulent past and has only been back on the automotive radar for a short while now. The relatively niche brand, however, may soon be thrown into the spotlight as latest reports indicate that it may be sharing products with Chrysler in the near future. The appointment of Lancia CEO Olivier Francois as the new head of the Chrysler division is a clear indication that the two brands will become more closely entwined. In fact, several reports are claiming that Chrysler and Lancia will share products across their respective ranges, including everything from small hatchbacks to full-size sedans. Lancia is expected to get its own version of the Chrysler 300 sedan as a replacement for its outgoing Thesis flagship sedan, and in return Chrysler would get its own version of the Ypsilon minicar to sell in Europe. The move is part of Fiat’s plan to bolster Chrysler’s sales in Europe, especially since there are claims that the Dodge brand could be disbanded from the European market altogether. The story doesn’t end there, however. While the Lancia brand will most likely be sold in Europe only, there’s a chance that one model, the Delta, could eventually be sold in the U.S. wearing a Chrysler badge. Of course, all this remains pure speculation for now--but we can still hope. Stay tuned for an update. [Autocar] Read More

Italy's Lancia has had a turbulent past and has only been back on the automotive radar for a short while now, however, the relatively niche brand may be on the outs again following news of Fiat's interest in Opel. Fiat, which has already formed an alliance with Chrysler, is now attempting to form a three-way alliance with Chrysler and Opel.

The formation of a Fiat-Chrysler-Opel group, however, could mean that there isn't enough room at Fiat for the Lancia brand. The news comes from an inside source close to Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne, who told Automotive News Europe that the proposed merger with Opel would almost certainly mean an ousting... Italy's Lancia has had a turbulent past and has only been back on the automotive radar for a short while now, however, the relatively niche brand may be on the outs again following news of Fiat's interest in Opel. Fiat, which has already formed an alliance with Chrysler, is now attempting to form a three-way alliance with Chrysler and Opel. The formation of a Fiat-Chrysler-Opel group, however, could mean that there isn't enough room at Fiat for the Lancia brand. The news comes from an inside source close to Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne, who told Automotive News Europe that the proposed merger with Opel would almost certainly mean an ousting of the Lancia brand. Lancia is one of Fiat's most underperforming brands - last year it only managed to sell a little over 100,000 units globally, making it difficult to justify the brand’s existence should Fiat decide to expand its operations by taking on Opel. Coupled with rising production costs and a lack of willing customers, Lancia is beginning to look more and more like Ford's Mercury or GM's Pontiac brand rather than a viable premium marque. The news doesn't bode well for those of us looking forward to a return of the famous Lancia Stratos, one of motorsports’ most distinctive designs. Further news about Lancia should be coming when more details are known about the possible Fiat-Chrysler-Opel merger. Read More

This year’s Geneva Motor Show will see the launch of two new Lancia Delta variants: a new range-topping version and a sports model with a powerful turbocharged engine. For those unfamiliar with Lancia, the brand is a division of Fiat Group that offers a range of distinctive hatches and sedans. Lancia has more recently been promoted as Fiat Group’s mid-level luxury offering but the brand’s roots lie in motorsport, especially in rallying.

As for its current models, like the Delta hatchback, Lancia is launching the new ‘Executive’ flagship aimed at customers seeking greater comfort than the regular range. The... This year’s Geneva Motor Show will see the launch of two new Lancia Delta variants: a new range-topping version and a sports model with a powerful turbocharged engine. For those unfamiliar with Lancia, the brand is a division of Fiat Group that offers a range of distinctive hatches and sedans. Lancia has more recently been promoted as Fiat Group’s mid-level luxury offering but the brand’s roots lie in motorsport, especially in rallying. As for its current models, like the Delta hatchback, Lancia is launching the new ‘Executive’ flagship aimed at customers seeking greater comfort than the regular range. The Executive is distinguished by its two-tone bodywork (body in Light Bronze and “Eclipse” gloss black roof), special two-tone diamond-edged alloy rims, gold badging, wraparound head restraints, and a dashboard finished in Frau Pieno Fiore beige leather with special chocolate brown edging. Luxury items include parking sensors, dual-zone automatic climate control, a sunroof, satnav and a refrigerator compartment. Power comes from a new direct-injection 1.8L TurboJet four-cylinder petrol turbo with an available 200hp (147kW), with drive sent to the front wheels via a six-speed automatic. The same powertrain is also featured in the new Delta ‘Hardblack’. Modified slightly by Fiat Powertrain Technologies (FPT) for application in this sportier variant, the compact engine delivers up to 236lb-ft (320Nm) of torque and is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission with sequential control. The power unit sees the Delta Hardblack accelerate from 0-100km/h in about 7.4 seconds and reach a top speed of 230km/h.2009 Lancia Delta Executive and Hardblack Read More