2021 Lancia Ypsilon Photos, engines & full specs

Instead of launching a new model, Lancia preferred to add another facelift to its aging Ypsilon model in 2021, postponing the introduction of an entirely new generation for a few years.

Once a famous brand in the rally world, Lancia was on its knees, producing one model just for the Italian market: the Ypsilon. Fiat, on the other hand, didn’t want to pull the plug on it and helped it survive. Still, it didn’t have enough money to launch a new generation for this nameplate, so it added a second refresh to keep it alive for a few more years until it was ready to replace it and introduce a successor. Still, the exterior looked similar to the vehicle introduced a decade ago, but some details made the 2021 model year stand apart. In addition, the cabin and the drivetrain were improved.

When the automaker introduced the 2015 model year, it ditched the chromed horizontal slats on it. Seven years later, though, the brand’s stylists considered re-introducing them, but this time mounted vertically, like on the third generation of the Ypsilon. In addition, a shining trim surrounded it, while the headlights sported daytime running lights that underlined them. Lower, on the apron, Lancia made a new design for the lower air intake and adorned it with a chromed stripe.

From its profile, the five-door hatchback still looked like a coupe thanks to its masked rear doors’ handles. A sculptured and ascending line decorated the vehicle’s profile that started from the front doors and ended on the rear ones. At the back, the automaker installed new taillights that had the same shape as those from the 2015 model year but with LED light stripes in them. Lancia knew its customers’ preferences, and that’s why it placed the license plate integrated into the rounded-shaped tailgate instead of placing it on the bumper. Lower, under the rear apron, the car featured a chromed and oval-shaped exhaust.

The cabin went through a more significant update. Lancia installed a new infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity. It could be controlled via a seven-inch touchscreen placed atop the center stack above the HVAC control panel. Like on the previous model, the instrument cluster was above the dashboard, in the middle, and was filled with four dials for the speedometer, the tachometer, the fuel level, and the coolant temperature gauge, while at its bottom was a small LCD for the car’s onboard computer. Lancia also introduced new, higher-quality materials for the upholstery.

Under the hood, the most significant update was the introduction of a new mild-hybrid drivetrain that got its power from a one-liter inline-four engine paired with a six-speed manual transmission. It was assisted by an integrated belt-driven starter-generator that took its energy from a small lithium-ion battery. Still, according to Lancia, this system helped the supermini hatchback cut its emissions by 13 percent.