- In line with “Dare Forward”, Stellantis strategic plan, Lancia aims at becoming a desirable, respected and credible brand in the European Premium market.
- Many were the major milestones on this journey: the announcement of three new products, one every 2 years, starting from 2024; the arrival of the brand in Europe; a new distribution model, just to name a few.
- In addition, Lancia Pu+Ra Zero, first, and Lancia Pu+Ra HPE, after, were presented to the international press.
- And more: the new Corporate Identity was kicked off, starting from the Milan Showroom, followed by the implementation of the new Brand Experience and the opening of Casa Lancia.
- In Italy, a premium distribution network has been created with 160 showrooms and 240 dedicated salesmen.
- The arrival of Lancia in 6 European countries (e.g. France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, and the Netherlands) was announced, with over 70 dealerships in 70 European cities and with over 90% of the Letters of Intent already signed.
“I am very proud of the results achieved by the Lancia brand in 2022, in terms of performance, quality and customer satisfaction, and of the acceleration of our renaissance plan, which will make of Lancia a desirable, respected and credible brand in the European Premium market,”
said Luca Napolitano, CEO of the Lancia brand.
A journey that continued even further, in rapid steps: the brand has written many significant chapters in its history in the last two years.
With almost 117 years of history, Lancia represents timeless Italian Elegance, a symbol of the culture of “art of beauty well done”, having brought to life dream icons and inspired countless enthusiasts around the world, thanks to its iconic cars: the elegant Flaminia and Aurelia B24 Spider, the spirited Delta, Stratos, and 037, the eclectic Fulvia, Beta HPE, and many more.
The iconic cars of Lancia’s past have been chosen by cinema stars of every era – such as Claudia Cardinale, Anita Ekberg, and Jean Paul Belmondo – they are named Aurelia and Appia, and they glide along the roads of Europe with style, sophistication, and sensuality, just like true leading ladies on the stage.
But that’s not all. Since 1961, the Lancia Flaminia Presidenziale has been the official vehicle of the President of the Italian Republic, used for the inaugurations of the last ten Presidents of the Republic and the celebrations of June 2nd for the Republic Day. It has also accompanied visits by politicians and royalty, such as Queen Elizabeth II of England or John Fitzgerald Kennedy.
Lancia has won more rallying competitions than any other brand, becoming the stuff of dreams for countless fans: fifteen World Rally Championships, three Constructors’ and Endurance World Championships, one 1000 Miglia, twice the Targa Florio, once the Carrera Panamericana. The memory then shifts immediately to the 1970s and ’80s, when legendary models – such as the Stratos, 037 and Delta – dominated rallying for over 20 years.
Underlying the brand’s Renaissance, in addition to Lancia’s glorious past, is the commercial success of the Lancia Ypsilon: its 38 years of history, 4 generations, 36 special series and more than 4 million units sold confirm it as the fashionable city car most beloved by Italian women.
The Renaissance plan designed to make Lancia a desirable, respected and credible brand in the European premium market is based on three pillars: sustainability, customer centricity and responsibility. A ten-year plan that presents a clear electrification strategy. From 2026, the brand will only be launching 100% electric models and, from 2028, it will only sell 100% electric cars. Great attention to the electrification process, but not only. Extensive use of innovative materials, which will make Lancia the Stellantis brand with the highest percentage of recycled materials, to help build a better world for future generations.
Lancia’s ten-year plan will begin in 2024 with the new Lancia Ypsilon; in 2026, it will continue with the new flagship, which will enable the brand to enter the largest segment in Europe. 2028 will be the year of the new “Delta”, expected to make the hearts of enthusiasts throughout Europe flutter. Three new models that will cover 50% of the market, to be tasked with helping to improve the performance of the Stellantis premium cluster, as envisaged in “Dare Forward 2030”, the Group’s strategic plan.
The next fundamental step in the Renaissance journey is Lancia’s arrival in Europe, made official in May 2022 with the appointment of five teams dedicated to the countries where the brand will take root: France, Germany, Spain, Belgium and Luxembourg, the Netherlands. Another strategic market historically linked to the Lancia brand was then added: Portugal. Six countries that represent the first step in the brand’s internationalization process, selected based on three criteria. The first is love and passion for “Made in Italy”, with Spain, Portugal, Belgium and France taking the top spots. The second is the volume of online sales, with the Netherlands and Germany in pole position. The third is the size of the premium B-segment, in which all the selected countries cover the top five positions.
These stages led up to the first real event in Lancia’s new era, which took place in November 2022: Lancia Design Day. Lancia Pu+Ra Design, the new and sustainable language of Lancia Design, was presented at the event, together with its first real-world implementation: Lancia Pu+Ra Zero, a three-dimensional manifesto that inspired the cars due to arrive between 2024 and 2028, reworking the iconic elements of the past with a contemporary flair. Indeed, the soft, pure and sensual shapes of the Aurelia and Flaminia will appear, combined with the most modern expressions of radicalism inspired by the brand’s sporting history, embodied by the renowned Stratos, Delta and 037. The new Lancia logo and lettering were also unveiled at the same time: the logo marks the brand’s entry into electric mobility, as a Progressive Classic for its reworking of all the hallmarks of the historic brand (the steering wheel, flag, shield, lance and inscription), reinterpreting them to bring them into the modern and drive them ahead into the future. The new Lancia lettering, in an original font, draws inspiration from one of the outstanding Italian industries most closely linked to the brand’s history: fashion, lending its big names to the brand to make it desirable, long-lasting and contemporary at all times.
A philosophy that has breathed life into Lancia Pu+Ra HPE concept car, officially unveiled to the public in April 2023. It is acting as the brand’s manifesto for the next 10 years, a 100% electric concept car that represents the brand’s vision in terms of design, interior home feeling, sustainability, electrification and effortless technology. A perfectly practical and nimble car it has an elegant and unconventional body that guarantees the utmost efficiency, with attention paid to range, charging time and efficiency.
It is the first car in Lancia’s new era, with a low roof and four doors, inspired by the world of Italian interior design as a result of the collaboration with Cassina – a leader in luxury furnishings – for a typically Italian experience of the “home feeling”.
The name “Lancia Pu+Ra HPE” is based on “Pu+Ra”, the brand’s new pure and radical design language, whereas “HPE” stands for High-Performance Electric. The new Lancia concept car fully embodies the principles of the brand’s new design language, according to which the car’s volumes are created by the intersection of elementary geometric shapes, such as the circle and triangle, combined with certain eclectic details of Lancia’s heritage, such as the Venetian blinds from the Lancia Beta HPE.
The Lancia Pu+Ra HPE is a car where 70% of its touchable surfaces are made of eco-sustainable materials, expressing the Italian spirit, eclecticism, revisited tradition and the “home feeling”.
Lancia Pu+Ra HPE is the first car with S.A.L.A. infotainment system, the Effortless Technology pillar by Lancia. A technology that is simple, effortless and intuitive, that makes life on board easier for customers, welcoming them in and making them “feel at home”.
S.A.L.A. (Sound Air Light Augmentation) is a minimal and smart virtual interface, bringing together audio, climate control and lighting functions. The driver and the passengers can therefore adjust the car’s interior environment, by simply tapping a button, or even with the sound of the voice.
The New Ypsilon will be the first Lancia model to be equipped with S.A.L.A. interface.
The Lancia concept car then set off on a European tour of the six countries involved in the internationalization process: Germany, Spain and France, to be followed by Italy, Belgium and the Netherlands. The tour was a resounding success and was met with very positive feedback in the first three countries involved.
At the same time, the Lancia Renaissance process involved the creation of a new Corporate Identity. Launched in February at the Milan showroom, the new Corporate Identity reflects the four pillars underpinning the brand’s ten-year strategic plan: quality, electrification, sustainability and an innovative sales model, aiming to provide the customer with a premium shopping experience.
The new, efficient and innovative distribution model involves a selected number of dealers and is based on a key concept of the Lancia Renaissance: uncompromising quality. The new concept stores will provide customers with a totally revamped Brand Experience: a fully immersive experience, both online and offline, recreating a “home feeling” using materials, colors and attention to detail inspired by Italian architecture and design, all brought to the fore by the use of Cassina furniture. Lancia’s new showrooms thus come across as genuine living rooms, as elegant and welcoming lounges: exclusive boutiques featuring a clear and harmonious architectural language. The cars are on show in the middle of the space, as if magnificent sculptures to be admired in every single detail. Inside the dealership, customers are welcomed in a reception area dedicated to Lancia, known as SALA, where they can find one of the brand’s experts at their service. The showroom is completed by the area used to deliver the car a customer has purchased, and for aftersales.
30% of the 160 dealerships appointed in Italy have already adopted the new Corporate Identity, with a presence spread throughout the country: 45% in the North, over 30% in the center of Italy and 25% in the South. By the end of this year, the number of fully revamped dealerships will increase to 100, with the completion of the network concurrently with the launch of the New Ypsilon.
In the first quarter of 2024, the new Corporate Identity will as well be introduced out of Italy and completed by mid year, for the launch of the new Ypsilon.
By the first half of 2024, the brand will be back in Europe, with a network of more than 70 new dealers in 70 major European cities. As of now, 90% of the letters of intent for which have already been signed.
The inauguration in July 2023 of Casa Lancia – the first exclusive online communication channel for the 240 dedicated, certified Lancia retailers in Italy – formed part of this scenario of the dealership revamp. The platform emphasizes the importance of community for the brand’s Renaissance and encourages transparent discussion between all participants, directly with the brand’s CEO, to make the role of the seller even more central as the first interface to the end customer and to guarantee a premium, high-quality brand experience, both offline and online.
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