Even though the company became the most eminent, decades have passed since then Lancia recently produced a real scorching hatch – not terribly surprising, considering he has only sold one car in the last decade Anyway. That will finally change next year with the launch of the road-going Ypsilon HF, an all-electric competition version Novel, fashionable Lancia hatchbackand HF is creating a racing version to compete in Rally4 class.
Lancia hasn’t announced many details or photos about the Ypsilon HF yet, as it won’t hit the market until May 2025, but from what we can see, it looks amazing. The front-wheel drive Ypsilon HF will produce 240 horsepower, almost 100 horsepower more than the standard car, enough to accelerate to 60 mph in 5.8 seconds. Additional performance upgrades will include lowered suspension and larger, wider wheels; expect other improvements to the steering, brakes and other components.
The HF really looks good too, with amazing three-spoke wheels, wider fender flares, larger air intakes and lots of black trim. Inside there are featherlight blue seats with red perforations and a diagonal motif and plenty of HF emblems and badges.
It’s great to see the return of the HF brand, especially since the elephant logo is one of the cutest and greatest in automotive history. It first appeared in 1960, all thanks to a club of enthusiasts. Lancia says:
The HF logo, returning to the Lancia Ypsilon HF, is the historic hallmark of Lancia’s high-performance models, first presented at the 1960 Geneva Motor Show, when a group of passionate Lancia car owners founded “Lancia Hi-Fi” (“High Fidelity”). , an exclusive meeting place for the brand’s most devoted customers, especially people who have purchased at least six modern Lancia cars. The HF logo then became the hallmark of the HF Squadra Corse Lancia team, founded in 1963 by Cesare Fiorio together with drivers and passionate Lancia car owners, and was used as the “signature” of many of the brand’s victories.
The historic logo consisted of HF in white capital letters on a black background and four running red elephants highlighted with the words “SQUADRA CORSE” in red and white. The baby elephant was chosen as a good luck charm based on the legend that once unleashed, these creatures are unstoppable, making them a symbol of efficiency and driving pleasure. Presented in March in a renewed version, the modern HF logo reinterprets its historical counterpart in a contemporary style: all brand elements symbolize the Lancia tradition and are now simplified in terms of lines and shapes, providing a modern balance that expresses innovation and exclusivity and the Italian spirit with a touch of eclecticism , with full respect for the unique geometry of the brand.
As for the rally version of the Ypsilon HF, it shares the same platform and drivetrain as the Opel Corsa and Peugeot 208 rally cars. Rally4 is the entry-level class of rally racing, featuring homologated two-wheel drive cars with a power-to-weight ratio of 5.1kg per horsepower. The Rally4 Ypsilon HF is equipped with a turbocharged 1.2-liter three-cylinder engine that produces 212 HP and 214 Nm of torque in the Opel, mated to a 5-speed sequential gearbox and a mechanical limited-slip differential.
Lancia presented the Ypsilon HF Rally4 in its iconic Martini livery, and the rally car received a fantastic set of wheels, huge bonnet air intakes and a roof scoop. Interestingly, the bumper design and some other styling details don’t exactly match the road car, but that may change before the car enters competition. Lancia says the Ypsilon HF Rally4 is “an ideal solution that will bring joy to all rally enthusiasts, but is also a sedate contender for drivers aspiring to win the R4 class and two-wheel drive championships.”
I wouldn’t be surprised if Lancia released versions of the Ypsilon to compete in some of the higher rally classes, but the company could also do this with other cars: over the next few years, Lancia will unveil the flagship Gamma crossover as well modern Deltaboth will feature electric powertrains and will definitely get HF variants. The thought of a car called Lancia Delta taking part in rallies makes my heart skip a beat.
