At the end of 1992, Lancia stopped racing the Martini-sponsored Delta HF Integrale 8V car and left the World Rally Championship as winners. The drivers, Juha Kankkunen and Didier Auriol, helped Lancia win the Constructor’s Championship. Since then, Lancia hasn’t raced or made any sporty cars. But now, the dry spell is over. The Italians have revealed their new Ypsilon HF. It’s a hot-hatch version of the regular Ypsilon, and there’s also a motorsports version for FIA Group Rally4.
The street version of the car has the same powertrain as the Alfa Romeo Junior Veloce. It has an electric motor that powers the front wheels. But unlike the standard Ypsilon, which has a 154 horsepower motor, the Ypsilon HF has a more powerful 237 horsepower motor. It can go from 0 to 62 miles per hour in just 5.8 seconds, which is 2.9 seconds quicker than the regular Ypsilon.
They also improved the handling by making the track wider and lowering the suspension. The car looks sportier too, with a sharper front design, bigger air intakes with the HF logo, and black accents on the side intakes. It also has six-spoke wheels.
Since the World Rally Championship hasn’t started using electric cars yet, the Ypsilon Rally 4 HF has a gas-powered 1.2-liter three-cylinder engine. It sends 209 horsepower to the front wheels through a five-speed transmission and a limited-slip differential. There are hood scoops for engine cooling and a roof scoop for the driver and co-driver. The white, 15-spoke wheels are similar to the ones on the Delta Integrale. Lancia might even get Martini sponsorship for the Rally 4 car.
These two cars show what Lancia plans to do with future models like the Gamma crossover and the electric Delta. We wonder if the Ypsilon with the mild-hybrid powertrain will also get the HF treatment. Lancia says the Ypsilon HF will be available to buy in May 2025, but there’s no news yet on when the Rally 4 HF will start competing.
