Just a few years ago, Lancia seemed doomed to disappear. During the FCA era, the Italian brand was surviving on just one car: the Lancia Ypsilon. A stylish city car, popular in Italy—five doors, five seats, priced around €17,000—it achieved respectable sales volumes in its domestic market. But aside from this model, there were no other projects in the pipeline. FCA simply no longer seemed willing to invest in the brand’s future.
Then came Stellantis. When the group was formed, Carlos Tavares made a statement that restored hope: «Every brand will have its chance.» For Lancia, that promise translated into a new product plan.
A renaissance that seemed well underway
The first step was the new Ypsilon. Larger than its predecessor (I often call it the «Big Ypsilon,» by the way), it shares its technical platform with the Peugeot 208 and Opel Corsa. Stellantis even explained that this new generation made it possible to generate nearly twice as much profit as the previous model.
Its commercial success, however, remains a matter of debate. According to our latest figures, Lancia registered approximately 6,700 cars in the first half of 2026 across all countries where the brand is now sold. It is up to each person to decide whether this result lives up to the brand’s stated ambitions.
But above all, the Ypsilon was meant to be just the beginning. The Gamma was announced for 2026, a promise that is now being fulfilled since it has already been Unveiled in Pictures, which has been physically showcased at several dealerships (which leaked images of it) and will go on sale by the end of this year.
Next was the model that all enthusiasts had been waiting for: the new Delta, scheduled for 2028.
The Delta was the stuff of dreams
This future Delta was anything but a simple compact car. Early reports described it as a compact sedan with all-wheel drive, conceived as a true revival of this iconic model from Lancia’s history.
In fact, I can say this today without taking too much of a risk: I was lucky enough to see a scale model of the car at the Centro Stile in Turin in early 2025. And honestly… it was magnificent. You could immediately recognize the spirit of the original Delta, reimagined in a modern interpretation. A true restomod that embodied the DNA of the Lancia Delta. I can’t say any more than that. At that moment, it was hard not to believe that the brand was finally back on the right track.
Carlos Tavares' departure is a game-changer
The situation takes a turn at the end of 2024 with the resignation of Carlos Tavares. A few months later, Antonio Filosa, considered the spiritual heir to Sergio Marchionne, takes the helm at Stellantis. Then, at the Investor Day held a year later, another surprise: Lancia would no longer be managed directly as before, but would come under Fiat’s control.
At this point, many questions arise. Is this a return to the strategy of the FCA years? Will we see standard Fiats that are simply more stylish and rebadged as Lancias? Antonio Filosa will respond a few days later : Fiat and Lancia will be working together again, just as they did during Lancia's heyday.
The Delta is being discontinued
And then there’s this new Stellantis product plan for 2030. In the column dedicated to Lancia, one detail immediately stands out: the Gamma is definitely there… but the Delta has simply disappeared.
Yes, some will still accuse me of speculating. Yet the facts speak for themselves. If the Delta no longer appears in the official roadmap through 2030, that means that, at this point, Stellantis no longer plans to launch it during that period.
So we can say this without exaggeration: Stellantis has canceled the upcoming Lancia Delta. Because if the project were still on track, it would have fit perfectly on the future STLA One platform, becoming the technical cousin of the next Peugeot 308, expected at the end of the decade.
The End of Lancia? Not Necessarily
Be careful, however, not to jump to conclusions. The absence of the Delta does not mean that Lancia is doomed. The Gamma is still on the schedule and will be the true test of this new strategy. It’s also possible that Fiat is currently working on a new roadmap for the brand, different from the one envisioned under Carlos Tavares.
But in the short term, Stellantis is focusing solely on the Gamma. And in both the medium and long term, no other Lancia models currently appear in the official plans through 2030.
In other words, the Delta’s grand return—which was supposed to symbolize Lancia’s rebirth—has now been put on hold. We will, of course, be following the Gamma’s market launch very closely, as there is no doubt that company executives will be asked about the brand’s future… and about the fate of the model that was supposed to embody its return to the forefront.
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Everything changes every week with Stellantis…
A month ago, they said they were working on a new version of the Giulia and the Stelvio; a month later, both models have been dropped from the lineup…
Who could feel reassured by management like that? Customers? No. Investors? No.
When you look closely, in the Investor Day presentation, the Stelvio and Giulia are listed under «current lineup,» and they just say they’re going to update the… current models! That might be reassuring, but it lacks transparency; we have to analyze everything and make assumptions, because nothing is clear.
I admit I haven't analyzed it that deeply, and I think this vagueness is intentional. It gives them some leeway. Before, they used to say too much; now they don't say enough.
I mentioned recently that Stellantis was becoming the new FCA. “FCtellantis” seems more appropriate to me.
Lancia and DS are set to disappear. Perhaps that’s part of Stellantis’s plan. DS has never really caught on, and Lancia has been in a state of stagnation for 20 years. At some point, you have to cut your losses. The group’s brand portfolio needs to be streamlined. And investments in DS and Lancia should be redirected to Alfa Romeo, for example. Alfa Romeo has more legitimacy to produce premium vehicles than DS or Lancia. The upcoming Alfa Romeo SUV looks magnificent. I’d rather see a complete, very well-designed lineup at Alfa Romeo than have investments spread thin across three «premium» brands, leaving none of them with a complete and fully developed lineup.
Getting rid of Lancia won't make much of a difference—the Ypsilon and Gamma have already been designed (and at a lower cost, too). Nothing else is planned. It's better to have a few more customers than none at all.
Phase them out by not updating the current models (Gamma, Ypsilon, DS7, DS8…). That’s what I mean. Specifically, around 2030–2032. By not updating the current models and not introducing new ones, this would lead to significant savings. Especially since Lancia and DS aren’t attracting new customers. I’m willing to bet that the same customers are buying Peugeots, Opels, or Alfas… I’d rather see the millions allocated to those brands redistributed to Alfa. And win back real new customers who’ve switched to the German brands.
Alfa customers won't, but Peugeot and Opel customers will. We'll see…
Well, after several decades with Stellantis—and two years of major hassle and frustration—I've just parted ways with them, even though I was really looking forward to the new Delta.
And as I can see, my decision was painful, but the right one.
«And reallocate investments from DS/Lancia to Alfa Romeo, for example»
I'm not sure DS and Lancia customers will switch to Alfa Romeo. A customer who prefers a chic premium car doesn't necessarily want a sporty premium car.
Hi, I'm one of those customers. I've always been a Lancia fan. But if there's nothing left—or nothing new coming—I'll switch to Alfa.
“A sporty premium car“ with a Peugeot 3-cylinder engine!
No 4- and 6-cylinder engines with mild-hybrid or plug-in hybrid systems!
Under these circumstances, who would still want to buy an Alfa? Not me, anyway—thanks, but no thanks.
That would really be a shame if that's the case! We were all more or less expecting it…
But Lancia shouldn't disappear. Let's give it a chance until 2030, and then we'll see.
A redesigned compact SUV based on the 600—is the new Y10 linked to the ECar project?
That would be great!!
...there must be a problem with the spiritual successor to...
...no, it's much simpler than that: Lancia's demise is sealed with the electric 100%, because the design is too expensive—and therefore unprofitable—so there's no possibility of refinancing or investing in internal-combustion versions that would make Lancisti's hearts race
...a (nearly) happy daily driver—a 1997 kC...☺️
Cloning—the replication of a platform across multiple models—allows for an infinite number of models at a lower cost.
The risks associated with the DS and Lancia models are limited, allowing the company to expand its offerings across different markets and customer segments.
In the end, Tavares went into the auto industry, giving other brands a chance
It's just taking people for fools… Not everyone is fooled, which is why Stellantis is in such a tailspin…
This marks the end of Lancia. The Delta is a key model in Lancia's lineup, positioned between the Ypsilon and the Gamma.
Geez…
I’d timed my current lease to end when the new Delta comes out—what am I going to do in 2028? 😅
The Gamma will definitely be too tall and too big for me…
And the Ysilon is too small 😓
I get the impression that a lot of people here think the auto industry is like fashion—or worse, a soccer team. «Just give it a chance, all you have to do is…»—that kind of thinking has no place in heavy industry, where even a single new mass-produced car requires a 1 billion investment!
You’re right. In general, a lot of money is invested, but not in these Lancias. They’re based on technology that’s already 80 percent available in Peugeots, DS models, or Opels. You just have to strip away the ‘skin’ and change the materials and colors in the interior. Plus some additional marketing, although websites and other sales channels are also shared within Stellantis.
Nothing new under the sun at Stellantis! They make big, flashy announcements and then quietly cancel them. In the meantime, customers are looking elsewhere.
Fortunately, their American customers (who aren't too picky) are currently saving the day…
That seems to be the case with the Giuletta, which appears to be part of Alfa’s lineup, and at DS, has the 3 also disappeared from the product lineup?
That's what I noticed, too 👍
That's right—and it's all the more intriguing given that a concept car for the future DS3 (scheduled for 2028) had been announced for the Paris Motor Show just a few days ago.
It seems to me that the Giulietta sold much better than the Delta, so it doesn't seem like a bad idea to invest in a new compact model from Alfa, especially since their product lineup has become quite limited.
I'm sorry for the Lancistes, but clearly this brand isn't the group's priority; it would have been better to release a new Ypsilon that lived up to market expectations: cute, stylish, and affordable.
The Lancia Upsilon 100 Turbo would sell well in the UK if it were sold through Fiat dealerships. .
I'd love this. But the RHD conversion supposedly isn't worth the investment, so there are no Lancias available on the UK market.
DS has sold more than 200,000 units of the previous 7; that’s not a huge number, but it’s certainly nothing to sneeze at. I think the new No. 7 will easily match that, since it’s also available as a pure EV (which wasn’t the case with the previous model) and is a major player in the leasing market. I think Lancia will pull the plug much sooner than DS Automobiles will. A.R. is a fantastic and beautiful brand 😍, and it would be a real shame if it were to disappear, but I think there’s a small chance that this could still happen.
Like clothes? That's exactly what consumers think.
Gone are the days when we used to develop a car from scratch without sharing components.
Nowadays, a model is designed in just a few years, except for the replacements for the Giulia and Grecale…
My 1995 Delta 2 Turbo was already built on a shared platform, as you say. The entire underbody was from the Tipo… yet, unlike the current Ypsilon (a rebranded 208/Corsa), it was well-executed with different engines and higher-end features. So it cost more, but the car was really appealing… not like a Y.
I have an «old» 1997 Lancia Delta HPE with dual overhead cams. A new Lancia Delta is fine, but please, not one with a Puretech engine!
And no more twin-shaft engines guzzling 10 liters either😁. Those days are over—we want either a full hybrid, an electric car, or both—much more modern. I’ll give Lancia another chance if they come out with a Lancia-style Kia EV3/EV4!
Unless the Giulietta project is actually a revival of the Delta project, which had surely already begun?
That would make sense.
Stellantis is playing it by ear. It's a shame for Lancia—it's a brand with a rich history—but it doesn't look good with all these canceled projects.
One might have hoped that things would improve after Tavares, but that’s by no means certain when you look at the situation at Alfa Romeo and Maserati. As for Abarth, sales figures are now kept confidential.
In the end, the only Italian brand within Stellantis that’s doing well is Fiat, but unfortunately, most of its vehicles are manufactured outside of Italy.
The latest Fiats are clones, such as the Fiat Grande Panda, which is similar to the C3, and the 600, which is similar to the 2008.
The same goes for upcoming models. There are no longer any brands, just marketing products that we try to link to brands of the past.
Finally, someone who tells it like it is: the latest Fiats are Peugeots. Let's call a spade a spade.
If not the engines, at least there's the design.
But I understand that FireFly will be back soon...
Right now, the brand isn't where it should be… It's way too expensive.
It may have been a premium service in the past, but that's over now
Waiting for the Lancia Ypsilon manual transmission gasoline version in the Netherlands… I think the Ypsilon is gorgeous!
I love Lancia, but let’s be honest: Stellantis lacks the expertise to manage premium or luxury brands! Lancia, Maserati, and Alfa are suffering because their lineups aren’t up to par, yet what is Stellantis doing? It’s investing in DS, which doesn’t even have half the prestige of the other three brands.
Production of the 600 will soon be discontinued to make way for the Grizzly and the Fastback.
I believe this would be an excellent opportunity for Lancia to capitalize on the situation and create an urban crossover with high-quality finishes and the brand's distinctive design language.
It would be the ideal model to bridge the gap between the Ypsilon and the Gamma.
By the way, the Ypsilon is next in line for an update! It’s clear that the current design—especially the front end, which is somewhat reminiscent of the Beetle—hasn’t been well received.
The process could be expedited so that the redesigned model arrives at dealerships by 2028.
What will the various «haters» of the French write now?
Thanks to the French, Lancia was making a comeback—not only as a brand name but also as a rally racing team.
Ever since its introduction, the current version of the Ypsilon has been heavily criticized because it has a French engine and is based on the Peugeot 208… Is a French Lancia not good enough? Better, then, to have no Lancia at all… what a brilliant idea!
This announcement that production of the new Delta is being halted will also affect the Ypsilon’s already sluggish sales… because it’s like telling the public that, by buying a Ypsilon, they’ll get a Lancia—but not the Lancia it used to be, just a pale imitation… until they shut everything down again, including the racing team.