Alexandre
Lancia made its mark at the 2024 edition of the prestigious Chantilly Concours d'Élégance with its concept car Pu+Ra HPEin the coveted "Best of Show" category. This event, recognized as one of the highest expressions of automotive beauty, has seen Lancia distinguish itself among the world's leading brands.
Italian elegance at the heart of design
If you didn't know it already, the Lancia Pu+Ra HPE conceptdesigned in Turin by the brand's design team, embodies Lancia's vision of the future. This concept foreshadows the brand's future models for the next decade, in terms of both style and technology. The new Ypsilon is largely inspired by it.
The Richard Mille Chantilly Arts & Elegance Competition, held in the sumptuous setting of the Château de Chantilly, saw the world's finest concept cars parade past. For Lancia, the event was an opportunity to exhibit three of its iconic models: the New Lancia Ypsilon, the Lancia Pu+Ra HPE and the legendary Lancia Stratos.
In keeping with the tradition of the competition, Lancia's concept car paraded alongside a model wearing a blue velvet outfit designed by Italian designer Ginevra Zanivan. This outfit, perfectly matched to the car's interiors, reinforced the deep connection between the world of fashion and that of the automobile. The choice of velvet, with its luxurious texture and subtle reflections, symbolizes class and timelessness, values dear to Lancia.
A source of great pride for the brand
Charles Fuster, Lancia's Marketing and Communications Manager, expressed his great pride in the win: "Winning the 'Best of Show' with the concept Pu+Ra HPE is recognition of Italian elegance and our vision for the next ten years. It's also an excellent way of reconnecting with the French public with the launch of the New Lancia Ypsilon.
In fact, France is one of Lancia's main target markets, and the company is determined to conquer Europe once again. With a network of 25 showrooms and 80 service outlets planned by 2025the Italian brand is determined to regain a place of choice in the hearts of French motorists.
Other Italians in the competition
Created as a tribute to the golden age of Concours d'Elegance in the 1920s, the Chantilly Concours d'Elegance offers a unique setting for automakers to unveil their visions of the future. Each year, the parade of cars is accompanied by fashion creations inspired by the greatest fashion houses, a marriage of style and engineering that appeals to a wide audience.
In addition to Lancia, other major Italian brands were present at Chantilly, including Alfa Romeo with its superb 33 Stradale, and Maserati, which presented its impressive GranCabrio Folgore Trignanello model. Lancia Pu+Ra HPE succeeds such prestigious models as the Aston Martin DBR22 (2022) and the McLaren Speedtail (2019).
The side-by-side presentation of the concept and Lancia's first recent production model is cruel for the latter, and I still don't understand the point of offering a restyled Opel Corsa, necessarily sold at a higher price to honor the Lancia badge, but with no real contribution to customers looking for a rational purchase in this range of vehicles - GTi versions aside. For a first model, the signal is not good, and I still think that a two-door coupé like the DS3 would have established a much better brand image, with a more confidential distribution but much more in tune with the target Mini type clientele. Of course, it would also have been necessary to get rid of all the visible parts used by Peugeot and Opel, and to offer specific powertrains.
The Italian market sorely needs this new Ypsilon, but it's a great pity that certain elements of Lancia's DNA have not been integrated: Alcantara Traforata upholstery, leather signed Poltrona Frau, blue PPG Solextra tinted windows like on the Thema... so many features that we have a right to expect from a so-called premium vehicle, even if velvet, which I personally find totally outdated, was the order of the day in the Beta!
As for the absence of a panoramic and/or sunroof, this is an automatic elimination from the shopping list in certain countries such as Germany and the UK ... and the DS3 Crossback / DS3 can testify to this. Even if it shares its engines with its 208 / Corsa cousins (after the "Made in Poland" on the Panda platform and Fiat engines) while awaiting the future battery-powered HF version, I was interested in this new Ypsilon, but in the absence of a panoramic and/or sunroof, I'll never buy it.