New electric Lancia Ypsilon is the forbidden fruit we can’t have... yet

How do you make the Germanic Vauxhall Corsa Electric more Italian? Well the Lancia Ypsilon has arrived to do just that, sharing its underpinnings with the best-selling supermini and Peugeot’s E-208 but adopting a much more quirky and chic Italian persona.

Arguably the most striking electric supermini to have yet arrived on the scene, the new Lancia Ypsilon has been styled according to the brand’s new ‘Pi’Pu+Ra Design’ philosophy. Despite how it might appear at first glance, the Lancia Ypsilon is actually a five-door car; the handles for the rear doors are hidden in the C-pillar, next to a revised version of the Lancia shield logo.

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At the front and rear, the Ypsilon gets round LED lights which recall the Lancia Stratos sports car of the 1970s, while those at the front are joined by an LED light bar which converges into a ‘Y’ formation – a motif that also makes its way into the centre of the taillights. 

The theme of circles continues inside as the Ypsilon’s cabin is bisected by a round ‘coffee table’ that protrudes from the dashboard. Wrapped in a leatherette material, this is not only somewhere to put your cappuccino, but it also acts as a wireless charging pad for mobile devices.

Sitting above the coffee table is the Lancia Ypsilon’s 10.25-inch UConnect infotainment system, which is mounted alongside an identically-sized digital driver’s display. These run Lancia’s new SALA infotainment software, which is characterised by a small disc which illuminates and responds to your voice control inputs, much like an Amazon Echo smart speaker.

Lancia is pitching the Ypsilon as a premium product compared with its Peugeot E-208 and Citroen e-C4 siblings. At launch, the range-topping, limited run Edizione Limtata Cassina model will get leatherette upholstery on the dashboard, as well as seats wrapped in recycled blue velvet. In true Italian fashion, Lancia calls the stitching pattern on the Ypsilon’s seats 'cannelloni’; somehow we don’t think ‘Alphabetti Spaghetti’ upholstery will be coming to the Corsa Electric anytime soon.

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Underneath the gorgeous Italian bodywork, the Lancia Ypsilon gets the same 51kWh (usable) battery pack as the aforementioned Corsa Electric, E-208 and e-C4, which was first introduced in the Jeep Avenger SUV. 

Mounted alongside a 154bhp electric motor, this will get the Ypsilon from 0-62mph in 7.4 seconds and provide a maximum electric range of 250 miles – though flooring it too often will undoubtedly take its toll on your level of charge. Speaking of which, exact charging figures have yet to be announced, but Lacia says a 20-80% rapid charge is possible in roughly 28 minutes.

Don’t get too excited about the Lancia Ypsilon, though; while the Lancia brand is destined to see a reboot across Europe in places like France, Spain, the Netherlands and Germany before the end of 2025, there’s no word yet as to whether the Ypsilon will cross the Channel to the UK. This isn’t the only Lancia set to arrive over the next few years, as a reborn electrified version of the Delta is on the horizon, too.