Lancia kicked off this year's round of the Fiat Auto brands' schedule of press conferences at the Bologna Motor Show on Thursday. For the occasion of their 'home' international motor show, Lancia - the refined 'luxury' player in the Fiat Auto portfolio - presented an expanded Ypsilon MomoDesign range and an array of models that were closely themed around the 'bi-colore' paint finish that has now become closely associated with their principles. Bright but stylish cars, all resented on a clear, crisp stand.

It was also the first real opportunity for Lancia's new CEO Olivier Francois to address the Italian media as he was only appointed to replace Antonio Baravalle in the top job barely a week following the opening of the Frankfurt IAA in September. Francois was brought in to steer Lancia's fortunes after being poached from PSA Peugeot-Citroën, where he was the CEO and COO of Citroën Italia. He had worked his was up the management chain at the French carmaker, and during his two years at the helm in Italy he was widely accredited with doubling sales figures, through a series of aggressive marketing strategies.

The centre piece to the stand featured a giant TV screen playing clips of the new Ypsilon MomoDesign, with the Lancia range splayed out in a row on either side, and standing between two of the MomoDesign models on show, Francois introduced the brand to a well attended press conference. Francois will continue Baravalle's clear strategy of overhauling Lancia's Europe-wide distribution and dealer network, focusing on increasing sales outside Italy to reduce their unhealthy dependency on their home market. Lancia will also emphasise on offering refined, luxurious products in keeping with their image. In particular Francois pointed out the elegant 'bi-color' editions which offer, distinct, individual styling, that mark Lancias out from the pack. The 'bi-color' effect has now been extended to the Musa, which is making its debut in these distinct colours here. The Platino⁺ designation - which offers even higher standards of specification and equipment levels - has, since its debut in Frankfurt, become a production reality, and in Bologna this finish has been extended to the Ypsilon range, with the Ypsilon Platino⁺ making its public debut here.
 

The Ypsilon MomoDesign is the showpiece model here though, and three examples are present, the visually 'sporty' cars taking centre stage. The orange colour scheme seen in Frankfurt (on its world debut) is joined here by a black and red example, each of which has an interior trim finish to match. The Ypsilon has been a huge success for Lancia - keeping the brand afloat through some troubled recent times - and after the huge impact which the Ypsilon Sport Zagato showcar made in Geneva earlier this year, the 'MomoDesign' branded range seeks to build a 'sporty' image for what is a much-loved model. Continuing further on the point of the distinctive and exclusive nature which seeks to Lancia exemplify, a unique 'customised Ypsilon forms part of the collection, positioned angled upwards. Featuring a huge dartboard decal (created by 3M) splayed across the roof and continued on the b-pillars, Lancia promise that this showcar is "merely the prelude to a veritable collection of customised Ypsilons."

Although there is little genuinely new on offer from Lancia, the stand is very well presented, the models are positively vibrant, the mood upbeat, and in new CEO Olivier Francois, Lancia seem to have an enthusiastic boss who looks set to usher the famous brand into a new era. The corner does appear to have been turned and Lancia's fortunes - as they crank up a century's existence - are firmly on the up. The dark days of just a couple of years ago when the then Fiat Auto CEO Herbert Demel was looking to kill off the brand altogether now appear to be only a distant memory.

by Edd Ellison in Bologna