From June 7, Italian customers will be able to order the Lancia Musa ‘Poltrona Frau’, the new range-topping version of its ‘City Limousine’, equipped with the new 120 CV 1.6 Multijet and priced from 21,500 euros.

Available in 11 external colours (including 4 two-tone) and 3 interior shades (grey, beige and red), this exclusive edition proposes seats and dashboard upholstered in Pelle Frau®, in addition to a rich list of standard equipment: Granluce roof, ESP, radio/CD player, 16” alloy wheels, dual-zone climate control, 6 airbags and foglights.

Lancia and Poltrona Frau, two ‘Made in Italy’ names par excellence, combine their traditions and brands to create a single article, in which the designer style, attention to detail and craftsmanship of the two-tone paintwork typical of Lancia cars, are merged with the exclusiveness and refinement of leather and the craftsmanship skills of Poltrona Frau.

For a car manufacturer such as Lancia, attention to detail and high regard for materials are essential. In all its cars, one becomes emotionally involved with the interior environment and its outstanding craftsmanship, and this is why Poltrona Frau is the most appropriate partner.  Poltrona Frau has a wealth of knowledge and tradition which is clearly expressed in the workmanship of the leather, preserving its softness, colour and feel.  Attention to quality, the search for the most innovative materials, exclusive processes and conformity to specific strength standards make the leather suitable for use in the automotive sector.

The collaboration between Lancia and Poltrona Frau is deeply rooted.  It started right back in the ‘20s when Vincenzo Lancia turned to Renzo Frau to ‘dress’ his cars for VIP customers, and it continued in 1984 when Poltrona Frau and the Lancia Style Centre made the interior of the Thema 8.32, the saloon with a Ferrari engine.  The collaboration has recently been extended to the entire Lancia range: from the Dedra to the Y10, from the Thesis, to the Musa and the new Delta, which will make its début in June.

Moreover, the Lancia Musa ‘Poltrona Frau’ adopts the new 120 CV 1.6 Multijet engine.  Multijet and multivalve – a latest-generation turbodiesel powerplant that confirms Fiat’s outstanding technological capabilities when it comes to designing and developing diesel engines. The new engine is the ultimate combination of the successful Multijet turbodiesel and the many benefits (including tax breaks) of the ‘downsizing’ philosophy.  The ideal solution, if you want to strike the right balance between respect for the environment and low running costs without giving up on power and elasticity, for true driving pleasure.

In detail, compared to the well-known 1.9 Multijet 100 CV, the 1.6 Multijet represents an important step forward.  There are improvements in terms of performance, comfort, emissions and running costs, and there are also considerable advantages: as well as an increase in power of 20%, torque is improved by almost 15% (1500 rpm) and consumption is reduced by 6% (measured on the NEDC cycle).  The car is also noticeably more pleasurable to drive, mainly thanks to the torque available at low revs.  These objectives have been achieved mainly due to the optimised combustion which exploits the potential of the new injectors to the full.

The 1.6 Multijet has outstanding torque output in absolute terms, all the more surprising if we consider the cylinder capacity: the torque of 300 Nm makes this engine the top performer among engines with a cylinder capacity of 1.8 litres or less.  If we consider the specific torque (divided by cylinder capacity), the 1.6 is the highest-performing engine in the category up to 200 bhp, with the sole exception of ‘super-sports’ engines.

That is not all.  If we consider that the maximum torque is generated at just 1500 rpm, we can instantly see why the 1.6 Multijet is a revolution among modern diesel engines: none of its latest-generation counterparts can offer such high performance at such low revs.  In short, the new 1.6 Multijet offers an exciting drive that is not easy to find anywhere else, as can be seen from the performance figures: 0 to 100 km/h in just 9.9 seconds, and a top speed of 190 km/h.

Last but not least, the combination of the new injection system with the latest-generation turbos rounds off a truly impressive technological set-up.  In addition, the 120 CV 1.6 Multijet adopts the use of innovative exhaust gas treatment systems, such as the close coupled diesel particulate filter and the EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) system, which improves temperature control and gas flow while cutting down on emissions and fuel consumption.  The pairing of these solutions to create an engine which is already compliant with Euro5 regulations is another demonstration of the great strides made by the whole Fiat Group towards greener traffic.

Finally, equipped with the new 1.6 Multijet, the Musa ‘Poltrona Frau’ only needs servicing every 35,000 km, with a reduction of ordinary maintenance costs by around 25% (calculated over 90,000 or 100,000 km, the distances used most frequently in long-term leasing agreements).